Role Of Imagination In Romantic Poetry

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The Romantic period believed that emotion was a form of intelligence, and art was a path to transcendence. As a result of the change in beliefs, Romantic poetry is often characterized by nature, imagination, memory, and wisdom. Imagination acts as a source of creativity, and allows us to see what is not immediately apparent. The Romantics believed that we could discover the imagination in nature, which often resulted in a harmony of the two. However, there are times when nature and imagination are in conflict with each other; for example, when imagination acts as an illusion, and distracts us from confronting the issue. Imagination is one of the most prominent aspects of Romantic poetry. Wordsworth defines imagination as “the means of deep insight and sympathy, the power to conceive and express images removed from normal objective reality”. Imagination is a way of seeing the world through a different lens. Imagination could be a different way of seeing the world as it …show more content…

The beauty of the natural sound allows him to imagine: Such a soft floating witchery of sound As twilight Elfins make, when they eve Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land, Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers, Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise (440) The music the aeolian harp makes reminds Coleridge of flowers, and colorful birds. This experience that Coleridge is having is positive and he is enjoying the nature around him. He is creating a perfect mental picture of the beauty he is experiencing through the use of his imagination. While the imagination and nature are often working together, there are instances where the two are in conflict. In “The Chimney Sweeper”, the little boy imagines: And by came an Angel who had a bright key, And he open’d the coffins & set them all free; Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run, And wash in a river and shine in the Sun