An Introduction to Romanticism

An Introduction to Romanticism with Mariah Whelan

Live online course, Sundays, 21 February and 28 February 2027

• ‘Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.’

• ‘Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge—it is as immortal as the heart of man.’

• ‘Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, in that condition, the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity.’

• ‘What is a Poet? […] He is a man speaking to men.’

-        From William Wordsworth’s Preface to Lyrical Ballads

 

While it lasted only about 50 years, period known as the Romantic era had a huge impact on poetry. Heralded by revolutions and tracking the growth of the industrial age and the rise of the liberal movement, the Romantic period was a moment of enormous political and creative change. 

In 2027, Dr Mariah Whelan will guide students through a series of short courses exploring Romanticism with a special focus on close reading poems. In these two introductory sessions, Mariah will introduce key concepts and ideas through a one-hour lecture followed by a seminar. These sessions will prepare students for subsequent close reading sessions.

This course can also be taken as a stand-alone course for anyone wanting an introduction to Romanticism.

 

Links and Books

Poetry Foundation Overview of Romanticism.

British Library China on the Romantics.

James Chandler and Maureen McLane, eds., The Cambridge Companion to British Romantic Poetry (CUP, 2008)

Michael Ferber, The Cambridge Introduction to British Romantic Poetry (2012)

Seamus Perry, ‘Romantic Poetry: An Overview’, in Michael O’Neill, ed., The Cambridge History of Poetry (2011)

If you have access to an academic library, you might be able to get online access to these books.

Sundays, 21 February and 28 February 2027, live online
14.00-16.00 British Summer Time
15.00-17.00 Central European Summer Time
Morning in the Americas

Please check the time for your time zone.

Course fees (all prices include 20% VAT)

£92.00 full price
£86.00 CAMcard holders
£86.00 students on a low income

If you cannot attend a course you have booked

Please note that, because places are limited, we cannot usually give refunds if you cannot attend a course. But if you contact us in advance, we might be able to transfer your booking to a different course.

Recording

We will record the lectures (approximately one hour in the first half of each session). People who book can listen again throughout the short course and for a week after it ends. The seminars are not recorded.

Click on the image below for the booking page.