Paper Summary:

This paper critically analyzes the construction and definition of romanticism in romantic literature. It expresses the growing concern voiced by many critics over the methods of defining and interpreting romanticism. It explores the canonical writers of the so-called "romantic period" such as Byron, Coleridge, Keats and Shelly. Through the deconstructions of romance and romanticism in the eighteenth century, the paper aims to inspire readers to look at romanticism in a new light.

From the Paper:

"As Paul Kauffman says, "Romanticism is omnipresent; we cannot speak of literature and other arts without employing it as a term to denote fundamental expressions of life." Romanticism plays such an important part in literary history it is something that will never be excluded. It is far too widely accepted and recognized as an era to be challenged enough to be displaced. Nevertheless, scholars young and old are still interested in challenging the romantic synthesis. Whether you believe that Byron, Coleridge, Keats, and Shelley are all of the same thought and expression or you believe they are all different, they will still be associated with the romantics and they will still stand the test of time. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch remarked, "that it may help our minds to earn an honest living if we dismiss the terms 'classical' and 'romantic' out of our vocabulary for a while... the whole pother about their difference amounts to nothing that need trouble a healthy man." And maybe he is right."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Halsted, John B. Romanticism; Problems in Defintion, Explanation and Evaluation. 1926th ed. Boston: Heath, 1968. 3-106.
• Kaufman, Paul. "Defining Romanticism: a Survey and a Program." Modern Language Notes 4th ser. 40 (1925): 193-204. John Hopkins University Press. JSTOR. Dana Porter Library, Waterloo. 24 Mar. 2008. Keyword: Romanticism.
• Lanyi, Gabriel. "Debates on the Definition of Romanticism in Literature in France." Journal of the History of Idea 41 (1980): 141-150. University of Pennsylvania Press. JSTOR. Dana Porter Library, Waterloo. 28 Mar. 2008. Keyword: Definitions Against Romanticism.
• Lovejoy, Arthur O. "On the Discrimination of Romanticism." Modern Language Association 2nd ser. 39 (1924): 229-253. Publications of the Modern Language Association of America. JSTOR. Dana Porter Library, Waterloo. 28 Mar. 2008. Keyword: Arthur O. Lovejoy.
• McGann, Jerome. "Rethinking Romanticism." The John Hopkins University Press 3rd ser. 59 (1992): 735-754. JSTOR. Dana Porter Library, Waterloo. 24 Mar. 2008. Keyword: Romanticism.

Visitors who viewed this Analytical Essay also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 84424 : "Romanticism Through The Ages"
• Comparison Essay # 125414 : "Romanticism vs. Realism"
• Analytical Essay # 5475 : "Tintern Abbey": Poetic Romanticism"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: