Britain in the late 18th Century, early 19th Century was undergoing radical changes both socially and culturally, these changes were reflected in the movement known as Romanticism. The Romantics sought to bring the human experience to the centre of their work. This they tried to do by turning their back on the more classical approach and write poetry that reflected their subject matter. All the poets included in this volume attempted to portray the lives, loves and desires of themselves and ordinary people. Although this was achieved in different styles ,the underlying question was the same. In a time of Industrialisation and the dehumanisation of the human spirit , how do we retain our humanity? Blake, Clare and Wordsworth all looked to nature and the imagination as the key. It is testament to their ideas that even after centuries we still are influenced and respond to their poetry
