Question

In Romantic works were greatly influenced by the French and American

Revolutions and the idea of freedom that celebrated common people and
rejected the dominance of a wealthy aristocracy. In keeping with the
"common" approach, Romantics focused on simplicity using ordinary
diction, or word choice, rather than ornate, showy language.
DIRECTIONS: Identify the Romantic features evident in the lines from each
poem.
Poem
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey
Prelude
Prelude
Lines
Once again
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,
That on a wild secluded scene impress
Thoughts of more deep seclusion
On that best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered, acts
Of kindness and of love.
To me was all in all cannot paint
What then I was.
But now, become oppressors in their turn,
Frenchmen had changed a war of self-
defense
For one of conquest, losing sight of all
Which they had struggled for
So I fared,
Dragging all precepts, judgments,
maxims, creeds,
Like culprits to the bar, calling the mind.
Suspiciously, to establish in plain day
Her titles and her honors
Romantic Characteristics

Answer 1

The Romantic themes in the excerpts from Wordsworth's 'Tintern Abbey' and 'Prelude' can be seen in the veneration of nature, the focus on acts of kindness by common individuals, and a critical view of societal changes during the French Revolution, reflecting the essence of Romantic ideals.

The Romantic features evident in the lines from William Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey and Prelude include themes of nature, individualism, and a simplicity in language that reflects the essence of Romanticism. For instance, the description of the steep and lofty cliffs and the wild secluded scene in Tintern Abbey underscores the Romantic reverence for the sublime power of nature, a common theme in Romantic literature, emphasizing the awe-inspiring and often overwhelming force of the natural world.

Similarly, the focus on the nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love highlights the Romantic celebration of the common individual and the importance of personal, everyday actions over grandiose achievements of the aristocracy.

In the snippet from Prelude about the French Revolution, the change from a war of self-defense to one of conquest suggests a disillusionment that can be associated with the Romantic critique of power and corruption, further reflecting the political engagement and idealism characteristic of the period. Lastly, the lines describing how precepts and judgments are called to the bar, challenging established authorities and inviting individuals to scrutinize them, speaks to the Romantic conviction in personal authority and the questioning of traditional norms.

The probable question may be:

How do the excerpts from Wordsworth's 'Tintern Abbey' and 'Prelude' exemplify and reflect Romantic themes, particularly in their veneration of nature, focus on acts of kindness by common individuals, and critical view of societal changes during the French Revolution?