1Almoallem

Ryoof Almoallem

ENG 418

May 7, 2017

A Comparison between Romantic Poetry and Classic Poetry

In this paper I would like to discuss both Romantic poetry and Classic poetry.

The Romantic Age is the age for revolution. It extends from 1785 to 1832; it marked by

three historical events: the America revolution, the French revolution and the Napoleonic

war. Romantic poetry is about love and nature. It was imaginative and more democratic more

than anything else; in relation to human life it is highly philosophical. Romantic poetry is

characterized by short poem. The poems are based on love and its relationship the poet. Also

believe in nature and it is the power in the romantic period and it emphasizes passion,

emotion, and nature. William Wordsworth is an example of a romantic poet. He was born in

the English Lake District in 1770. His poetry is about everyday common issues and he uses

simple language and the most important theme in his poetry is nature. On the other hand

Classic poetry is completely different than the Romantic poetry. It is the period between 1680

and 1750; it had no real interest in nature as it exists naturally. It is characterized by long

poem. Satire and realism are common in that poetry. Classic poetry was highly critical,

unimaginative and intellectual. Classical poetry describes the style or the format used and it

emphasizes simplicity and clarity while limiting the display of emotion. The critical taste of

the time was unsympathetic to appear ruder masters of older literature as Chaucer and

Shakespeare. Classical poetry followed the close couplet form. It has many writers as Virgil,

Alexander Pope, Homer and Geoffrey Chaucer, who used principle arguments. Alexander

Pope is one of the writers who influence classical poetry. He wrote an" Essay on Man". Pope

wrote critical and didactic poetry. He talks about nature in his works but in a different way
 2Almoallem

not as Wordsworth. Both poets wrote about nature however, Wordsworth wrote about nature

in simple and beautiful way, while Alexander Pope describes nature from another point of

view. The differences between Romantic poetry and Classic poetry are in language and in the

form.

There are differences between Romantic poetry and Classic poetry. The most obvious

difference is in the language that they used. In Wordsworth work "I Wandered Lonely as a

Cloud" is a lyrical of ballad. Lyric poem presents the emotions and deep feelings rather than

telling a story. Wordsworth defines a poetry he says:

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from

emotion recollected in tranquility: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction,

the tranquility gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the

subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind.”

(Wordsworth444).

So, this quotation shows that emotion and imagination are feature of Romantic poetry

and Wordsworth here make the poetry is source of feelings. In his poem "I Wandered Lonely

as a Cloud", Wordsworth talks about nature which is focused on that period so, he describes

nature and uses simple everyday language the obvious theme of this poem is the beauty of

nature. The poet in this poem describes the feelings of happy and peace towards nature and

which clear when he say "I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high ov'r vales and

hills" (Wordsworth 1-2). On the other hand Alexander Pope who is considered being the

most significant poet at that age which is a classical age. He is a prominent social critic and

his work provides the insight into political and social relationships. He wrote philosophical

poem "Essay on Man". The language in this work is complicated; it is the opposite of

Wordsworth work, Essay on Man shows the Pope's critical. It consists of four verse epistles
 3Almoallem

so; each of the four Epistles is in effect a separate essay, discussing man's place in the

universe, psychology, society and the sources of happiness.

Another difference, between Romantic poetry and Classic poetry is in the format. The

Romantic poetry wrote the poet in stanzas as Wordsworth wrote in a simple form as reflected

in his poem "I wondered lonely as a cloud". It has four stanzas, each stanza has six lines for a

total twenty - four lines. The rhyme scheme is also simple, ABABCC. This form is in

Romantic poetry. On the other hand, the form of Classic poem is completely different as on

"Essay on Man". It consists of four verse epistles. Pope wrote his poem in a complicated way;

he use rhyming verse. The copy of Pope's "Essay on Man" probably thirty pages from smaller

poetry book.

To conclude, Romantic poetry and Classic poetry has similarities in some ways, but

there are many differences in the factors and work for example there are differences in

language which Wordsworth use a simple every day language, while Alexander Pope use of a

complicated language. Furthermore, the difference in form for Wordsworth used simple form

of stanzas while Pope uses different form. Also, the Romantic distinguishes of emotion and

imagination while Classic poetry in the side of the emotion and imagination is deficient.
 4Almoallem

Work cited

1- Poetry Foundation . I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth.

[Online] Available at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-

poets/poems/detail/45521 [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

2- Anon, [online] Available at: http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/essay01.pdf

3- "Wordsworth's Poetic Theory — Preface""". Cliffsnotes.Com, 2017,

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/p/the-prelude/critical-essays/wordsworths-

poetic-theory-8212-preface.

4- "What Does Wordsworth Mean By "Spontaneous Overflow Of Powerful

Feelings"". Literary-Articles.Com, 2017, http://www.literary-

articles.com/2010/02/what-does-wordsworth-mean-by.html.