ENG 206 - Romanticism (Ramsey)

Explore Your Topic

After thoroughly examining your assignment, now it's time to explore your topic.  Try a search in the following database to learn more about the poems you are focusing on as well as its theme and other literary elements. 

Analyze Your Topic

This specific argument that you want to make about the poems will be your thesis. You will support this thesis by drawing examples and evidence from the poems as well as scholarship about the poems and, depending on your topic, biographical information about the poet, information about British society during the Romantic Period or information about earlier works and eras that are alluded to in Romantic poetry. Some things to keep in mind include:

Theme: One place to start when writing about poetry is to look at any significant themes that emerge in the poetry. Does the poetry deal with themes related to love, death, war, or peace? What other themes show up in the poem? Are there particular historical events that are mentioned in the poem? What are the most important concepts that are addressed in the poem?

Cultural Context: How does the poem you are looking at relate to the historical context in which it was written? You may want to explore some of our history databases to find information on this era in British history.

Allusion: What other, earlier, works of poetry or literature does the poem refer to? How does the poem look at those earlier works? What commentary is it offering on the themes and messages of those earlier works?

Biographical Information: Find out information about the poet's life. How does what the poet writes in their poems reflect situations from their own life?