The Dawn of Romanticism: Wordsworth, Coleridge, and the Epoch of 1798
Introduction:
The closing years of the eighteenth century found English literature at a major intersection. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1798 Lyrical Ballads publication marks Romanticism's birth. Poetry in this new epoch's start embraced emotion, imagination, and nature's beauty when the neoclassical age's order and rationalism declined.
Romantic poetry does not only focus simply on romance or on love. Rather, it relates the human spirit in a more deep way to the world all around it. The Romantics believed that feelings have a power, that the common man has dignity, that the supernatural has mystery, and that imagination creates a force. The poet of nature as well as simplicity was Wordsworth while Coleridge was the poet for imagination as well as mystery. The basis of modern thought and literature that they jointly established still endures.
Thus, we can trace the birth of such a movement that indeed celebrated the heart over the head as well as the dream over the rule. We also trace it through study of Romantic poetry's characteristics, Wordsworth and Coleridge's unique qualities, or the epoch-making year of 1798, celebrating the spirit of freedom beyond tradition.
1) What are the characteristics of Romantic poetry? Illustrate with examples from Wordsworth and Coleridge.
When we say “Romantic poetry,” we’re not just talking about love poems. The Romantic movement (late 18th to early 19th century) was a revolution in how poets looked at life, nature, imagination, and human emotions. It was a reaction against the Age of Reason and neoclassical rules, which emphasized order and rationality. Instead, Romantic poets turned to:
- Emotion over reason
- Imagination over logic
- Nature over artificiality
- The individual over society
Wordsworth and Coleridge, through their joint work Lyrical Ballads (1798), gave birth to English Romanticism. Let’s explore the key characteristics with their poetic examples.
1. Love for Nature
Romantic poets saw nature as a living spirit, a teacher, and a healer. Unlike the neoclassicists, who often viewed nature as something to be described formally, Romantics experienced it with deep emotion.
Wordsworth called poetry “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” For him, nature was a source of wisdom and comfort.
“A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused.”
Here, nature is not just scenery; it becomes a spiritual force that connects the human mind with the universe.
Coleridge, on the other hand, often saw nature as mysterious and sometimes terrifying.
“A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware.”
Nature brings salvation when he learns to see its beauty.
2. Importance of Imagination
Romantics believed that imagination was the supreme faculty of the human mind. It gave life meaning and connected humans with the divine.
Wordsworth used imagination to turn ordinary life into poetry. His famous idea was to use “common language” to express extraordinary feelings.
“The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.”
Imagination transforms a simple song into something eternal.
Coleridge took imagination to another level. He distinguished between primary imagination (human perception) and secondary imagination (poetic creativity).
“A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.”
His imagination makes the poem feel like a vision from another realm.
3. Emotion and Subjectivity
Romantic poetry put personal feelings and emotions at the center. It was about the poet’s heart, not just external reality.
Wordsworth often reflected on his own experiences. In his Preface to Lyrical Ballads, he said poetry should be about “incidents and situations from common life.”
“There hath past away a glory from the earth.”
His personal grief becomes universal, something every reader can connect with.
Coleridge, too, poured emotions into his poetry, often mixing them with supernatural themes.
“I see, not feel, how beautiful they are!”
His inner despair makes him unable to feel joy even in nature’s beauty.
4. Supernatural and Mystery
While Wordsworth found inspiration in the natural and everyday, Coleridge often leaned towards the supernatural and mystical.
Wordsworth grounded his poetry in reality. His “supernatural” was often the deep spiritual presence in nature.
Coleridge, however, embraced ghostly and dream-like elements.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, ghostly spirits punish the Mariner, and a phantom ship appears with “Death” and “Life-in-Death” playing dice for his soul.
In Christabel, he blurs the line between reality and dream, creating a Gothic atmosphere.
This combination in Lyrical Ballads - Wordsworth’s natural simplicity and Coleridge’s supernatural intensity became the essence of Romantic poetry.
5. Focus on the Common Man
- Romantics believed poetry should speak to ordinary people and not just scholars.
- Wordsworth wrote about rustic life, shepherds, solitary wanderers, and simple joys.
- In Michael, he narrates the life of a shepherd, showing the dignity of humble existence.
- Coleridge did the same but often placed the common man in extraordinary, supernatural contexts, like the Mariner in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
6. Escape and Idealism
Romantic poetry often expressed a desire to escape industrialization and materialism of the modern world.
Wordsworth found escape in nature, walking in the Lake District.
Coleridge escaped through dreams and imagination, creating worlds beyond reality.
A contemporary example would be how people today escape into fantasy novels like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter or movies like Avatar, which are filled with Romantic ideals of nature, imagination, and the struggle between man and spirit.
Why Wordsworth and Coleridge Matter Today
Romantic poetry, especially through Wordsworth and Coleridge, reminds us of the power of emotions, imagination, and the healing touch of nature. In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, their words are more relevant than ever.
- Wordsworth teaches us to find beauty in the simple and ordinary.
- Coleridge invites us to dream, imagine, and embrace the mysteries of life.
Together, they shaped Romantic poetry into a movement that still inspires writers, artists, and dreamers today.
2) What are the salient features of Wordsworth as a Romantic poet?
William Wordsworth (1770–1850) is often called the “High Priest of Nature” and the Father of English Romanticism. With Lyrical Ballads (1798), written with Coleridge, he changed the course of English poetry. Instead of classical rules and artificial style, Wordsworth turned to nature, common life, emotions, and imagination.
In his Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1802), he famously defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.” This idea itself captures the heart of Romanticism.
Let’s break down the key features of Wordsworth as a Romantic poet with examples.
1. Worshipper of Nature
Nature was not just scenery for Wordsworth; it was his teacher, healer, and spiritual guide. He believed nature could comfort the troubled soul and elevate the human spirit.
“A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.”
Here, nature is almost divine, a spiritual force connecting man and universe.
He also shows how nature shapes childhood in Ode: Intimations of Immortality, where childhood memories of nature are seen as glimpses of heaven.
Today, when people practice eco-therapy or go hiking to escape stress, they unknowingly follow Wordsworth’s belief in the healing power of nature.
2. Simplicity of Language and Themes
Unlike neoclassical poets who used grand, artificial language, Wordsworth believed poetry should use “language really used by men.” He wanted poetry to be natural, accessible, and about common people.
In Michael, he writes the story of a poor shepherd with deep emotional dignity.
“The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.”
Just like today’s poets and songwriters (think of Bob Dylan or Gulzar) use everyday words to touch deep feelings, Wordsworth too turned simplicity into beauty.
3. Emphasis on Emotion and Subjectivity
For Wordsworth, poetry came from the heart. He rejected cold intellectualism and emphasized deep personal feelings. His poems often reflect his own inner states—joy, nostalgia, loss, and spiritual peace.
“There hath past away a glory from the earth.”
His grief over the death of his brother in Elegiac Stanzas reveals his vulnerability and humanity.
Wordsworth’s poetry reminds us that emotions are universal—his feelings of loss and joy connect with readers even centuries later.
4. Poet of the Common Man
Wordsworth wanted to democratize poetry. Instead of kings, gods, and warriors, he celebrated shepherds, farmers, solitary wanderers, and ordinary folk.
- In The Idiot Boy, he portrays the love of a mother for her mentally challenged son.
- In Michael, he dignifies the struggles of a humble shepherd.
This was revolutionary because it gave voice to the common man in literature.
In modern literature, this spirit continues when writers like Arundhati Roy or Kazuo Ishiguro portray ordinary lives with depth and dignity.
5. Pantheism and Spirituality
Wordsworth often saw God in nature. His poetry reflects pantheism—the belief that the divine exists in everything.
“The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being.”
Nature is not separate from spirituality, it is spirituality.
In an age of climate crisis, Wordsworth’s pantheism feels prophetic. His vision teaches us to respect nature as sacred.
6. Love for Childhood and Memory
Wordsworth often celebrated childhood as a sacred time when humans are closest to nature and heaven. Childhood experiences, when recalled in adulthood, gave him poetic inspiration.
“Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”
In The Prelude, his autobiographical epic, he shows how childhood encounters with nature shaped his poetic soul.
Today, psychologists talk about inner child healing and the power of childhood memories—something Wordsworth poetically understood long ago.
7. Imagination as a Creative Force
Though Coleridge developed a deeper philosophy of imagination, Wordsworth too believed that imagination helped transform ordinary experiences into extraordinary poetry.
“They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude.”
This resonates with how modern creators—artists, filmmakers, musicians—use imagination to turn daily life into meaningful art.
8. Moral and Philosophical Depth
Wordsworth’s poetry wasn’t just about beauty; it also carried moral lessons and philosophical insights.
- Tintern Abbey teaches harmony between man and nature.
- Michael teaches sacrifice and loss.
- The Prelude reflects on the growth of the poet’s mind.
Wordsworth’s Place as a Romantic Poet
To sum up, Wordsworth’s salient features as a Romantic poet include:
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Wordsworth gave poetry a new soul. He took it away from the courts and polished wit of neoclassicism, and gave it back to the fields, mountains, and human heart. His poetry still reminds us to slow down, to look at a flower, to hear a bird’s song, and to feel the deeper connection between nature, humanity, and spirit.
3) Why does the (1798) mark an important literary epoch?
Every age in literature has a landmark moment that signals a new beginning. For the Renaissance, it was 1590s with Spenser and Shakespeare; for the Neoclassical period, it was Dryden and Pope. For Romanticism, the turning point was 1798, when William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads.
This single book changed how people understood poetry. It ended the dominance of neoclassicism (which valued rules, logic, and order) and ushered in Romanticism, which celebrated emotion, imagination, nature, and the common man.
1. Publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798)
The most important reason 1798 is considered a literary epoch is the publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge.
- This collection included poems like Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey and Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
- It broke away from traditional subjects like kings, wars, and myths, and focused on ordinary life, nature, and human emotions.
- The language was simple and conversational, unlike the polished, artificial diction of Pope and Dryden.
Example: Compare Pope’s heroic couplets with Wordsworth’s The Solitary Reaper, which describes a peasant girl’s song in plain yet powerful language.
2. Reaction Against Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment
Before Romanticism, poetry was shaped by neoclassicism (Dryden, Pope, Johnson), which emphasized:
- Reason over emotion
- Order, rules, and symmetry
- Urban life and society
The Enlightenment age valued rational thought and science. But by the late 18th century, people felt this approach was too cold and mechanical.
The French Revolution (1789) also fueled this reaction—people wanted freedom, individuality, and a return to natural human feelings.
Thus, 1798 marked the shift from reason to emotion, from rules to imagination, from city to countryside.
3. New Conception of Poetry
Wordsworth, in his Preface to Lyrical Ballads (added in 1800, but reflecting the spirit of 1798), gave a new definition of poetry:
- Poetry should be written in the “language really used by men.”
- It should be about common life and ordinary experiences.
- It should be the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”
This idea was revolutionary. Poetry was no longer a formal performance for the elite but became a personal expression for everyone.
Think of how blogging, spoken word, or rap poetry today gives voice to ordinary people in ordinary language. That’s the spirit Wordsworth started in 1798.
4. Rise of Romantic Themes
The poems of Lyrical Ballads introduced themes that defined the Romantic era:
- Love of Nature – Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey shows nature as spiritual and healing.
- Imagination and Supernatural – Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner explores ghosts, curses, and redemption.
- Emotion and Subjectivity – The focus shifted from public themes to personal feelings.
- Common Man – Shepherds, farmers, solitary wanderers became poetic heroes.
This was a complete break from the neoclassical age of satire, wit, and urban life.
5. Historical Context: Age of Revolution
The late 18th century was marked by revolutions:
- American Revolution (1776) inspired ideals of liberty.
- French Revolution (1789) shook Europe, spreading ideas of equality and democracy.
- Industrial Revolution was changing the landscape, creating anxiety about machinery and loss of nature.
Romanticism arose as a response to these upheavals. The poets wanted to rediscover human emotions, spiritual depth, and harmony with nature.
Wordsworth’s retreat to the Lake District and Coleridge’s fascination with mystical imagination were part of this larger cultural shift.
6. Influence on Later Literature
The publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798 set the stage for the first generation of Romantic poets (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey) and paved the way for the second generation (Byron, Shelley, Keats).
- Without 1798, we might not have had Shelley’s radical idealism in Ode to the West Wind, or Keats’s sensuous celebration of beauty in Ode on a Grecian Urn.
- It was the seed that grew into the flowering of Romantic poetry.
Why 1798 is a Literary Epoch
- 1798 marks the birth of Romanticism with Lyrical Ballads.
- It ended neoclassical dominance and began a new focus on emotion, imagination, nature, and the common man.
- It reflected the spirit of revolutionary times, reacting against industrialization and rationalism.
- It redefined what poetry could be: not an elite art, but a human expression for everyone.
That’s why 1798 is not just a year—it’s a watershed moment in literary history, the dawn of the Romantic Age.
4) What are the salient features of Coleridge as a Romantic poet?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) was one of the founders of English Romantic poetry. With Wordsworth, he published Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which launched the Romantic Age. But unlike Wordsworth, who celebrated the real and natural world, Coleridge often turned to the supernatural, mysterious, and dream-like.
He was not only a poet but also a philosopher and critic, influencing later writers with his ideas on imagination and creativity.
1. Master of Imagination
For Coleridge, imagination was the most powerful gift of the human mind. In his Biographia Literaria, he made a famous distinction:
- Primary imagination – the power of perceiving the world.
- Secondary imagination – the poet’s creative faculty that reshapes reality into art.
“A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.”
This is not mere description; it is a vision born of the secondary imagination.
Just as filmmakers like Christopher Nolan (Inception) or fantasy writers like Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) use imagination to build entire worlds, Coleridge did the same in poetry.
2. Supernatural and Mystery
While Wordsworth drew from rustic life, Coleridge explored the supernatural, but always in a way that felt believable. He blended the real and unreal so skillfully that readers could suspend disbelief.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, we see ghost ships, curses, and spirits, yet the Mariner’s suffering feels real.
In Christabel, he creates a Gothic atmosphere filled with mystery and fear.
This use of the supernatural connects Coleridge to today’s horror and fantasy genres, which balance realism with mystery to captivate audiences.
3. Deep Emotional Intensity
Coleridge’s poems are filled with powerful emotions—fear, guilt, joy, despair. He believed poetry should capture the soul’s struggles.
“I see, not feel, how beautiful they are!”
This expresses his inner despair, making the poem deeply human.
This personal, confessional style makes Coleridge an early influence on modern poets like Sylvia Plath, who also revealed raw emotions in verse.
4. Nature: Mysterious and Symbolic
Coleridge admired nature but portrayed it differently than Wordsworth. For him, nature was often mysterious, symbolic, or even terrifying.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the sea is not peaceful but haunting—filled with spirits and punishment.
Yet, nature also redeems: when the Mariner blesses the sea creatures, he finds spiritual release.
For Coleridge, nature is not just a teacher (as in Wordsworth) but a mirror of human soul—beautiful, terrifying, and divine.
5. Love for the Exotic and Medieval
Coleridge loved medieval legends, myths, and exotic settings. His poetry often takes us to far-off places filled with mystery.
- Kubla Khan is set in distant Xanadu, full of Oriental richness.
- Christabel has medieval Gothic elements—castles, spirits, and supernatural women.
This fascination with the exotic connects him to today’s fantasy literature and even global cinema, which thrive on distant, magical settings.
6. Philosophical and Symbolic Depth
Coleridge was not just a poet of beauty but also a thinker. His poems often carry symbolic meanings about sin, redemption, imagination, and the human condition.
- The Mariner in The Rime symbolizes humanity’s guilt against nature and the need for spiritual awakening.
- Kubla Khan symbolizes the tension between human creativity and destructive desire.
This depth is why Coleridge is studied not just as a poet but also as a literary philosopher.
7. Musicality and Dream-like Quality
Coleridge’s verse has a unique musical rhythm and dream-like flow. His use of imagery and sound creates a hypnotic effect.
- The opening of Kubla Khan almost feels like a chant.
- The ballad style of The Rime creates a haunting rhythm, like a song sung by sailors.
Modern songwriters (like Leonard Cohen or even A.R. Rahman’s mystical lyrics) use similar dream-like musical qualities that remind us of Coleridge.
Why Coleridge Stands Out in Romanticism
To summarize, the salient features of Coleridge as a Romantic poet are:
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If Wordsworth represents the soul of nature, Coleridge represents the wings of imagination. Together, they created the two pillars of Romantic poetry—the natural and the supernatural, the real and the dream-like.
Even today, when we escape into fantasy novels, supernatural movies, or Gothic dramas, we are living in Coleridge’s legacy.
Conclusion
To conclude, the year 1798 truly marks the birth of English Romanticism, a literary epoch that forever changed the course of poetry. With Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth and Coleridge created a new vision of art—one that valued emotion over reason, imagination over rules, and nature over artificiality.
Wordsworth stands out as the poet of nature and simplicity, celebrating the healing spirit of the natural world, the innocence of childhood, and the dignity of ordinary lives. Coleridge, in contrast, shines as the poet of imagination and mystery, blending the supernatural with the real, and opening doors to dream-like worlds full of depth and symbolism. Together, they embody the two wings of Romantic poetry: the real and the ideal, the natural and the supernatural.
The characteristics of Romantic poetry—love for nature, celebration of emotions, belief in imagination, focus on the common man, and fascination with the mystical—remain as relevant today as they were in 1798. In an age of industrialization, technological progress, and urban alienation, the Romantic spirit still reminds us to pause, feel, dream, and reconnect with the deeper truths of human life.
Thus, when we study the characteristics of Romantic poetry, the salient features of Wordsworth and Coleridge, and the importance of 1798 as a literary epoch, we are not only learning about the past but also rediscovering timeless lessons for the present: the need to nurture imagination, to honor emotions, and to live in harmony with nature.
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Works Cited
- William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems. Project Gutenberg, release 10 Oct. 2003, most recently updated 17 June 2021, eBook no. 9622. Project Gutenberg,
- Wordsworth, William. “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798.” Poetry Foundation
- Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (text of 1834).” Poetry Foundation
- Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “Kubla Khan.” Poetry Foundation,
- Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Biographia Literaria. Project Gutenberg, 2004. Read Online.
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