The Romantic era (c 1800 - 1840) was a period of significant artistic and intellectual development and a considerable shift in thinking. Though it was known primarily by its emphasis on the emotional and the spiritual, Romanticism had much more to it than the stereotypical personification of love and the arts. Romanticism was an expression of complex, paradoxical ideas. It was a reaction against the abandonment of traditional values in light of the industrial revolution and a new appreciation for nature, the imagination, emotion, and the individual.
Topic 1: Expression of Nature in Romantic Poetry – Explore the ways in which Romantic poets used language to express their reverence for nature and the natural world, from Wordsworth and Coleridge to Keats and Shelley.
Topic 2: Themes of Romanticism – Analyze the works of a few major Romantic writers and discuss the major themes of the Romantic era, such as the value of emotion, the power of the imagination, and the celebration of nature.
Topic 3: Romanticism and Revolution – Analyze how Romantic writers and artists responded to the industrial revolution and its effects on traditional values.
Topic 4: The Power of Emotion – Explore how different Romantic writers used emotion and the power of the imagination to evoke a strong emotional response in their readers.
Topic 5: Romanticism in Music – Examine how composers and musicians of the Romantic era expressed emotions and ideas through their works, from Beethoven to Chopin.