The romantic era starts approximately from 1780 to 1850. Its
important writers were Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelly, Byron, Keats,
Lamb, etc. Romanticism was inspired by the French Revolution (1788-89).
Romantic imagination was ignited by the watchwords of the French Revolution;
Liberty, equality, and fraternity. The romantic revolution was in reaction to
the industrial revolution and the age of enlightenment. Romanticists thought
that emotions and feelings are very important. Wordsworth defines poetry as the
"spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings", "recollected in
tranquility".
In this poem, the speaker has displayed many characteristics
of the romantic era such as; in this poem Wordsworth has focused on emotions
and expressed his feelings including love, sorrow, happiness, and more very
clearly. Wordsworth's poem initiated the romantic era by emphasizing feeling,
instinct, and pleasure above formality and mannerism. He gave expression to
undeveloped human emotion. He has also used imagination in this poem which is
the chief characteristic of the Romantic era. He imagines his childhood which
becomes the foundation for his adult sentiments.
He utilizes ideologies from Romanticism such as; the importance of
Nature and the beauty it and the author express their feelings and emotions
through the art of poetry. Wordsworth had immense love for Nature and the
reflection of his love for Nature is noticeable in this poem. He has glorified
Nature. He wants human beings to come back to the lap of nature as nature
provides the basis for human thoughts and actions.
Moreover, there is originality, spontaneity, and subjectivity in
this poem. There is a fascination with the past in this poem. This poem also
reflects liberalism. Focus on events and items from history such as celestial
light can also be observed. Wordsworth has also used personification in this
poem. Hence, this poem is a true representative of the romantic era
as it has all the characteristics which a piece of romantic poetry should have.
