LIT 5 ASSIGNEMENT 1 CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FORCES ON ROMANTIC WRITING To the Baccalaureat (French

Leaving Certificate) student that I was in the 1990s, Romanticism was best portrayed by Stendhals le Rouge et le Noir and in particular natures influence on Julien Sorels feelings when he isolated himself into the mountains to meditate. (Stendhal: 2006) We were then offered quite a limited stance on Romantic writing: it was associated with the effect of nature on human-beings and the expression of their feelings and passions. Recent critical approaches (Liberal Humanist approach, New Historicism, Feminism and Post-colonialism) have shed light on yet other aspects of Romanticism as well as revealing the complex intertwined relationship of the elements that constitute Romanticism: Nationality, gender, class which had once been omitted, are now relevant facets to studying Romantic poetry. New Historicism, in particular tells us that not to take into consideration the political and social contexts in which these texts were written, is to misunderstand the Romantic writers and their anxieties. To better understand the influence that the political and social forces had on the Romantic period, it is important to realise that this period which extended from 1780 to 1830 was marked by many revolutions. Accordingly, throughout the course of this discussion, I will examine how these troubled times permeated in the texts written then. My analysis will focus on how the French revolution led to the production of Thomas Paine Rights of Man (1791). I will then turn my attention to two of Wordsworths poems, highlighting how the industrial revolution inspired the poet into writing Simon Lee(1798) and how the disillusion caused by the French revolution troubled his soul and pushed him into finding solace into nature thus resulting into the majestic Tintern Abbey (July 1798). By the time the French Revolutions fresh radical ideas reached the shores of England, Thomas Paine was already a fervent supporter of the defence of humans rights. His writings had previously paved the way to the American Revolution. While he felt excited by the revolution, many other intellectuals feared it, and in particular in England. Not everyone wished the end of a long legacy of birthrights and monarchy seemed like

the right answer for the time being. For Paine, the opportunity to reassert his support for the French revolution and all it entailed, came after Burkes Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). In a passionate two parts work, The Right of Man(1791), Paine vindicates for an egalitarian society and the abolition of the system of legacy, whilst fiercely criticizing an unfair British Parliamentary system, rocking the very foundation of the monarchy and its aristocracy. But above all, he reached out to the working-class populace that he so fiercely defended. (Litvack and Markey 2011: 1-12, 14). However Slawinski (2007) remarked in his review of Larkins book (2005) that it comes as a surprise that Paines work was rarely regarded as one of major literary contribution. He tells that while researching the web: Paine's name yields 204 hits and Common Sense claims 24 of those, only four of the latter include the words "style," "rhetoric," or "language" in their titles. Paine is no doubt a cornerstone in the History of Europe but beyond the radical ideology and the desire to break with traditions lay a deeper concern for the victims of the inequitable society he inhabited. Paine stands as the mouthpiece for the plight of the people. In that sense, his work the right of man was written for the people and to be read by the people. The people are the social force behind the unusual use of the vernacular in this political pamphlet. They guided Paine through his battle against traditions. As Slawinski comments: Paine's contribution [] was "fashioning a new language that presented politics in a vernacular that artisans and other middling sorts were already accustomed to reading". In so doing, Paine enfranchised his popular audience, thereby expanding the public sphere, and he demonstrated that arguments about government can be based upon "the use of simple logic" and "were not contingent on access to privileged information or education" Paine's language worked toward undermining elite culture and dismantling elite power structures. (Slawinski, 2007) In that regard, Paine and Wordsworth share the same desire for social reform and they yearn to give a voice to the excluded ones. But whilst the French revolution never really had the impact some would have wanted, England did go through a revolution of its own,

far less violent but still important enough to have concerned writers such as Wordsworth. In his lyrical poem, Simon Lee (1798) he evokes the tensions of an English society in mutation and the lack of brotherhood, a central theme to the Romantic writers. Having grown up in the rustic valleys of the Lake District, Wordsworth believed that the society of the gentility was one of fake passions and artificiality, quite a world away from the humble life of his fellowmen. However, unlike Paine, it is not through the use of the vernacular that Wordsworth chose to depict his country characters but rather by overturning expectations. It is precisely that feature that sets his poetry apart from other romantic texts of his period. In Simon Lee (1798), Wordsworth departs from the 18th century tradition of idealisation of the peasant to draw a realistic portray of the huntsman. Simon Lee is in fact an invitation for the readers to think outside the box: what is the nature of the relationship between men? What is left of the virtue of gratitude? (Litvack and Markey 2011: 3-6). Indeed the Industrial Revolution was having a devastating effects on those, who like Simon Lee, could not make the move to the cities were the work was. Left to their own demise, the forgotten of the Industrial Revolution could only rely on their neighbours for help. But often, like for Simon Lee, it did not happen. It is precisely the lack of brotherhood that Wordsworth is lamenting. Of the ideals of the French revolution (libert, galit, fraternit) brotherhood (fraternit) remained central to Wordsworth. (Wu, 2000). Ive heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds With coldness still returning All, the gratitude of menn Has oftner left me mourning (lines 101-104.) Humanists critics argue that by 1793, Wordsworth interest in the revolution had faded and all that remained was a sour regret to have supported it at all. Instead, a desire to reform by education and reason rose within him. He believed his poetry could make a significant difference. (Litvack and Markey 2011: 3-3). He believed poems like Simon lee could instruct a younger generation into helping others less fortunate. Controversies surrounding his change of heart are still very much debated, but, beacuse at the time,

sympathising with radical ideologies was a dangerous outlet for expression, it is possible to fathom the idea that he chose to set more prudent goals and altered proposed means for achieving those goals (Saylor, 2001: 5). In any case, to assuage his disenchantment, he chose to retreat into the poetry of nature and imagination. Tintern-Abbaye(July 1795) portrays best the poets disillusions at the world around him and his desire to withdraw into the poetic world and to embrace what nature has to offer. Wordsworth was in the mist of a moral crisis and nature possessed the power to heal his troubled soul and offered the opportunity for an inner revolution, which he believed to be a crucial step towards an effective social reform. In his poem, Wordsworth reveals how the memory of a pleasant place brings consolation and serenity. He shows the reader that appreciating nature is a simple, tranquil pleasure that will keep us grounded and in tune with others sufferings. Being more emphatic and daily acts of giving will nourish our spirits with joy and strengthen us from despair and keep hope alive. (Litvack and Markey 2011: 3-16). And it is precisely the intensity of the futuristic vision that elevates the readers senses to a subliminal experience. The experience is so intense that it creates an out-ofbody state: we see into the life of things (line 49). The poet reaches the sublime and therefore transcends the human kind and the words of God: Wordsworth is famous for having said that he had no need of a redeemer; the fact is when he wrote Tintern-Abbaye, he had little need for God, at least in the generally accepted sense. In Tintern-Abbaye mankind is seen to be inherently capable of redemption through an act of self-realization. (Wu, 2000: Introduction xxxiii ) It would be astonishing not to be moved by Wordsworths poem. In many ways, it echoes our 20th centurys anxieties. The world around us is collapsing and we do wonder what hope there is for the future. Our modern society is becoming increasingly individualistic: we hardly know our neighbours, let alone help them. And yet, who has not experienced the power of restoration that nature has on the human soul? The beauty of the natural world can turn the darkest feelings into contentment in spite of the still,

sad music of humanity(line 92) and the unintelligible world (line 41) and its mystical influence can show us that in this moment there is life and food for future years (line 65). We can now see how Paines reactionary political commentary and Wordsworths lyrical and aesthetic poems are directly influenced by the world they inhabited. It is a world they saw as a political and social fiasco that has impacted upon their texts. It is in this sphere of societal and political chaos that they have chosen to stand up and be heard on behalf of those who could not. I believe they have made an immense contribution to our modern society, and that we live in a more egalitarian way. Yes, our 21 st century western societies are at the moment in disarray, but let us be truthful: the vast majority of us are not starving, our children are not threatened by war and we do not live in unacceptable conditions. Whether we have created an egalitarian society is debatable but I do believe that there is hope for an even better world to be made, and . Without hope there is no future, without future there is no hope.

. BIBLIOGRAPHY Larkin, Edward. 2005. Thomas Paine and the Literature of Revolution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Litvack, Leon and Anne Markey (eds). 2011. Literatures of the Nineteenth Century: Romanticism to Victorianism (Dublin: Oscail). Saylor, Kevin 2001. Wordsworths prudent conservatism: Social Reform in the lyrical ballads, journal modern age, issue 2, ISSN: 0026-7457. Slawinski, Scott 2007. Thomas Paine and the Literature of Revolution, Early American Literature, Vol. 42, ISSN: 0012-8163. Stendhal, 2006. Le rouge et le noir (Folio Classique: Paris). Wu, Duncan (ed.) 2000. Romanticism, an anthology 2nd edition, 2000. (Malden: Blackwell publishers Inc.).