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What were the ? The Romantic Age and Victorian Period had many similarities, but they had far more differences. They first differed in rule: the Romantic Age didn't have a king or queen, but the Victorian Period did. They were similar and different in writing styles, and beliefs. The Industrial Revolution also had an effect on both time periods. The Romantic Period was from 1784 until 1832. The Romantics brought a more brave, individual, and imaginative approach to both literature and life. During the Romantic Age the individual became more important than society. Individualism became the center of the Romantic vision (Pfordresher, 423). The Romantic Age in England was a movement that effected all the countries of western Europe. Romanticism represents an attempt to rediscover the mystery and wonder of the world (Pfordresher, 424). The French Revolution, 1793-1815, gave life and breath to the dreams of some Romantic writers. They wanted liberty and equality for all individuals (Pfordresher, 423). The Industrial Revolution was changing England from a rural society to a nation of factories (Fuller, 280). England changed from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and from home manufacturing to factory production. When Napoleon came into power, people became as violent and corrupt as their former rulers. This was known as the Reign of Terror. "England emerged from the eighteenth century a parliamentary state in which the monarchy was largely a figurehead," according to Pfordresher. (Pfordresher, 423). The Victorian Period was from 1832 until 1901. It marked the climax of England's rise to economic and military dominance (Pfordresher, 543). The Romantic spirit didn't disappear, but it wasn't the leading influence. "The Romantic Period shaded gradually into the Victorian Age, which gets its name from Queen Victoria," said by Fuller in The New Book of Knowledge (Fuller, 284). Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, 1837-1901, the longest in English history (Pfordresher, 543). Victorian England was mighty, and it's empire circled the globe (Fuller, 284). During her reign, Britain emerged as the world's foremost industrial nation. Many people were critical of the society in which they lived (Fuller, 284). Nine-teenth century England became the first modern and industrial nation (Pfordresher, 543). During Victoria's reign great economic, social, and political changes occurred in Britain (Merritt, 320). Pfordresher said that "It ruled the most widespread empire in world history, embracing all of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, and many smaller countries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean." (Pfordresher, 543). England then started to become unstable and survival seemed doubtful (Pfordresher, 543). An English version of the French Revolution seemed dangerously close. The number of people doubled in England between 1801 and 1850. Like the Romantic Age, the population shifted from rural areas to the newly industrialized cities (Pfordresher, 544). "The Victorian years did bring increasing efforts to achieve political , social, and economic reforms to meet the changes created by industrialization," said by Pfordresher (Pfordresher, 545).
The 1840's were the worst of the century for employment, hunger, and disease (Pfordresher, 545). Another difference between the Romantic Age and the Victorian Period is the way that the writers wrote and in what they believed. Romantic writers were optimists, they believed in the possibility of progress, social and human reform. They saw mankind as generally good, but were corrupted by society (Pfordresher, 423). Romantic writers broke with the eighteenth century belief in the power of reason, instead they believed in imagination and emotion (Fuller, 280). The preromantics were a group of poets who represented a bridge between classicism and romanticism. They signaled the awareness of social problems and the love of nature that became typical of English romanticism. William Blake was the leading preromantic poet. (Merritt, 319). Romantic poets believed that nature was the principle source of inspiration, spiritual truth, and enlightenment. "Poets of the Romantic Age focused on the ...