Why Romantic Poetry Still Matters

Abstract

‘Why Romantic Poetry Still Matters’ argues for the importance of reading and interpreting Romantic poetry for a better life in the twenty-first century. The more literate and articulate we are, the better our chances for survival as citizens and inhabitants of the earth. Studying Romantic poetry can improve our empathy and resilience, our sense of categorization and understanding, our ability to accommodate uncertainty, and our powers of decision-making. Examples of Romantic poetry are drawn from the works of Wordsworth (‘We Are Seven’ and ‘The Intimations Ode’) and Keats (‘On First Looking into Chapman's Homer’, ‘To John Hamilton Reynolds’, ‘This Living Hand’), emphasizing the role of memory, the imagination, and interactive dynamics within their texts. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of the Humanities in the University curriculum.