Kanak

220359
BAP(Eng+Fr)

CONTINOUS ASSESSMENT
ROMANTIC LITERATURE
SEMESTER 03

Summary notes of suggested readings

“On Picturesque Travel” by William Gilpin

On Picturesque Travel was made by William Gilpin in the year 1770. Reverend
William Gilpin was an English artist, cleric and pioneer in the aesthetics of
Landscapes. Gilpin’s book “Three essays on Picturesque beauty” serves as a
foundational text in the development of picturesque movement which heavily
influenced the appreciation of nature and landscapes in the late 18th century.
The book is based on Gilpin’s experiences during a tour of the River Wye and
South Wales in 1770 where he looked for scenes that captured the essence of
picturesque ideal there. The first article, "On Picturesque Beauty," presents a
theoretical foundation for appreciating natural landscape and describes Gilpin's
definition of the picturesque. According to Gilpin, the various, uneven, and
rugged features of a landscape are what make it lovely. He highlights the
significance of several components in producing visually captivating sceneries,
such as complexity, abrupt fluctuation, and roughness. Gilpin makes a
distinction between the sublime, the beautiful, and the picturesque, arguing
that the picturesque lies in between the great, breathtaking sublime and the
delicate, smooth beauty.
The second article by Gilpin, "On Picturesque Travel," explores the usefulness
of using picturesque ideas when traveling. He offers advice on routes and
vantage spots that bring out the best in the scenic features of the terrain. In
order to get visually appealing shots, Gilpin advises travellers to look for
landscapes that feature a range of shapes, hues, and textures. In addition, he
talks about how the imagination of the traveller can enhance the scenic
experience, advising them to actively interact with the terrain in order to fully
enjoy its beauty.
Essay number three, "On the Conduct of the Understanding, with Regard to
Picturesque Beauty," discusses the mental and affective dimensions of
appreciating the picturesque. Gilpin investigates the psychology of perception
as well as how people react to and understand visual cues. In order to acquire
an appreciation for the picturesque, he contends that education and the
development of taste are crucial. He exhorts readers to hone their
observational skills and improve their aesthetic sense.

Emile preface by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Emile is a philosophical work by Jean-Jacques Rousseau which was published in
1762. The primary concepts and topics that Rousseau addresses throughout
the work are introduced in the book's preface. Rousseau outlines his opinions
on human nature, education, and the influence of society on personal
development in this preface.
Beginning with a direct approach to the reader, Rousseau hopes that the work
will be interpreted in the proper spirit and that the concepts offered will be
properly thought through. He highlights how crucial it is to comprehend human
nature in order to educate properly and critiques modern educational
methods, which he feels are wrong and disregard a person's natural growth.
An important idea in the introduction is "natural education." According to
Rousseau, Emile, the fictional student for whom the book is intended, should
receive an education that is in line with his natural growth. According to
Rousseau, the artificial limitations imposed by society impede this natural
development. He criticizes the prevalent educational systems of his day
because he believes they stifle children's natural abilities and impose arbitrary
rules.
Rousseau is critical of the dominant social norms and their effect on people's
genuine development. He contends that society taints human nature, causing
individuals to drift from their actual selves. According to Rousseau, education
should work to combat these harmful influences and enable people to grow in
accordance with their natural inclinations.
The concept of the "noble savage," which Rousseau famously explores in his
other works, is also touched upon in the preface. According to Rousseau,
people are naturally good and moral beings in a state of nature free from the
effects of society. He draws a comparison between this and the corrupting
effects of civilization, claiming that society brings moral decay, inequality, and
competition.

Rousseau's opinions on literature and the arts are also included in his criticism
of conventional schooling. He contends that because popular culture—which
includes literature and the arts—glorifies vice and artificiality, it frequently
leads to people becoming corrupted. He is an advocate of going back to more
basic, organic forms of expression that are in line with the fundamental
qualities of human nature.
The role of women in education is also discussed in "Emile's” preface.
According to Rousseau, women should receive an education that is distinct
from that of men, with a focus on developing traits that are appropriate for
their roles as mothers and wives. This illustrates Rousseau's view that
education should be adapted to the needs of the individual and the roles of
society while also reflecting the social mores of the eighteenth century.

Summary on Keats Letters

Renowned English Romantic poet John Keats left behind a series of letters that
brought light on his ideas, life, and poetic philosophy. The letters are accessible
through Project Gutenberg and provide a glimpse into Keats's relationships,
personal and creative struggles, and changing concepts of beauty and art.
Keats frequently addresses beauty and truth in his letters, two concepts that
are essential to his poetic philosophy. He is credited with creating the phrase
"Negative Capability," which expresses the notion that exceptional artists are
able to accept doubt and uncertainty without seeking out rational
explanations. Keats's own approach to poetry, which attempted to convey the
elusive and transcendent aspects of beauty, is indicative of this idea.
Keats's personal struggles with money, losing loved ones, and his own battle
with tuberculosis were also discussed in his letters. His letters demonstrate his
perseverance and dedication to his work in spite of these setbacks. Readers can
better appreciate his poetry because of the poignant background of his life,
which shows how his personal and creative struggles are intertwined.
Much of Keats's correspondence is devoted to his love affair with Fanny
Brawne, which had a profound effect on his creative output. The letters express
the depth of his feelings for Brawne, evoking both the separation pain and the
ecstasy of love. Keats explores the theme in his poetry and provides a rich
context that is complemented by his poetic expressions of love in his letters.
The letters that Keats wrote also demonstrate his interest in the philosophical
and literary concepts of the day. He talks about how much he admires poets
like Milton and Shakespeare and offers criticism on modern poets and writers.
His letters demonstrate a deep understanding of the literary tradition he was a
part of, and his ideas on the social function of poetry offer a wider perspective
on the importance of his own contributions.
The letters available on Project Gutenberg are an invaluable resource for
students and fans alike, providing a thorough understanding of Keats's growth
as a poet and the difficulties he encountered. They offer a glimpse into the
inner workings of his mind, showing the development of his concepts and the
skill with which, his poetic pursuits are executed.
John Keats's letters on Project Gutenberg offer a complex picture of the poet,
including his literary engagements, personal struggles, and philosophical
reflections. By allowing readers to explore the thoughts of a Romantic poet
who wrestled with the the details of life and attempted to express the sublime
through his art, the collection deepens our understanding of Keats's life and
work.

Biographia Literaria by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Published in 1817, "Biographia Literaria" is a basic composition by English poet
and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In addition to giving an
autobiographical account of his life, Coleridge delves into his literary and
philosophical theories in this complex and multifaceted work. The work is a
foundational piece of the Romantic literary movement, combining
autobiography, literary criticism, and philosophical reflection.
The book opens with a description of Coleridge's early years, including his
upbringing, schooling, and the factors that influenced his intellectual growth.
Coleridge, who was born in 1772, was a bright kid who had an insatiable desire
for knowledge. He explores how his early years at Cambridge University and
Christ's Hospital School influenced his worldview and literary sensibilities.
Encounters with philosophers like David Hartley and Immanuel Kant
throughout his intellectual journey had a significant impact on Coleridge's own
philosophical ideas.
The piece also sheds light on Coleridge's personal hardships, such as his fights
with opium addiction, which had a big influence on his life and work. The
autobiography's candid tone gives the story a personal touch and helps readers
identify with the author's successes and failures.

Coleridge's theory of imagination is one of "Biographia Literaria"'s main

themes. He separates imagination into two categories: the primary, or
"esemplastic," imagination that brings disparate elements together to form a
harmonious whole, and the secondary imagination that deals with the artist's
creative process. Coleridge's theories about the nature of poetry and artistic
creation were shaped by his talks on imagination. He emphasizes the value of
unity and natural form in poetic composition and claims that poetry is the
result of the primary and secondary imaginations working in harmony.
In addition, Coleridge offers his thoughts on the writings of his ancestors and
contemporaries while critically analysing poetry and other literary works. He
talks about the distinction between imagination and fancy, praising the latter
for its capacity for transformation and unification. German Romantic
philosophy, especially the idea of the "organic" work of art, greatly influenced
Coleridge's ideas about literature and poetry.
Coleridge explores imagination in the second section of "Biographia Literaria,"
but he also talks about the idea of the "willing suspension of disbelief." This
idea, which is fundamental to his poetic philosophy, implies that the reader
must voluntarily put aside their scepticism and enter the author's imaginative
universe in order to fully understand and interact with a work of fiction.

Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth

This document was written in 1800 and revised in 1802. It serves as a
theoretical framework for the poetry found in the Lyrical Ballads collection,
which Wordsworth co-wrote with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth argues
against the artificial and ornate language of the 18th-century neoclassical
tradition, advocating instead for a simpler and more natural style. This
emphasis on simplicity and a return to nature is a fundamental tenet of
Romanticism, a literary and artistic movement that rejected the ration.
Wordsworth argues in favor of using everyday language, drawing inspiration
from everyday situations and people's experiences. According to him, poetry
ought to be understandable to everyone and should use language that is
similar to everyday speech. The elitist and artificial vocabulary of the previous
neoclassical era was replaced by this democratic approach to language.
Wordsworth believed that "emotion recollected in tranquillity" was a
fundamental component of poetic creation. He advises poets to write from
their own experiences and feelings, giving themselves time to think things
through before putting those feelings into verse. This viewpoint is consistent
with the Romantic movement's emphasis on unique experience and subjective
feeling. Wordsworth thinks that this procedure produces more genuine and
meaningful poetry.
Besides emphasizing natural language and simplicity, Wordsworth talks about
the poet's role as a "man speaking to men." He makes an argument that poets
ought to be aware of the universal elements of the human experience and able
to relate to the feelings and worries of other people. Wordsworth's belief in
the ability of literature to encourage empathy and understanding among
people is reinforced by this communal aspect of poetry.
Wordsworth distinguishes between fancy and the "poetic imagination," a
concept he discusses in the preface. According to him, imagination is a creative
force that rearranges and turns experience's unprocessed elements into
poetry. Wordsworth asserts that this creative process is intimately related to
the emotions and is necessary for creating meaningful and enduring works of
art.