Key learning points

1. The Romantic period prioritises imagination and self expression over regulation and institutional power.
2. Many Romantic poets loved and worshipped the natural world.
3. Many Romantic-era writers rejected traditional religious beliefs.
4. The 'sublime', a feeling of overwhelming awe, is often used in Romantic poetry.
5. There are four Romantic poets in the Edexcel ‘Conflict’ Anthology: Wordsworth, Byron, Blake and Tennyson.

Keywords

• Critique - evaluate or analyse, often offering opinions or judgements

• Romanticism - a poetry movement from the late 18th and early 19th century, focused on emotions and nature

• Conventions - established norms or traditions within a particular form or genre of literature

• Sublime - an awe-inspiring, overwhelming experience beyond human comprehension

• Institutional power - authority or control exerted by organisations or systems within society

Common misconception