RomanticismDefinition and originRomanticism is a very influential artistic and literary movement of the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, in revolt against the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and the scientific rationalization of nature. . Romanticism originated in the late 1700s in Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and England. It is difficult to trace the exact beginnings of Romanticism, but it was in the mid-18th century that a shift in the way people viewed the tradition began. There was a revival of interest in folklore and a belief in the storytelling ability of the common, uneducated man was formed. Folk tradition focused on the simplistic and natural aspects of life, with stories passed down orally from generation to generation. Thus, art and literature, especially poetry of the period, contained vivid descriptions of nature and focused on the lives of the common man rather than those of the aristocracy. It was also the period of nationalist movements in various parts of Europe, due to the numerous civil wars. and revolutions. People developed a sense of nationalism which was often reflected in their writings. The Romantic movement also caused a revisiting of certain aspects of the medieval era, such as belief in the supernatural. This era was also significant because of the discovery of new lands and colonization; therefore there was also an emphasis on the exotic in the art and literature of the time. The depiction of distant lands was a common feature in works of the period. There was also a revival of religious piety and faith, and there was also an increasing emphasis on individualism. When it came to physical upheaval, writers of the Romantic era were also revolutionary and rebellious in nature. They believed in experimentation and refused to be locked into the slavery of rules. Romanticism in English Poetry (1798 to 1832) The Romantic era, as far as English poetry is concerned, is considered to have begun in 1798 with the publication of Wordsworth and Coleridge's 'Lyrical Ballads'. William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy Bysche Shelley and Lord Byron are important Romantic poets. The characteristics of romantic literature as described above are reflected in the works of these poets, who were close to their contemporaries. Their contribution to English poetry is of particular importance in that they freed poetry from the constraints of aristocracy and enriched poetry by adding elements of music, nature and imagination..