How French Revolution Portrayed in Romantic Poetry
French Revolution happened in the early 18th century. It is known as the era of enlightenment, the change of the human mind, and a time of transformation that inspired the start of Romantics. The French Revolution brings out Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. It was affected the whole of Europe and influenced many things in different aspects. A lot of things impacted politics, society, also literature. Particularly, it has been influenced the works of literature in the early Romantic era. The legend like John Keats, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe and etc. In poem literature, there is the great poetry from William Wordsworth and William Blake that portrayed the French Revolution in their works. In this essay, I would like to deliver the meaning of the poem and how the french revolution was being told, also the impact of the french revolution in those poems.
French Revolution begins with the inability of King Louis XVI to maintain his people. He rules France autocratically. The people were starving, the working class was forced to do the labor, and pay for high tax. They were mad and attack the Bastile in hoping for Revolution, overthrew the monarchy system, and fight for their rights.
1. William Wordsworth, The Prelude
The ideas of the Revolution have influenced William in his works. William Wordsworth is a poet, revolutionary, and a person who leading the start of Romantic. When he was 19th, he was traveled to France in the era of revolution. He even had a child from a France woman, but sadly they could not be together for a long time. Wordsworth wrote a book in the early 18th. One of his books called The Prelude which was composed in 1805 and published four years later in 1809, was the legendary work from Wordsworth. Inside the book, near the conclusion can be found a poem titled “French Revolution As it Appeared to Enthusiast at its Commencement” This poem was written by Wordsworth to support the France Revolution with enthusiasts but also expressed the disappointment of Revolution too. Let us take a look at the first half of the poem, it was said
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, line 4
But to be young was very heaven.” line 5
From the first part of poem, we could know how William brings enthusiasm to the people as they respond to the beginning of the Revolution. He stated that bliss was present at dawn though being young was a great feeling. It means that being able to live in the era of Revolution is a blessing since revolution brings the idea of hope and joy, particularly to the young people where the age of full passion could feel the excitement. William Wordsworth thought that the revolution may be the best way for the opposed working class, as they were constantly under pressure by other classes. In France, social classes in the early 1880’s divided into three estates. The first estate is called The Clergy, the people who work in the Church. The second estate was Nobility, usually identic with a palace and royal blood. The third estate was Everyone Else or the “working class”, they almost dominate the France population. When Louis XVI become the King of France, he loves partying and bestrew all of the money for his personal pleasure until it runs out. In 1789, King Louis XVI was almost bankrupt. So he commands to collect the higher tax. There was inequality of tax between the working class and the noble class as long as the clergy. When the working class was forced to do labor, they did not have food prey due to the high tax and end up starving. The situation was even worst when the price of bread surged up. As they were mad, the thought of Revolution begins to appear. These enthusiasms were portrayed in the first part of the poem. It can be interpreted as the greeting of hope for change. The transformation to accomplished their rights.
On the poem line (8–9) the joy of the Revolution remains the best for the people. Revolution can also be called Romantic and emotional. Reason becomes the most important part in this era, approved the laws and customs only by reason, the people’s rights were accepted in terms of reason. The reason was indeed an important thing. Then the people start to believe that everything happened by reason. The happiness ere boldly expressed until it spread out everywhere and effect to the other place not only France but entire Europe were also craving for the Revolution.
However, as we go to the other part of the poem on the third part it said
“To happiness unthought of? The inert line 19
Were roused, and lively natures rapt away!” line 20
From that, we could feel about the Failure of the Revolution. The words of rapt away can refer to the situation after the Reign of Terror. It was the response to the French Revolution that turns out to be a conservative attitude toward politics. When the monarchy was fell down soon as the guillotine of King Louis XVI, it was lead to the dictatorship by Robespierre and Jacobins and continued to Napoleonic dictatorship. The purpose of Liberty was not successfully accomplished.
Although the idea of the Revolution was not successfully accomplished, some of the ideas such as the movement, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man, also for the Citizen successfully happened. The people of France have been suffering from slavery for a long time, but with this Declaration in hope can prevent slavery in the future of France. Also, the French Revolution successfully end the monarchy system. It can be concluded that France Revolution has been giving several good effects on the working class and to the situation in France.
2. William Blake, The Chimney Sweeper
The second poem was from William Blake. William Blake is one of the greatest Poets in Romantic. Not only did he write a poet, but he was also a painter, engraver, and visionary. A person who fights for the rights and social order of men. Blake was one of the figures of the Romantic era that his works got influenced by the French Revolution. The poem by William Blake was titled “ The Chimney Sweeper” told about the impact of the French Revolution in English.
The chimney sweeper wrote by Blake in 1789 or known as a year of the beginning of the French Revolution. The whole poet describing children. According to Michael James McClard “Blake’s decision to focus specifically on chimney sweepers was particularly apt for communicating his message on child exploitation”. The impact of the French Revolution has been growing to entire Europe, particularly brought intense change to 18th century Britain. Every aspect of life including society was giving enlightenment that led to the transformation. In this poem, the situation that Blake has been captured was from the exploitation during the period of intensive urbanization. The purpose of this poem was to show the evil of Chimney Sweeping to the children.
In the first half of the poem
“when my mother died I was very young, line 1
And my father sold me while yet my tongue” line 2
From that, we could know how the narrator of this poem tells about the boy's condition and how tragic the life of the chimney sweeper boys was. The boy was an orphan since his mother died when he was in very young age. The tragedy did not end here, then after his mother died his father sold him at that early age to do the work, to exploit him.
In the second stanza line 5–7 there was a name “Tom Darce”, maybe it was a story of him. The narrator told Tom to be calm when his hair was gonna cut and consoled Tom that Lice would never breed without hair.
The poem continued with the narrator described the situation of the sweeper's boys but Blake was not delivered how sad the situation was. Although the feeling of suffering was very much could tell by the words. Blake wanted to criticize society by this poem, when the people more focusing on their self, their wealth, they shut their eyes to these cruel things. It was very much similar to our society now.
In conclusion, the two poems of the two Authors did influence by the ideas of the French Revolution. The first poem portrayed the situation at the beginning of the Revolution meanwhile the second poem described the effects of the Revolution in English. These can be proven that French Revolution is recognized as the important Era for the start of Romantic especially in term of Literary. The ideas of the Revolution created the emotion and imagination from the human self which previously could not be aware. And people start to believe in humanity also the idea of democracy. Thus, make the writer will create more inspiring and expressive work.
References:
Sheikh, Dr. Mohammad Rizwan. “The Impact of French Revolution on Romantic Poets.” (2014).
William Wordsworth, “The Prelude,” English Romantic Writers, 2nd edition (Harcourt: 1995). Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Biographia Literaria, Chapter IV,” English Romantic Writers, 2nd edition (Harcourt: 1995), 564.
McClard, Michael James. “Making a Heaven of the Innocents’ Misery : William Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper” Poems.” Academic Forum (2008)
Blake, William, and Paul P. Piech. The Chimney Sweeper. Bushey, Eng: Taurus Press, 1969. Print
