An historical introduction to Romanticism examining key figures and the social contexts from which they emerged
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 assemblage theory, Professor Burwick maintains that the literature of the period is inseparable from prevailing economic conditions and ongoing political and religious turmoil as well as cultural developments in physics, astronomy, music, and art. Rather than treating 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 Romantic writers to seemingly 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 comprehensive overview spanning four major chronological periods: Revolution, 1789-1798; Napoleonic Wars, 1799-1815; Riots, 1815-1820; and 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, and Letitia Elizabeth Landon
- 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, A History of Romantic Literature is highly recommended for courses on Romanticism at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as scholars pursuing their own research.
