A collection of essays entitled Revolutionary Romanticism is planned for publication. Submit an essay that argues that particular texts illuminate aspects of this title in a though-provoking way. In your argument refer closely to TWO of your prescribed texts and other texts of your own choosing Romanticism developed during the late 17th century in Europe, at a time in history when people were beginning to question society and their place within the world. The French and American revolutions represented a universal atmosphere of social tumult in which previously accepted social and political structures were becoming increasingly challenged. The French Revolution was influenced by Romantic ways of thinking such as what it means to achieve liberty for the individual. The romantic exploration of liberty for the individual through a connection to nature, imagination and spirituality through the sublime are represented in both Coleridge's poem Kubla Kahn and Keat’s “Ode to a Nightingale”. These romantic views were a direct reaction from the art of the enlightenment era as explored in the 1768 painting of Agrippina Landing at Brundisium, emotional stoicism is represented as being a model for morality in society. Revolutionary questioning of the fundamental nature of humanity and change for women was explored in Mary Wollstonecraft's text "A vindication in the rights of women".
The 1768 painting by Benjamin West of Agrippina landing at Brundisium depicts the qualities of the Enlightenment that the romantics rebelled against. The neoclassical painting was popular during the enlightenment as it stressed logic, harmony, proportion and reason over emotion. This is represented in the paintings frieze-like composition and the buildings in the city background represent a structured, ordered society. The emotional restraint evident within the widow’s grief emphasises the enlightenment the suppression of emotions, grief is portrayed as being a communal not an individual experience. This greatly contrasted against the romantics’ desire to exploring deep emotion within the individual above society and community.
The paintings subject of classical Rome contrasts against Coleridge’s exploration of an ancient, exotic, Chinese dynasty in his Kubla Kahn. The romantics were interested in “Faraway lands” and the visual images of “caverns measureless to man” connect the power of the sublime and man’s inability to comprehend it whilst simultaneously emphasising the importance of the unknown. By emphasizing the way in which the caverns are incomprehensible to man, the importance of the existence of the unknown is highlighted, undermining man’s understanding and significance within the natural world. This idea contrasts the beliefs in the enlightenment era; that man and reason are the centre of the universe, as asserted by Christian and ideals developed by industrialization. The poet's search for the forever unattainable perfection and completion in art is epitomised the paradox of the “Sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!” Should the poet achieve perfection, he would become a figure no longer fit for the imperfect world of men - and so he would be feared and revered as represented in the repetition of "And all should cry beware beware!". This is contrasted against the painting of Agrippina in that the painting does not aim to achieve the perfection of the sublime, but rather uses a methodical painting subject and image to “instruct” moral code. Also contrasted to the poem, is the depiction of the inspired poet as a lonely figure against the social cohesion depicted the Agrippina painting.

The emphasis on spirituality within nature and individualism over the organised religion of Christianity was a reflection of Keat’s loss of religious faith. This reflected the revolutionary atmosphere in which people were beginning to question traditional religious doctrines against the Christianity of the enlightenment era. The structure of the “Ode” In Keat’s poem “Ode to a nightingale” presents intimate thoughts and feelings through musical resonances emphasising the imagination and focus on the individual’s ability to achieve a height of spirituality unfulfilled by religion. This structure captures the tension between escape, oblivion or death, reaffirming life as being filled with sensuous pleasure and beauty. The Nightingale’s song is symbolic of nature and imagination as being antidotes to inevitable stultifying nature of the suffering of existence. The power of the imagination to recognise human suffering is evident through the heavy poetic beat “The weariness, the fever, and the fret”, reiterating his pessimistic perspective of reality. However, Keats acknowledges that as humans we have the ability to use our imagination to fly above reason in the visual image of the “Hemlock I had drunk.. I will fly”. It is through imagination and spirituality that we can be liberated from the confining reasoning of the enlightenment period.
Wollstonecraft was influenced by the way the romantics were beginning to challenge previously accepted social roles within a patriarchal society. In “A vindication of the rights of women” Wollstonecraft recognises the powerful need of a revolution of change for women's place in society “It is time to effect a revolution in female manners” Persuasive language to emphasise the importance of society to reassess the way the female gender is constructed within society. Her reference to “Female manners” is a reference to the way women have been encouraged to behave in their patriarchal context. She encourages women to defy these, and to stand up for themselves and their rights which emphasises the way revolutionary thoughts were being explored in this time. “Let not men then in pride of power use the same arguments that tyrannical kings and venal ministers have used” She is asserting the revolutionary ideal that we should not accept authority without question and empowers the individual by comparing the arguments used against women by men as being equal to that of “Tyrannical kings”. With metaphorical reference to “Tyrannical Kings” Wollstonecraft is emphasizing the way patriarchy abuses and manipulates its power over women to oppress them. It was a persuasive and radical thought, especially because negative reference to the monarchy represents the way in which respect for the traditional political establishment had begun to falter. The use of personification in the reference to women being “ bent beneath the iron hand of destiny" reveals how she has used imagery to express the force and intimidation against women used by males in power,. The overall tone of the text is persuasive and encourages women and society to reassess the cultural attitudes and values towards women of the era.
Through an exploration of these three key texts, we can recognize the way in which the revolutionary context of the romantic period was a direct reaction against the art and thinking of the enlightenment era. In Coleridge's and Keat’s poetry, imagination is used to reflect way he felt society was changing and developing for the better. Mary Wollstonecraft’s "Vindication in the rights of women" argues that it is because of the traditional, accepted patriarchal outlook of society, women need to take advantage of their social rights in this burgeoning new world.

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