Each essay should include the following to receive the points:
Respond in at least 2 paragraphs (5 sentences or more each)
4 Quotations from the text to support your response.
Please use conventions such as punctuation and capitalization
Clearly state the main idea of your answer and back it up with textual evidence. (16 pts)
You studied literary works from the Romantic Period, the Victorian Age, and the modern era. Describe and contrast the characteristics of these specific literary movements and perspectives.
The Romantic Period, the Victorian Age, and the modern era each had distinct characteristics in terms of literary movements and perspectives. The Romantic Period, which emerged in the late 18th century, emphasized individualism, emotion, and nature, often exploring themes of beauty and the supernatural. On the other hand, the Victorian Age, which followed the Romantic Period, was marked by a focus on moral values, social issues, and realism. Finally, the modern era challenged traditional literary forms and conventions, embracing experimentation and fragmentation in both content and style.
In the Romantic Period, writers like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge sought to capture the beauty and power of nature in their works. Wordsworth famously wrote in "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey": "And I have felt / A presence that disturbs me with the joy / Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime / Of something far more deeply interfused." This emphasis on nature and emotion can also be seen in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan," where he writes, "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree." These quotations reflect the Romantic focus on the individual's connection to nature and the sublime.
In contrast, the Victorian Age was characterized by a more moralistic and socially conscious approach to literature. In Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist," for example, he criticizes social inequality and the treatment of orphans in society. Dickens writes, "Please, sir, I want some more" to highlight the desperation and poverty faced by the characters in the novel. This focus on social issues and realism also influenced the portrayal of women in literature, as seen in the works of the Brontë sisters. In Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre," the protagonist challenges traditional gender roles and societal expectations, as seen in the quotation, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will." These quotations reflect the Victorian emphasis on portraying the harsh realities of society and advocating for social change.
Finally, the modern era brought about a shift towards experimentation and innovation in literature. Writers like T.S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf challenged traditional narrative techniques and explored themes of alienation and disillusionment in their works. In Eliot's poem "The Waste Land," he laments the fragmented and chaotic nature of modern life with the lines, "April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land." This quote reflects the modernist interest in exploring the fractured and disorienting aspects of the modern world. Similarly, Virginia Woolf's stream-of-consciousness technique in "Mrs. Dalloway" captures the inner thoughts and feelings of her characters in a nonlinear narrative structure. Woolf writes, "She always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day." This quotation exemplifies the modernist focus on the inner psyche and the complexities of human consciousness. Overall, the Romantic Period, the Victorian Age, and the modern era each brought their own unique perspectives and styles to literature, shaping the way we understand and interpret literary works today.
May you redo it. Still make it 2 paragraphs and 5 sentences each, but make it shorter.
The Romantic Period focused on individualism, emotion, and nature, with writers like Wordsworth and Coleridge emphasizing the beauty of the natural world. In "Tintern Abbey," Wordsworth writes, "A presence that disturbs me with the joy / Of elevated thoughts." Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" also highlights nature's power with, "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree."
The Victorian Age, in contrast, addressed social issues and moral values, exemplified in Dickens' "Oliver Twist" by criticizing social inequality. Dickens' quote, "Please, sir, I want some more," reflects the poverty and desperation faced by characters in the novel. Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" challenges gender norms with the line, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me." These works highlighted the harsh realities of society and advocated for social change during the Victorian Era.