The Response of Romantic Authors to the French Revolution - Essay Example

Student Name: Course Name: Tutor: Date: The respond of Romantic authors to the French Revolution Introduction This was a period of essential social and political disturbance in European history including France. The monarchy which was ruling French for so long had collapsed in three years forcing the society to undergo an epic transformation, for example, the privileges of the religion evaporated under the assault of the emerging political forces. The revolution began in 1789 after the convocation of Estates general and went through to 1799 when power was held by the consulate. This process was full of ups and downs as the citizens accepted and rebelled some of the changes taking place. The effects of the revolution especially the revolutionary war is still felt in the present era. This did not only affect the political aspects but also the social life of the citizens. Many philosophers and writers have based their studies and interests on this process. French revolution is reflected in the writings of some of the romantic authors. William Wordsworth, poems from Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth is the author of a series of poems which describes the ordinary social life and ion specific the romantic one although initially he was writing in blank verses, since 1798 he started concentrating on ballad meter. This period was the climax of the French revolution thus everyone focused his or her thinking on the process. The messages in his romantic poems reflected some context of the activities taking place in the French revolution process and the psychological effects it had on the citizens especially on Mathew and Lucy’s poems he worked on. In one of the poems the author narrates how he came to visit the grave of his daughter and morn over her death. He then sees a beautiful girl who resembles her but instead of admiring her he was filed with a sigh of pain. Although the girl was beautiful he did not wish that she was hers because she could never replace his daughter Emma. He relates this experience with those during the revolution period because nothing could replace them however good it is. The other poem was about the foundation which the narrator noticed from the ground. The waters of the foundation would flow for a long distance and for a lengthy period of time. It is associated with the natural immorality whose bitterness reveals the pain of the past in the mind of the narrator. He clearly sees the events of the past in his mind and hears the same sounds he used to during those painful times. The narrator understands the pain of the mortality and the memories of the beloved ones are still fresh in the minds than the pain of the ones left behind. The other poem is about a man who de votes all his life to nature but is not connected to reality. When he dies and is buried nature does not seem to care for him. Some aspects such as death separate people from their beloved ones. Just like the schoolmaster who held clear memories of his daughter 30 years down the line, the effects of French revolution are still fresh in the minds of the people who witnessed this process. The poems look at loss as an essential thing because it cannot be replaced. They expressed a lot of doubt on the ability of the nature to pity or comfort people who have lost their properties or beloved ones. It will keep on flashing on the losses or the evils of the activities which took place during the revolution process and the negative effects. Like the life of romance whereby two people are held together by the power of the affection and when they separate the memory of each other remains fresh in their minds. The memories of the activities which took place during the French revolution remain in the minds of the affected (Wordsworth, 245-62). Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem on “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ Samuel Taylor Coleridge was another poet who together with Wordsworth is considered as the founders of the Romantic Movement. His most famous piece of writing is the ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. This was one of the longest poems which was written during the time of French revolution, between 1797-98 then published in 1798. Alongside the poems in the Lyrical Ballads, it was considered as a turning point from the older to the modern poetry. The poem is about a mariner who is coming back from a sea voyage. He meets with a man who is going to attend a wedding then he begun to tell him a story. Because of the fear of getting late for the occasion, the guest becomes impatient with the lengthening story of the mariner. The story was about his long journey on the ship and the bad or good encounters he had while in the water. His ship was driven by the heavy wind which drove it to Antarctica then an albatross appeared to rescue them but accidentally the mariner shot it dead. The crew became so angry with the mariner believing that the act brought some more wind which drove them far. The ship went further to the uncharted waters and the sailors blamed the mariner for their thirst. He was forced to wear the carcass of the albatross around the neck to signify the burden he has suffered for killing it. The poem explores the importance of nature in the world which is distinguished by religious doubts, this shows that any nature without God is misleading because it is full of various human believes which are likely to discourage the existence of the weak creatures. In relations to the French Revolution, the political assaults evaporated the religious privileges and replaced them with the various rules which denied people their freedom. Just as the marine felt at peace when he saw God’s creation swimming in water and felt relieved from the burden of the albatross which fell from his neck and his. After blessing the creatures with good spirit he was able to steer his ship back home. Samuel Taylor has a negative response towards the French Revolution because it was not religion based rather it was based on the political aspects and they psychologically affected the feelings of the people. Initially people had good religious background and were always at peace with themselves, but when much of the political aspects were installed in them, they all based their arguments on politics, and leadership which eventually led to the beginning of the revolution war as various bodies struggled to be the power holders. The author looks at the poem from two perspectives, from one the events and the agents bear the supernatural aspects through the interests of the affection by the truth of the dramatic emotions. In this sense it has been to everyone who has ever believed in any supernatural aspect. In the other perspective, the subjects were to be chosen from the ordinary, this idea brought up the plan of Lyrical Ballads which argues that endeavors should be directed to the supernatural or the romantic centered individuals. His poem was so as to move from the inward nature of interests of human and embrace that of sufficient truth and reality for the shadows of imagination and disbelief (Coleridge, 430-46). The process of revolution can be compared to the journey of the marine r and the difficulties they encountered. Just as people suffered and died during the revolution, the members of the crew died one by bone in the eyes of the mariner and they cursed him for the mess he took them to. However, although the mariner still has the clear picture of the whole journey and all what he saw and heard. After seven days he was able to get back with little peace after blessing the marine creatures and whispering a prayer to God hence the albatross fell of the neck expiating his guilt. Conclusion French revolution was like a transformation of the French society especially in their aristocratic, religious, and feudal aspects. The old way of doing things changed to the new or as considered the western values of citizenship and unchallengeable rights. The monarchy which had ruled them for long had collapsed living them without any leadership. Many forces came up as the state struggled to stabilize. Many powers came up to fight for the leadership of the desperate state, this continued for long and the climax the duration when there was tension between various powers as they fought to overthrow the other. During this period, all the thinkers or philosophers in various fields were trying hard to come up with the ways of solving the problem at hand. Various poets and authors of the romantic books based their thinking on the process of French revolution. William Wordsworth in his poems argues that the loss incurred during the revolution period cannot be replaced or erased from the minds of the victims. Samuel Taylor Coleridge also in his poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ has his own point or view concerning the process of French revolution. Work cited Wordsworth, William. Poems from Lyrical Ballads. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. 1798 Coleridge, Samuel. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. New York: Grade saver LLC. 1798. Read More

Like the life of romance whereby two people are held together by the power of the affection and when they separate the memory of each other remains fresh in their minds. The memories of the activities which took place during the French revolution remain in the minds of the affected (Wordsworth, 245-62). Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem on “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ Samuel Taylor Coleridge was another poet who together with Wordsworth is considered as the founders of the Romantic Movement.

His most famous piece of writing is the ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. This was one of the longest poems which was written during the time of French revolution, between 1797-98 then published in 1798. Alongside the poems in the Lyrical Ballads, it was considered as a turning point from the older to the modern poetry. The poem is about a mariner who is coming back from a sea voyage. He meets with a man who is going to attend a wedding then he begun to tell him a story. Because of the fear of getting late for the occasion, the guest becomes impatient with the lengthening story of the mariner.

The story was about his long journey on the ship and the bad or good encounters he had while in the water. His ship was driven by the heavy wind which drove it to Antarctica then an albatross appeared to rescue them but accidentally the mariner shot it dead. The crew became so angry with the mariner believing that the act brought some more wind which drove them far. The ship went further to the uncharted waters and the sailors blamed the mariner for their thirst. He was forced to wear the carcass of the albatross around the neck to signify the burden he has suffered for killing it.

The poem explores the importance of nature in the world which is distinguished by religious doubts, this shows that any nature without God is misleading because it is full of various human believes which are likely to discourage the existence of the weak creatures. In relations to the French Revolution, the political assaults evaporated the religious privileges and replaced them with the various rules which denied people their freedom. Just as the marine felt at peace when he saw God’s creation swimming in water and felt relieved from the burden of the albatross which fell from his neck and his.

After blessing the creatures with good spirit he was able to steer his ship back home. Samuel Taylor has a negative response towards the French Revolution because it was not religion based rather it was based on the political aspects and they psychologically affected the feelings of the people. Initially people had good religious background and were always at peace with themselves, but when much of the political aspects were installed in them, they all based their arguments on politics, and leadership which eventually led to the beginning of the revolution war as various bodies struggled to be the power holders.

The author looks at the poem from two perspectives, from one the events and the agents bear the supernatural aspects through the interests of the affection by the truth of the dramatic emotions. In this sense it has been to everyone who has ever believed in any supernatural aspect. In the other perspective, the subjects were to be chosen from the ordinary, this idea brought up the plan of Lyrical Ballads which argues that endeavors should be directed to the supernatural or the romantic centered individuals.

His poem was so as to move from the inward nature of interests of human and embrace that of sufficient truth and reality for the shadows of imagination and disbelief (Coleridge, 430-46). The process of revolution can be compared to the journey of the marine r and the difficulties they encountered. Just as people suffered and died during the revolution, the members of the crew died one by bone in the eyes of the mariner and they cursed him for the mess he took them to. However, although the mariner still has the clear picture of the whole journey and all what he saw and heard.

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