A Comparative Study on the Characteristics between English Romantic Poetry and E

Abstract：This paper studies the characteristics between English Romantic Poetry and English Modern Poetry for the purpose of grasping the differences and similarities between the two genres. There are four parts in this paper starting with a brief introduction to English Romantic Poetry and English Modern Poetry. Then the characteristics of English Romantic Poetry are analyzed by taking a poem from a Romantic poet as an example in the second part. In the third part, the characteristics of English Modern Poetry are presented with the help of a poem taken from a Modernist poet. In the last part, by comparing the characteristics between the two genres, a conclusion is drawn as that the differences of the two genres are the main stream, but the similarities also draw attentions.

Key words：characteristics; English Romantic Poetry; English Modern Poetry; differences; similarities

Ⅰ.Introduction

English Romanticism and Modernism are two significant stages in English history. Each one has its vivid and extraordinary characteristics and breeds prominent literary figures. This paper discusses the characteristics between English Romantic and Modern Poetry which vividly reflects the characteristics of English Romanticism and Modernism. Obviously, distinctions are the main stream between English Romantic and Modern Poetry, but some slight similarities are the part we can’t neglect.

Ⅱ. Characteristics of English Romantic Poetry

Romanticism is a sweeping but indispensable modern term applied to the profound shift in western attitudes to art and human creativity that dominated much of European culture in the first half of the 19th century (Chris Baldick, 2003: 193). It prevailed in England during the period 1978-1832. Generally speaking, the English Romantic poets express their ideology and sentiment to the development of Capitalism in their poetry. Some poets are discontent with the bourgeoisie by turning to the feudal past or nature for protection. They are called passive or escapist romantic poets, represented by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey. While others expressed their aspiration of the bourgeoisie and their hope for a future society free from oppression and exploitation. Byron, Shelley and Keats are the representatives for this group. Generously speaking, the English Romantic Poetry has the following characteristics:

(1)Worship of nature: the Romantic poets explored the relationship between nature and human life. Some treat nature as a living entity that shares their feelings, while some take nature as the revelation of god.

(2)Subjectivism: the Romantic poets emphasize the importance of personal experiences, emotions and thoughts. High degree of imagination is a distinctive feature of Romantic poets.

(3)Melancholy: in the poems of the romantic poets, the theme of exile, isolation, loneliness and a longing for an indefinable and inaccessible goal is commonly found.

(4)Spontaneity:“rules” and“regulations” are opposed in the works of the Romantic poets. Wordsworth defines poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of feelings”.

(5)Simplicity: the Romantic poets favor natural diction and everyday language.

(6)Symbolic methods: with the active romanticists, symbolic pictures represent a vague idea of some future society, while with the passive romanticists, these often take on a mystic color(刘炳善,2002:253).

In order to fulfill a better understanding of the characteristics of romantic poetry, a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley is introduced here. Percy Bysshe Shelley is a representative figure of the active Romanticists and is famous for his rebellious spirit against English political and social values. He expresses his aspiration and hope for a future society in some of his poems in which “ode to the west wind” is a prominent one. In this poem, Shelley’s passionate desire for a universal freedom and symbolic method are displayed in the image of the powerful autumn wind. Firstly, this poem reflects Shelley’s worship of nature. The things depicted in the poem are parts of nature such as west wind, decaying leaves, seeds, sky and sea. Shelley’s deep love for west wind shows his worship of nature. Secondly, subjectivism and spontaneity are displayed with the flying of Shelley’s imagination among forests, sky and sea in the first three stanzas and with the natural overflow of his feelings in the last two stanzas. Thirdly, west wind, seeds, decaying leaves, storm and spring are all symbols in the poem. The stirring and furious scene of nature is also a symbol for the heated revolution developing then. Lastly, the language and diction are easily accessible, which reflects the simplicity feature of English Romanticism.

Ⅲ. Characteristics of English Modern Poetry

Modernism is a general term applied retrospectively to the wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in the literature of the early 20th century (Chris Baldick, 2003: 40). It means a departure from the conventional criteria or established values of the Victorian age. The characteristics of modern poetry can be roughly summed up as below.

(1)The themes of alienation and loneliness. Although modern society is materially rich, it is spiritually barren. Living in the modern wasteland, people are helpless andunable to act like their forefathers.

(2)Complexity and obscurity. Modern poets tend to disturb their readers by expressing the subjective world of their own with the style of stream-of-consciousness and the fragmentary from. Usually there is no time sequence and no limitation of space in their poems.

(3)The use of symbols. The modern poets use symbols to express their inexpressible selves. And the real meanings of the symbols are hard to define because the symbols are subjective to different interpretation.

(4)Allusion. Allusion is an indirect or passing reference to some event, place or artistic work (Chris Baldick,2003: 6). Allusion enriches the meaning of the work and helps to achieve effects of irony, but it also brings difficulties to the readers unfamiliar with what it refers to.

（5）Irony. Modern poets find themselves helpless in face of the chaotic world and think lives are ironical. So they tend to express their discontent and helplessness by irony in their poems.

In order to achieve a better understanding of these characteristics, The Love Song of J・Alfred Prufrock from T・S・Eliot is analyzed here. T・S・Eliot is a leading figure of the Modernist Movement in English poetry. His masterpiece The Wasteland ends the Romantic period and signifies the emergence of Modernism. The Love Song of J・Alfred Prufrock is his most striking early poem bearing A ground-breaking “waste land” theme. This poem is a monologue and meditation of a middle-aged man who is timid, unconfident and incapable to express his love to a woman.

Firstly, Mr. Prufrock’s timidity, lack of confidence and incapability reflect his alienation and loneliness.

Secondly, this poem is expressed in the way of monologue which is displayed by stream-of-consciousness. There is no space limitation. And the structure seems fragmentary and illogical. The poem hardly tells an agreed story or offers any concealed narrative in the confession of Mr. Prufrock who leads reader here and there from streets to a room to outdoor scenes to Hamlet and to beach. Thus, complexity and obscurity are presented before readers.

Thirdly, symbols are used in the poem. For example, in the last stanza, mermaid is depicted as a symbol for life and vitality.

Fourthly, Lazarus is a biblical allusion to St・ John. And “though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed” is a biblical allusion to Samuel.

Lastly, irony is a typical feature of this poem. The very title and the very name of the character are ironical. Besides, many words used in the poem are also ironical. For example, “Do I dare Disturb the universe”, what Mr. Prufrock intends to do is a trivial thing, not a thing significant as disturbing the universe. Thus, irony is achieved by this question.

Ⅳ.Conclusion

The poems of the English Romanticism and Modernism have their peculiar and vivid characteristics. The English Romantic Poetry is distinct in its worship of nature, melancholy and simplicity, while the English Modern Poetry is original in its complexity, obscurity, allusion and irony. However, the two genres have the similar characteristics in three aspects. Firstly, what the poems of English Romanticism and Modernism depict is not objective, but subjective with the spontaneous overflow of the poets’ personal feelings. Secondly, symbolic methods are employed by both genres. The difference lies in the accessibility of the symbols. Thirdly, the poets of the two genres are dissatisfied with the society they live in. Thus, loneliness and alienation are expressed in the poems of both genres. After the comparison of the characteristics of English Romantic poetry and modern poetry, a conclusion is drawn as that distinctions of the two genres take the leading place, but the similarities also draw attentions.

References:

[1]Chris Baldick.2003. Oxford Concise Dictionary Of Literary Terms. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

[2]刁克利.2008.《英国文学经典选读》.外语教学与研究出版社.

[3]刘炳善.2002.《英国文学简史》.河南人民出版社.

[4]索金梅.2009.《英国文学史》.南开大学出版社.