Word Collage

Personal Reflections

In studying the Renaissance and Romantic periods, I was struck by the growing sense of the individual from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Humanist philosophy of the Renaissance began to stress the importance of human endeavours rather than divine or supernatural powers. Writers, such as Thomas More, began to imagine societies that could exist and contemplate ways society could benefit individuals.  Machiavelli's "The Prince" may seem like a manual for tyrants today, but at the time he believed rulers should govern so that citizens could flourish. By the Romantic Period, writers had taken this focus on the individual even further, focusing on their innermost thoughts and desires through very personal poetry.  The connections between the evolution of literature during these periods and the changing political, philosophical, scientific, and religious landscapes of the times are truly fascinating.