The Romantic Poets essay

They all freed trapped with the expectations the society places on its people and try to resist this in their verses. William Blake's poem titled "London" reveals his feelings towards the city. Despite being the capital city of London and also considered the capital of culture during Blake's time he is shockingly appalled by the city. The poem is written in the first person, and this draws the reader in as he sees the city from the poet's perspective. The poem reveals the poet's thoughts towards the society which was highly restrictive at that time as the penalty of breaking laws was usually death. It shows that he has a pessimistic view of humankind. He believes that the restrictions men place on themselves are more metaphorical than real.

The poet thinks that people are imprisoned by their ideas and thoughts rather than physical chains or shackles (Piper, Andrew 1045-1063). The use of the word "ban" further reinforces the poet's belief that the society is behind the placing of the "manacles" on the people's mind. The third stanza digs deeper into the reasons for the poet's negative feelings towards the society. It shows the hardened heart of the harlot which reflects the society at large which instead of helping the innocent attacks them. Finally, the poet states that the harlot "blights with plagues the Marriage hearse". It shows the poet's feelings towards marriage especially by referring it as a hearse he feels that the institution of marriage is dead especially towards the harlot.

William Wordsworth's "The World is Too Much With Us" depicts his attitudes and feelings toward humanity. He feels that humankind has lost an essential connection with nature and focus their energies on insignificant issues. The sea baring its bosom suggests an intimacy that humankind loses. The wind howls while the flowers sleep showing humankind that nature contains human emotions and they are missing out on this great gift. The eight-line reinforces the idea that humanity is lost. Finally, the speaker seems to lose faith in humanity. He exclaims that it is better to be a "pagan", a disbeliever than being distracted by worldly wealth. The poet has not yet made a specific request, but the reader knows that he holds It in high regard.

In the second stanza, the poet praises the power of the Wind of blowing the clouds in the sky. He suggests the Wind is more powerful than angels and mentions that the Wind is like a god with angels with hair. He compares it to Dionysus, a Greek god, by the term "fierce Maenad" which was the spirit found around Dionysus (Alsyouf, 15-23). In the last line, the poet describes the Wind as also a bringer of death and destruction and ends the stanza by imploring the Wind to hear him. He begs the Wind to blow him like the leaf, cloud and waves. He concludes that he is old and the Wind should sweep him as It did with leaves of autumn (Rowe, 30-53).

In the final stanza the poet begs the wind to make him Its "lyre". He wants to be at the mercy of the Wind. He asks the Wind to make him be alive and do away with his old self. In the case of Blake, this was the idea that man can free himself from the shackles society places on him. Wordsworth believed that if man can be in tune with nature, then he will be released. Lastly, Shelley found in the power of the Wind in making him a martyr and thus freeing the slumbering humankind by scattering his words and thoughts. Works Cited Alsyouf, Amjad. "Shelley's Adonais: a Fryean Archetypal Perspective. " Literary Imagination 19. Sayers, Janet, and Nanette Monin. "Blake's ‘London': Diabolical reading and poetic place in organisational theorising.