The Augustan Age vs The Preromantic Age

Reason, balance Emotions, sentiments and feelings

Virtue and measure Freedom

Culture and education Nature

Rational Irrational

Rationality Imagination

Realism Imaginary, exotic, supernatural

Rules Genius, originality

Static Dynamic

Beautiful Sublime

Favourite setting: light, day, the sun Favourite setting: dark, night, the moon

Optimism Pessimism, melancholy, gloomy athmosphere

Belief in progress, faith in science Against progress and industrialization

Interest in the present and in current affairs Interest in the past, in what is distant

and remote in time and place

Society Individual

Exaltation of science Exaltation of art

The artist and society The artist against society

Nature as a set of fixed rules Nature as a living force

Nature as a background to the poems Nature as the main theme, linked to

man’s feelings

Art as an imitation of nature Art as “a spontaneous overflow of

powerful feelings”( Wordsworth)

Civilization The Primitive

The age of prose The age of poetry

Love for the ancient Roman and Greek culture Revaluation of the Middle Ages

Characters from upper and middle classes Characters from humble, rustic people

Themes: society, money, success, family Themes: nature, passions, personal feelings