The Age of Romanticism Response

Romanticism is represented in the reading as a time of political revolution. The violence and disorder of the French Revolution had rippling effects throughout Great Britain, which resulted in authoritarian governments, and the oppression of the people. The other driving force of Romanticism was the Industrial Revolution, which completely reshaped the social class structures of Great Britain. Wealth was finally accumulating outside of royal bloodlines, creating a shift in power. With all the changes occurring, many philosophies were born among literary minds of the time. Some people even considered the Industrial Revolution to be satanic, and many other opinions were formed as what should be done in terms of government and societal issues.

Although understudied until recently, many women in the Romantic era made amazing contributions to literature. These women shared ideas, political, philosophical, and otherwise, adding a very important point of view on women’s issues, politics, and other topics. Thus proving that women too, are intellectual and worthy to join the literary arena and make insightful contributions that were just as worthy as men’s.

A few of the literary works by women that were mentioned in the reading were Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Felicia Hemans’s Welsh Melodies, as well as Mary Wollestonecraft who authored Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and also Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, as well as The Female Reader.

My perception of women writers after reading this overview is that without studying women’s contribution to the Romantic period, one cannot obtain the full image of the time. These women were more than capable to write alongside men and are among the essential voices to coloring an authentic vision of the era.