"The tales of King Arthur were especially resonant to their imaginations. On top of this, there was a clearly mystical quality to Romantic writing that sets it apart from other literary periods" "(Rahn). The English Romantic poets were particularly drawn to medievalism and mythology. Rebellion and revolution concerning human rights for individualism, and freedom from oppression were other attractions for Romantics. Self-examination, psychology, depression and sadness were all emphasized as well. .
"Melancholy' was quite the buzzword for the Romantic poets, and altered states of consciousness were often sought after in order to enhance one's creative potential"" (Rahn). Art and literature of this time often had to do with death and the feelings and emotions that were felt about these things. Literature became less about the formal rules of the past traditions and tendencies and more about the creator's imagination and individual feelings. "No other period in English literature displays more variety in style, theme, and content than the Romantic Movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries"" (Rahn). Theses changes were influenced by the desire to break free from the ties of the eighteenth century conventionalism. The Romantic era was primarily based on individuals expressing themselves in their own way, and being open to new experiences and changes. This period in time was focused around poems about nature, and the hope of new beginnings or the hope of a brighter future, which brought about extreme political movements. Romanticism put an emphasis on man and nature and combined them as one. .
In Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale,"" he is troubled intellectually with the inevitability that beauty and human love will be affected by the world. The everyday world is filled with weariness, discouragement, and change. "Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond tomorrow"" (29-30).
