The link between Romanticism and Punk Rock, while initially appearing non-existent, reveals itself when considering the fact that both movements have at their core a rejection of the status quo. Romanticism directly goes against Enlightenment and the idea of prioritising reason and science. instead, it places emphasis on human emotion and feelings , even if they cannot be explained. The punk movement of the 70s was also a form of rebellion - in particular against the social injustice prevalent within Britain at the time. Movements concerned with women's rights, gay rights and environmental issues gained significant traction at the time. With this in mind, the poets of the Romantic movement (this article and author specifically focus upon just four, although there are plenty that could also be considered) logically would share common attitudes towards the establishment and societal norms.
Byron
Byron purposefully presented himself to society as a rebel figure wishing to go against the grain; trying hard to subvert expectations and maintain celebrity status. This self presentation as someone who doesn't agree with the rules of society, and instead doing whatever he wanted is an aspect of Bryons personality which clearly parallels punk rock . Often considered the worlds first ‘celebrity’, he was meant to be 'mad, bad and dangerous to know'. However, he was also limited by the need to confirm. His club foot limited activity and was always a source of insecurity for him, and he was known to struggle with eating disorders. Both of these factors draw attention to a more timid (and therefore arguably less punk rock) side to Byron. He is also is infamous for his numerous affairs – with men and women alike, and most notably his half cousin. Byron also probably had 2 illegitimate children and definitely eloped with his half sister. While typically this outlandish disruption of social norms regarding sexual activity and his status as a Casanova could be seen as exceptionally punk rock, the incestuous nature of some of his affairs lend themselves to the impression that Byron's promiscuity was a more disturbed.
Mary Shelley
There are not many 18 year olds who can claim to have created one of the most
widely-read genres of all time. Mary Shelley could. She came up with the concept of Science Fiction at a dinner party with fellow Romantics (Shelley and Byron among the attendees) in a competition on who could write the best horror story. This dinner party directly led to the creation of 'Frankenstein', arguably the first ever science fiction novel. This proves that she was able to create a new, popular genre as a teenage girl in a time when that was virtually unheard of. Pretty punk rock to me. It is also fairly probable that she lost her virginity on her mothers grave(Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist writer and activist) and carried around the calcified heart of Percy Shelley (also her lover, whom she eloped with at 16, even though he was already married) as a way to keep him close, even in death. Both are kind of gross, and badass.
Blake
A lot of Blake's core beliefs about religion align with the fundamentals of punk rock.
To begin, he hated the institutionalised nature of the church, and instead preferred antinomianism (the idea that christians don’t have to follow the exact teachings of the bible out of fear of being punished, and that the grace of God would forgive them anyway. It was a rejection of the social order of the time, in favour for what was viewed contemporarily as a sort of ‘get out of jail free’ card). His works such as ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ blatantly argued for children's rights (something unheard of at the time, therefore pretty punk rock) and highlighted key issues within institutionalised Christianity, or called for social reform. This can be seen poems like ‘The chimney sweeper’ (innocence and Experienced versions) ‘Little Lost Boy’ (Experienced version), ‘Little Black Boy’ (innocence version) - arguably progressive for the time, but when considered through a post-colonial lens highlights some glaring issues - and ‘The Tyger’. There are of course many others. The whole collection of poems fights against social injustice, which is something that could be considered pretty punk rock for the time period.
Keats
As Romantics go, there are certainly ones with more panache, or punk rock attributes than Keats. He never achieved success or fame while alive (his grave literally says 'here lies one who's name was writ in water' to reflect his desire to leave a legacy which he never thought he had achieved) and instead was largely unknown contemporarily. This was probably because when he wasn't writing, he spent most of his time caring for his family who were slowly dying of tuberculosis (He was a trained doctor, after all). However, Keats's commitment to and focus on theories related to romanticism highlight a rejection of the status quo not dissimilar to the punk rock movement. In a few of his letters, he discusses the idea of 'negative capability' which is essentially the idea that you don't need to fully understand things, and that just appreciating their beauty and the fact they exist is enough. This is punk rock in the sense that it completely contrasted the focus on fact and reason that the Enlightenment movement had.
The parallels between the two drastically different time periods (the 1800s and 1970s) certainly demonstrates the cyclical nature of protest and rebellion from the generations before. This, of course, culminates most clearly in the art and literature left behind, which is created by poets such as the ones discussed here. It makes poets and writers like Byron, Shelley, Blake and Keats and their work accurate reflections of issues at the time.
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