A History of Romantic Literature (Blackwell History of Literature)

"A History of Romantic Literature provides a richly integrated account of shared themes, interests, innovations, rivalries, and disputes among the writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It examines the literatures of sensibility and intensity as well as the aesthetic dimensions of horror and terror, sublimity and ecstasy. Because Romanticism infiltrated religious, philosophical, scientific, and ideological discourse as thoroughly as it did literature and the arts, its impact was pervasive and pan-European. The authors crafted a poetry and prose of emotional extremes, and a writing style prioritising spontaneity, improvisation, and originality. Not entirely without paradox, they also found their originality in folk traditions and the antiquarian revival of literary forms and themes of the medieval past. In examining Romanticism as historical movement, this History adheres to theories of assemblage: it addresses the social networking among authors, the informal dinners and teas, the clubs and salons, and the more formal institutions that emerged to establish and manage relations between readers and writers"-- Read more... Abstract: "A History of Romantic Literature provides a richly integrated account of shared themes, interests, innovations, rivalries, and disputes among the writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It examines the literatures of sensibility and intensity as well as the aesthetic dimensions of horror and terror, sublimity and ecstasy. Because Romanticism infiltrated religious, philosophical, scientific, and ideological discourse as thoroughly as it did literature and the arts, its impact was pervasive and pan-European. The authors crafted a poetry and prose of emotional extremes, and a writing style prioritising spontaneity, improvisation, and originality. Not entirely without paradox, they also found their originality in folk traditions and the antiquarian revival of literary forms and themes of the medieval past. In examining Romanticism as historical movement, this History adheres to theories of assemblage: it addresses the social networking among authors, the informal dinners and teas, the clubs and salons, and the more formal institutions that emerged to establish and manage relations between readers and writers" Content: Illustrations viiiIntroduction 1I Revolution (1789-1798) 22The 'Revolution Controversy' 22Newington Green Circle and Richard Price 25Mary Wollstonecraft 26Anna Laetitia Barbauld 29Abolition Movement 30Thomas Beddoes, Pneumatic Institution 38Slave Trade, Opium Trade 41Elizabeth Montagu and the Bluestockings 47Helen Maria Williams 51William Blake 54Anna Seward 63Dissenters 64Historical Nodes 66Corresponding Societies and Treason Trials 67Erasmus Darwin 70Charles Lloyd 72John Thelwall 74John Horne Tooke 75Nonconformists 77William Blake: Vision and Prophecy 78George Crabbe 81Thomas Holcroft 83Gothic, Domestic Violence, Sadism 92The Irish Rebellion 99Coleridge at Cambridge 100William Frend 101John Tweddell and James Losh 103Freedom of the Press 105Letters of Junius 107George Dyer 115Mary Hays 120Elizabeth Hamilton 127Mary Robinson 127Coleridge and Wordsworth 128Joanna Baillie 136Maria Edgeworth 139Charlotte Smith 139II Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) 158The French Consulate and Great Britain 158Coalitions 159Toussaint L'Ouverture 168Peace of Amiens 168The 'Dejection' Dialogue 171The Growth of The Prelude 177Back to Nature 188Coleridge: Conversation Poems 190Continental Romanticism 205Jane Porter 211Thomas Bewick 213Moral Causality 2141805: Connections and Coincidences 215The Periodical Press 219Exaltation and Exploitation of the Child 226The Lecture 229Lord Byron: 'Fools are my theme, let satire be my song' 234The Novel 237Interconnections: Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott, George Crabbe, Joanna Baillie, Charlotte Smith, Anna Laetitia Barbauld 239III Riots (1815-1820) 297Waterloo 297Corn Laws: Cobbett, Bamford, Wroe, Elliott 309Lord Byron: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage Cantos III and IV 313Lord Byron: Manfred 318Percy Bysshe Shelley 328Samuel Rogers 333Coleridge: Principles of Genial Criticism and Biographia Literaria 334Coleridge: 'Kubla Khan' and 'Christabel' 339Keats: Networking 349Keats: Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion 351Keats: 'Eve of St. Agnes' and Lamia 353Keats: The 'Great Odes' 358Belatedness 366Wordsworth, Shelley, Reynolds: Peter Bell, First, Second, Third, and Fourth 367Wordsworth: Benjamin the Waggoner 375Cato Street Conspiracy 376Leigh Hunt 381March of the Blanketeers 383Satire and the Gagging Acts 385Shelley: Mask of Anarchy 388Beau Brummell 388Blake: Jerusalem 389Shelley: Prometheus Unbound 393IV Reform (1821-1832) 413Trial of Queen Caroline 413Shelley, Swellfoot the Tyrant 419Shelley, Witch of Atlas 425Byron, Don Juan 427John Clare, The Village Minstrel 431De Quincey, Confessions 433Maria Edgeworth, Tomorrow 435Charles Lamb: Essayist, Critic, Playwright 439William Hazlitt, Spirit of the Age 447Deaths: Keats, Napoleon, Shelley, Castlereagh, Byron, Radcliffe 451Letitia Elizabeth Landon: Improvisatrice 453Samuel Rogers: Italy 455George Dyer 457Mary Russell Mitford, Foscari 458Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations 466Panic of 1825 468Felicia Hemans 470Thomas Love Peacock, Misfortune of Elphin (1829) 472Thomas Lovell Beddoes, Death's Jest Book 475Parliamentary Reform 478Abolition 478Deaths: Blake, Hazlitt, Scott, Goethe, Coleridge Crabbe, Lamb, Thelwall 479Conclusion 489Index 492

Historical Narrative Offers Introduction to Romanticism by Placing Key Figures in Overall Social Context

Going beyond the general literary survey, A History of Romantic Literature examines the literatures of sensibility and intensity as well as the aesthetic dimensions of horror and terror, sublimity and ecstasy, by providing a richly integrated account of shared themes, interests, innovations, rivalries and disputes among the writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Drawing from the assemblage theory, Prof. Burwick maintains that the literature of the period is inseparable from prevailing economic conditions and ongoing political and religious turmoil, as well as developments in physics, astronomy, music and art. Thus, rather than deal with authors as if they worked in isolation from society, he identifies and describes their interactions with their communities and with one another, as well as their responses to current events. By connecting seemingly scattered and random events such as the bank crisis of 1825, he weaves the coincidental into a coherent narrative of the networking that informed the rise and progress of Romanticism. Notable features of the book include:

• A strong narrative structure divided into four major chronological periods: Revolution, 1789-1798; Napoleonic Wars, 1799-1815; Riots, 1815-1820; Reform, 1821-1832
• Thorough coverage of major and minor figures and institutions of the Romantic movement (including Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Montague and the Bluestockings, Lord Byron, John Keats, Letitia Elizabeth Landon etc.)
• Emphasis on the influence of social networks among authors, such as informal dinners and teas, clubs, salons and more formal institutions

With its extensive coverage and insightful analysis set within a lively historical narrative, History of Romantic Literature is highly recommended for courses on British Romanticism at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. It will also prove a highly useful reference for advanced scholars pursuing their own research.

Historical Narrative Offers Introduction to Romanticism by Placing Key Figures in Overall Social Context Going beyond the general literary survey, A History of Romantic Literature examines the literatures of sensibility and intensity as well as the aesthetic dimensions of horror and terror, sublimity and ecstasy, by providing a richly integrated account of shared themes, interests, innovations, rivalries and disputes among the writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Drawing from the assemblage theory, Prof. Burwick maintains that the literature of the period is inseparable from prevailing economic conditions and ongoing political and religious turmoil, as well as developments in physics, astronomy, music and art. Thus, rather than deal with authors as if they worked in isolation from society, he identifies and describes their interactions with their communities and with one another, as well as their responses to current events. By connecting seemingly scattered and random events such as the bank crisis of 1825, he weaves the coincidental into a coherent narrative of the networking that informed the rise and progress of Romanticism. Notable features of the book include: A strong narrative structure divided into four major chronological periods: Revolution, 1789-1798; Napoleonic Wars, 1799-1815; Riots, 1815-1820; Reform, 1821-1832 Thorough coverage of major and minor figures and institutions of the Romantic movement (including Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Montague and the Bluestockings, Lord Byron, John Keats, Letitia Elizabeth Landon etc.) Emphasis on the influence of social networks among authors, such as informal dinners and teas, clubs, salons and more formal institutions With its extensive coverage and insightful analysis set within a lively historical narrative, History of Romantic Literature is highly recommended for courses on British Romanticism at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. It will also prove a highly useful reference for advanced scholars pursuing their own research. A History Of Romantic Literature Provides A Richly Integrated Account Of Shared Themes, Interests, Innovations, Rivalries, And Disputes Among The Writers Of The Late Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth Centuries. It Examines The Literatures Of Sensibility And Intensity As Well As The Aesthetic Dimensions Of Horror And Terror, Sublimity And Ecstasy. Because Romanticism Infiltrated Religious, Philosophical, Scientific, And Ideological Discourse As Thoroughly As It Did Literature And The Arts, Its Impact Was Pervasive And Pan-european. The Authors Crafted A Poetry And Prose Of Emotional Extremes, And A Writing Style Prioritising Spontaneity, Improvisation, And Originality. Not Entirely Without Paradox, They Also Found Their Originality In Folk Traditions And The Antiquarian Revival Of Literary Forms And Themes Of The Medieval Past. In Examining Romanticism As Historical Movement, This History Adheres To Theories Of Assemblage: It Addresses The Social Networking Among Authors, The Informal Dinners And Teas, The Clubs And Salons, And The More Formal Institutions That Emerged To Establish And Manage Relations Between Readers And Writers-- Frederick Burwick. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "A History of Romantic Literature provides a richly integrated account of shared themes, interests, innovations, rivalries, and disputes among the writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It examines the literatures of sensibility and intensity as well as the aesthetic dimensions of horror and terror, sublimity and ecstasy. Because Romanticism infiltrated religious, philosophical, scientific, and ideological discourse as thoroughly as it did literature and the arts, its impact was pervasive and pan-European. The authors crafted a poetry and prose of emotional extremes, and a writing style prioritizing spontaneity, improvisation, and originality. Not entirely without paradox, they also found their originality in folk traditions and the antiquarian revival of literary forms and themes of the medieval past. In examining Romanticism as historical movement, this History adheres to theories of assemblage: it addresses the social networking among authors, the informal dinners and teas, the clubs and salons, and the more formal institutions that emerged to establish and manage relations between readers and writers"-- Provided by publisher