The Romantic Age in literature does not have a universally agreed-upon start and end date, as it can vary slightly depending on the context and the country being discussed. However, for English literature, the Romantic period is commonly considered to span from 1785 to 1832.
The year 1785 is sometimes used because it marks a period shortly after the American Revolution and during the early stages of the French Revolution, which were significant influences on Romantic thought. Meanwhile, 1832 is often cited as the end of the period because it coincides with the passing of the First Reform Act in Britain, marking significant social and political changes.
On the other hand, the years 1798 to 1832 are also often used, with 1798 marking the publication of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads, a collection of poems that is often credited with launching the Romantic movement in England.
In summary, both time frames, 1785-1830 and 1798-1832, can be considered correct depending on the specific context or focus within the study of Romanticism.
The response generated is correct that the Romantic Age in literature does not have fixed start and end dates. While the response notes that for English literature, the Romantic period is commonly considered to span from 1785 to 1832, we would note that .there are works of literature that fall outside of that time frame that clearly show the influence of the Romantic movement. For example, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 and yet has multiple elements that characterize Romantic literature, including high levels of character emotionalism and long passages describing the surrounding nature that presumably also indicate the influence of nature on the characters and story. For example, the following passage from the novel uses nature and description of the moors to set the tone for the loneliness, despair, and frequent bleakness that propel the story forward. Think of the bolded words as describing not only the surrounding nature, but a state of emotion the primary characters often feel.
My landlord halloed for me to stop ere I reached the bottom of the garden, and offered to accompany me across the moor. It was well he did, for the whole hill-back was one billowy, white ocean; the swells and falls not indicating corresponding rises and depressions in the ground: many pits, at least, were filled to a level; and entire ranges of mounds, the refuse of the quarries, blotted from the chart… guides in the dark, and also when a fall, like the present, confounded the deep swamps on either hand with the firmer path: but, excepting a dirty dot pointing up here and there, all traces of their existence had vanished:
Moreover, the brooding Heathcliff is often cited as an example of a Byronic hero, with Lord Byron frequently cited as a key poet in the literary Romantic movement. That a piece of literature falls outside the dates given for the start and end of period makes sense, as artists are often influenced by the works and ideas of others around them at the time or who preceded them.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.