Old school documentary...

I kind of love the intensity of this guy's ten minute introduction to Romanticism.  He reminds me of an old school Simon Schama with the close-ups and his lofty air.  We also get a peak into Keats' house which I could very well visit on my trip to Europe!

Flower video...

Okay, so I can't really handle the title of this youtube video nor can I deal with how sentimental the music gets at the end, but I had to share because James Wright's breaking into blossom bit has been permeating my everything lately--and, hey, I'm sure the Romantic poets would lose their collective shit over this much nature in under four minutes, too.  Who needs nature when you can just watch nature on the nature channel on youtube?  I better go take a walk and mull it over.

Devices to remember...

I always forget or get mixed up, so here too will be a place to refresh my memory on all the old, crusty literary devices I've stuffed in my back pocket and forgotten about.

per·son·i·fi·ca·tion

/pərˌsɒnəfɪˈkeɪʃən/ Show Spelled [per-son-uh-fi-key-shuh] 

noun

1. the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.

3. the person or thing embodying a quality or the like; an embodiment or incarnation: He is the personification of tact. 

4. an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction.

5. the act of attributing human qualities to an animal, object, or abstraction; the act of personifying: The author's personification of the farm animals made for an enchanting children's book.

 

From dictionary.com

What is literary Romanticism?

I've already taken this class and should know more about the period, poets, and poems--this I know for sure.  At the very least, I should have a better sound bite prepared for random encounters where I'm quizzed on my summer activities. 

From Wikipedia:

"Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850. Partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, it was also a revolt against the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on historiography, education and the natural sciences. Its effect on politics was considerable and complex; while for much of the peak Romantic period it was associated with liberalism and radicalism, its long-term effect on the growth of nationalism was probably more significant."

From Duncan Wu's anthology:

"Having originated in disagreement, and largely in the academe, the concept has remained fluid...and although many definitions are suggested, none command universal agreement.  In that respect Romanticism is distinct from movements formed by artists, which tend to be more coherent, at least to begin with" (Wu, xxxii).

This is only the beginning...