Romanticism Romanticism began in Germany and England in the 1770s, by the 1820s it completely went through Europe, and even captured the attention of the French. It traveled quickly to the Western Hemisphere. It began in the last decades of the 18th century; it transformed poetry, novels drama painting, and other art forms. It was connected with the politics of the time, connecting with people’s fears, hopes and aspirations. Romanticism was concerned with individualism more than with society. The individual mind and especially the individual imagination were fascinating to the Romantics. Writers became increasingly interested in social causes as the period moved forward. Since Romanticism was such an important movement, its themes were seen throughout history. During the Romantic period, the first horror novel was written, poems were associated with death and gloom and music seems to take a dark path. Lyrical ballad was a collection of poems written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. The theme of “Lyrical ballads” was the power of nature creating strong impressions in the mind and imagination. The voice in Wordsworth’s poetry was observant, pensive, and aware of the connection between living things and objects. There was a sense that the past, present, and future all mix together in the human mind. Wordsworth changed the ways of Enlightenment traditions of poetry. He instead turned to the Renaissance and the Classis of Greek and Latin poetry for inspiration. His work was noted for its accessibility. Romanticism was a response to the previous idea of the Enlightenment, which focused on order and logic. The importance on imagination, emotion, and intuition over rational thought were the characteristics of writing at the time. The movement stressed nature, individualism, and the common man rather than civilization, science, and freedom. Much of the