Romantic Era in English poetry/literature

 End of 18th century to almost the middle of the 19th Century ( 1798-1837)
 Began with the publication of the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ by Wordsworth and
Coleridge in 1798
 Term ‘ romantic’ is misleading
 Romantic Era poets are also known as ‘ nature poets’
 Ardent love for nature; poetry of this period generally contemplates nature
and her varied beauty
 Considered nature to be their ‘ friend philosopher and guide’
 Stressed upon the power of nature to make life worthwhile
 The French Revolution (1789) had a major impact on the romantic poets of
this period… especially Wordsworth
 “ Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive, but to be young the very heaven”
John Keats
 2nd generation of Romantic poets
 died at a very young age- 26- of TB
 gained appreciation and lasting fame only after his death
 sudden development of his poetic talents at the age of 18
 His poetry stands out for it’s sensuousness and imagery
 Sensuousness- as you read it all your 5 senses get involved( visual/ aural/
tactile/ taste/ smell)
 Keen sense of beauty is another hall mark of his poetry
 Did not have any advantages of birth, wealth or education
 Faced terrible unhappiness in his brief life
 Lost his parents at a very young age/ brother died of TB/ poverty kept him
from marrying the girl he loved
A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever
- Excerpt for a much longer poem “ Endymion”
 Defines ‘ a thing of beauty”
- a source of perennial joy/ constant source of joy ( joy forever)
- its beauty or loveliness only increases with time
- a truly beautiful thing can never fade away (pass into nothingness)
- remains undiminished / unaffected by the passage of time
 What does a thing of beauty provide us with:
-a quiet , peaceful corner for us to retire to when we are feeling
anxious or troubled just like a shady bower provides us relief from
the scorching sun ( a bower quiet for us)
-peaceful/ restful / sound sleep full of sweet dreams
- good health, relaxation,tranquility; destresses us ( quiet breathing)
Meanings of certain words and phrases
in the poem
Every morrow- each new day/ each new dawn
Wreathing- encircling or surrounding ( to create
an ornate band of beautiful things)
Flowery band- anything that is beautiful to look
at or experience
To bind us to the earth – keeps us bound to the
earth / makes life worth living/ gives us a reason
to live ,to be on this earth
Things that cause suffering and pain in
our lives/ things that dampen our spirits
 Despondence- a feeling of sadness, melancholy, disappointment,
hopelessness
 Dearth of noble natures- lack/ scarcity of noble souls whom we can look
upto/ idolize/ emulate
 Gloomy days- days filled with gloom, sadness/days that are dismal, dreary,
when one is overcome with a sense of hopelessness
 Unhealthy and over- darkened ways – evil, wickedness, malice,
malevolence that is a part and parcel of life
 Made for our searching- we have to make our way in life through evil,
wickedness/ we have to face miserable days filled with evil, malice,
malevolence
List of things of beauty mentioned in
the poem:
Beautiful things in nature:
 Sun, moon, old and young trees which offer the blessing of shade to
everyone, equally without discrimination( simple sheep is one
among many who enjoy a tree’s shade)
 Daffodils that blossom in the verdant meadows ( green world they
live in)
 Clear streams of water that offer a cool shelter in the hot season
 Thick mass of ferns ( brake) that grow in the middle of the forest,
made even more beautiful by the fragrance of musk-rose flowers
that bloom along with the ferns
List of things of beauty mentioned in
the poem ( contd.):
 Legends, stories, tales written about the ‘ mighty dead’ that
continue to inspire generations of men
 Mighty dead- The phrase refers to great heroes/ warriors who were
admired for their spectacular, astounding , brilliant achievements in
their lifetime.
- They lived impressive lives and probably died gloriously.
- Hence we conclude/ believe/assume that Doomsday or the Day
of Judgement will only add to their glory/ grandeur
- These heroes continue to inspire us even after their death through
legends and stories that extol/ praise their great deeds.
- These legends , tales , stories are also considered to be things of
beauty
Concluding lines:

 Compares all beautiful things- in nature or man-made- to an eternal

fountain of nectar ( immortal drink) that comes to us from God
 We should be forever grateful for this bounty, since things of beauty are a
permanent source of joy and make our otherwise dreary, miserable
despondent and stressful lives worth living. They give us a reason to live on
earth.