Examples of Romantic Poetry
James Russell Lowell, "The First Snowfall"
James Russell Lowell was one of the Fireside Poets (see the introduction to American Romanticism on the previous page for more information). In this poem he writes of the loss of his oldest daughter, a reflection inspired by watching the slow drift of the first snowfall of winter. By way of contrast, read the poem written two centuries earlier by the English poet Ben Johnson on the death of his son. Notice how the earlier direct reflection on death is replaced in Lowell's romantic poem by a metaphorical treatment that relies on rich natural imagery to explore the theme of grief and healing.
William Cullen Bryant, "Thanatopsis"
Lowell's poem was about a real loss in his family. But like emo teenagers, romantic poets were often obsessed with death even when it didn't touch them directly. This remarkable poem by William Cullen Bryant, written when he was just seventeen, is a masterful reflection on death and nature. It is a particularly appropriate piece for an AP English Language course because at its heart is an argument about what nature teaches us about our own death. Can you follow the argument? (For a helping hand, check out the useful guide on Shmoop).
Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass
Walt Whitman was one of the two greatest American poets of the 19th century. Though he did most of his writing in the second half of the century, his enthusiastic, highly individual style shows many of the hallmarks of romanticism. The first of these poems, "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer," contrasts the calculating, measured approach of the scientist with the speaker's more direct, soulful appreciation of nature—a classic romantic theme. "To a Locomotive in Winter" is more unusual; in its way it is a romantic celebration of technology. In this poem Whitman transforms the train into a living, exciting symbol of the modern age. The poet wishes for the "music" of the locomotive to sing in his verse, combining with the natural landscape into a wholly new kind of fusion.
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