Course Description

Course Name

British Romanticism 1785- 1832

Session: VSRS3122

Hours & Credits

20 SCQF Credits

Prerequisites & Language Level

Four English modules on academic transcript.

Taught In English

  • There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

Overview

Characterised by volatility, the British Romantic period (roughly 1785-1832) irrevocably altered ways of
thinking?politically, culturally, intellectually, psychologically, aesthetically. It also produced some of the most
fascinating and controversial figures in literary history. Many of these writers? imaginations were sparked by the
raging debate over the French Revolution; to varying degrees they declared literary independence. Though
Romantic writers approached their art in diverse ways and the movement was far from monolithic, certain key
developments may be identified as ?Romantic?. Drawing from various literary genres and the work of both
canonical and lesser known writers, this module will investigate Romanticism thematically by exploring and
contextualising some of their preoccupations: personal freedom and individual subjectivity, popular culture and
the role of the poet, sensibility and the culturally ?feminine?, ?sense? and satire in a time of upheaval, Gothic
horrors and psychological landscapes, Nature and the creative Imagination, and rewriting of the pastoral. The
module aims to assess the ways in which the climate of revolution, rebellion, and reaction encouraged and
shaped Romantic innovations in literary form.

*Course content subject to change