How does the gothic era link with romantic poets?

The Gothic era, spanning the late 18th and early 19th centuries, shares a significant connection with the Romantic poets. The Gothic period saw a fascination with the supernatural, emotional depth, and a penchant for the macabre. Romantic poets, such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Keats, were greatly influenced by these Gothic elements and incorporated them into their works. Here are the primary ways in which the Gothic era influenced Romantic poets:

1. Supernatural and Mysterious Themes:

Gothic literature heavily featured elements of the supernatural, horror, and the macabre. Romantic poets like Coleridge explored similar themes in poems such as "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," where eerie and ghostly imagery is prevalent.

2. Emotional Intensity:

The Gothic era emphasized strong emotions, ranging from extreme joy to deep melancholy. Romantic poets mirrored these emotional extremes, expressing intense personal feelings in their works.

3. Nature as a Source of Inspiration:

Romantics drew inspiration from nature's beauty, mystery, and wildness. The Gothic tradition also celebrated nature's sublime and often terrifying aspects, making it a shared source of inspiration for poets like William Wordsworth.

4. Exploration of the Past:

Gothic literature had a fascination with ancient and medieval history, which aligned with the Romantic interest in the past. Poets like Sir Walter Scott utilized historical settings and folklore in their works.

5. Imagination and Creativity:

Both the Gothic and Romantic movements stressed the importance of imagination and individual creative expression. Poets embraced their own unique perspectives and imaginations in their works.

6. Individualism and Subjectivity:

The focus on individual experience and subjectivity in Romantic poetry resonated with the Gothic emphasis on personal emotions and feelings.

7. Medievalism:

Gothic literature revived medieval literary elements and aesthetics. Romantic poets like Coleridge and Keats were influenced by this trend and incorporated medieval themes into their poems.

8. Escape and Fantasy:

Both Gothic and Romantic literature offered readers an escape from everyday reality into worlds of fantasy and imagination, appealing to the readers' desire for the extraordinary.

9. Liminality and Ambiguity:

The Gothic and Romantic eras exhibited a fascination with liminal spaces and ambiguous boundaries, which often found expression in poetry.

The influence of the Gothic era can be seen in the themes, imagery, and emotional intensity of Romantic poetry, demonstrating a shared fascination with the extraordinary, the supernatural, and the power of individual imagination.