Romanticism in an age of Nihilism

In an age of increasing nihilism where spirituality in any form gets eschewed as nonsense and where compassion, humanity’s long-time most esteemed value, has been rendered not only passe but something to be mocked, the poetry of the Romantic Period offers itself as a potent antidote for these modern poisons.  Romantic poetry justifies the attention paid to things of the spirit and provides an abiding love for nature’s beauty in the other.  Upon these bedrock presuppositions, I have written a collection of poems entitled The Romantic Series in that same tradition.

This fourteen-book collection begins with a volume of poems dedicated to Wordsworth and ends with one devoted to the Bluestocking women of that era.

Beyond the values of spirit and love for one another, this series emphasizes, consistent with the Romantic tradition, that equity toward and for all human beings should reign paramount in our lives.

It is organized chronologically from Romanticism’s beginnings in the 18th century to the later years of the 19th century with the Bluestocking women.  I consider my coverage of such a long period to be particularly apropos, given that certain male Romantic poets explicitly espoused gender equality, such as Shelley.  He would have heralded the rise of females’ writing, both poetry and prose, in all venues.

There are seven books written for male poets and seven for females.  Each book contains an Author’s Note, footnotes, a postscript on the poet’s life, and an appendix.  All of the poems are written in the poet’s voice (unless otherwise specified in the footnotes) , and all pertain to the poet’s life and the times in which they lived.

While this series has a scholarly tone, it can be equally appreciated by the lay reader, broadening its appeal across lines of race, class, culture, and time; it is there for all who choose to open and peruse its treasure.