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Romantic Criticism: General Characteristics

The Rise of Romantic Criticism

The awakening of sensibility is the most radical change that comes over the English literary scene about the middle of the 18th century.Sensibility, in its various manifes-tations, was the contemporary expression of what Johnson called, "that hunger of the imagination which preys incessantly on life". This awakening of sensibility accounts for the change that comes both over literature and literary inquiry in the later half of the 18th century. The neo-classical dogma is felt to be too cramping and narrow, and writers turn to a freer mode of self-expression. Its Causes

Love of Liberty is ingrained in the English temperament. Hence it is that the English could not servilely follow for any length of time the neo-classical rules. Englishmen are too individualistic for any slavish imitation. As under current of liberalism is noticeable even at a time when neo-classicism was at its height. This temperamental leaning towards liberalism was fed and nourished by Longinus whose essay, "On The Sublime", had beenRationalism which had prevailed during the Augustan era, and the order, discipline, and respect for tradition and authority which the Augustans had inculcated, no longer satisfied.Reason had failed to answer the fundamental questions about the mystery of life, and so stress shifted to emotion and imagi-nation as safer guides to truth.

Romantic Criticism: General Characteristics

The Rise of Romantic Criticism

The awakening of sensibility is the most radical change that comes over the English literary scene about the middle of the 18th century. 'Sensibility' primarily means the power of sensation or perception, but this meaning has become over-laid with another, that of quickness and acuteness of apprehension or feeling, which in turn was extended, during the 18th century, to mean the capacity for refined emotion, sensitiveness generally in the face of external nature, and the readiness to feel for the poor and the suffering. Rationalism which had prevailed during the Augustan era, and the order, discipline, and respect for tradition and authority which the Augustans had inculcated, no longer satisfied. The commonly held assumptions about man, God and society, were breaking down, and the writers were thrown back on their own reactions and responses to the facts of life. Reason had failed to answer the fundamental questions about the mystery of life, and so stress shifted to emotion and imagi-nation as safer guides to truth. Sensibility, in its various manifes-tations, was the contemporary expression of what Johnson called, "that hunger of the imagination which preys incessantly on life". This awakening of sensibility accounts for the change that comes both over literature and literary inquiry in the later half of the 18th century. The neo-classical dogma is felt to be too cramping and narrow, and writers turn to a freer mode of self-expression.

Its Causes

Love of Liberty is ingrained in the English temperament. Hence it is that the English could not servilely follow for any length of time the neo-classical rules. Englishmen are too individualistic for any slavish imitation. As under current of liberalism is noticeable even at a time when neo-classicism was at its height.

This temperamental leaning towards liberalism was fed and nourished by Longinus whose essay, "On The Sublime", had been