French Revolution And It’s Effect On Literature:
INTRODUCTION
The French Revolution was one of the most important events in the history of modern Europe. It began in 1789 and lasted 10 years. By the time it ended, it’s effects had been felt in every country in the Western World. The French Revolution otirred the whole of Europe to its depth. It also left powerful impression on the Romantic poets of England. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, and Byron were deeply influenced by the Revolution. Their poetic works were coloured by the ideals of the revolutionists of French
Influence of French Revolution on Wordsworth:
The first romantic poet who came under the influence of the Revolution was William Wordsworth. The principles of liberty, fraternity, and equality were advocated and loved by Wordsworth. Wordsworth accepted the French Revolution and praised it with enthusiasm and heartily agreed with it .
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven.”
The poet felt thrilled and overjoyed at the thought that the Revolution was marking the end of an era of tyranny. It was entering into a period of peace, equality and brotherhood of mankind. However, when he heard that the French Revolution were entering into a new phrase of bloodshed and terror, he was shattered.
For sometime, he took shelter in the political theories but then once again turned to poetry. Nature gave him some comfort. Simple life of peasant s helped him regaining his faith in the goodness of human life.
Influence of French Revolution on Coleridge:
Coleridge, like his friend Wordsworth hailed the French Revolution. When bestile was broken and the prisoners were released, the heart of Coleridge was excited. He felt a new life spring before his eyes. He wrote at this time…
“liberty the soul of life, shall reign
Shall throb in every pulse, shall flow thro’ every vein”
The enthusiasm that Coleridge had felt for the revolution began to decrease when the French attacked on Switzerland, a peace loving country. He felt that the French people were taking to wrong path. The frustration and grief felt by the poet at this find expression in two odes – Ode On The Departing Year(1796), France : An Ode(1797). In the Ode to the Departing Year, the poet criticizes strongly the forces reactionary against France. Nevertheless, in the Ode to France, the enthusiasm of the poet is cooled. He feels horrified with the Reign of Terror in Paris.
Coleridge could not living for long under the influence of the French Revolution. His enthusiasm was chilled. He condemned France :
That mockest Heaven, adulterous, blind
And Patriot only in pernicious toils!
And these they boast, champion of human kind?
The influence of French Revolution on Robert southey:
Like Wordsworth and Coleridge, Robert southey was also influenced by the revolutionary through and expressed the most violent radical ideas in the epic Joan of Arc , a drama War Tyler and a number of minor poems. However, later on he rejected all his revolutionary ideas.
The influence of French Revolution on Byron:
Byron was not influenced by the earlier phase of the Revolution. Nevertheless, he was a born revolutionary. He was against all that stood in the way of freedom. This love for liberty is expressed in many poems of Byron. The Prisoner of Chillon was written by him in defence of liberty. The hero Bonnivard was a patriot who fought for liberty.
The influence of French Revolution on PB Shelley :
Shelley was a revolutionary idealist. The watchword of the Revolution – liberty , equality and fraternity – guided his poetic imagination in denouncing kings and priests. His poems Queen Mab , The Revolt of Islam, Prometheus Unbound, Ode of the West Wind, Men of England are full of revolutionary spirit.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, French Revolution proved an inspiration to the poets. It helped the people to taste joy of liberty and equality. However, the sad thing is that it did not last too long. But this revolution has carved a niche for itself in golden letters in the world history.