Introduction to the British Romantic Poets

An overview of the major works, key themes, and historical context of British literary Romanticism

In this course, we'll examine the major works of all six major British Romantic poets, with an emphasis on how they responded to their tumultuous historical moment and how their work engaged in an ongoing dialogue about the meaning of poetry. Their most famous poems will be discussed, as well as relevant essays and letters that give a sense of how they each shaped the Romantic movement in their own unique ways.

In addition to the poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, Byron, Shelley, and Keats, we will cover poetic terms such as meter and rhyme scheme, as well as various types of poetic forms. You will become familiar with how to analyze poems using close reading, and how to apply historical and biographical context to the poems you read. You will come away with an understanding of important Romantic themes such as the relationship between humanity and nature, the poet-as-hero, the gothic, and the sublime.

For each poet, annotated readings are included in the course resources. The lectures will include a summary and analysis of the readings, as well as relevant biographical and historical context and information about how each work fits into the Romantic movement more broadly.

*(Please note that this course will briefly touch on sensitive topics such as suicide, sexuality, and drug use in the context of the Romantic poets.)

I hope you'll decide to learn more about the groundbreaking literature of this exciting period.

See you soon!

Andrea Novak, M.A.