Back to: Literary Movements in English Literature
Table of Contents
Introduction
“Lake Poets” were a group of poets who emerged and rose to fame in the Romantic Period. They were of significance during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and gained their name from the place Lake District in England where the Lake Poets lived, were inspired, and wrote poetry.
Characteristics of the Lake Poets
Nature
As mentioned above, the Lake Poets belonged to the Romantic age and thus were crucial in the shaping of the Romantic poetry of the age. Hence, the features of the age are that of the Lake Poets as well– Nature was one of the most important themes they explored and connected with their emotions.
Individualism
Again, the Lake Poets deeply valued Individualism. Themes of solitude and isolation often accompanied this and the poets asserted the need to be independent of human company and being one with the natural world.
Simplistic Language
Overall, as was the nature of the Romantic Age, the Lake Poets too preferred simplistic language while writing poetry over complex and flowery language. This was to ensure that their poems were accessible and relatable to all readers.
Lake Poets Major Poets List and Their Important Works
William Wordsworth
Wordsworth was one of the most prominent of the Lake Poets, just as he was indelible to the Romantic Age. Famous works of his include “Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”, “The Prelude”, and “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud”.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
A close friend of Wordsworth, Coleridge was yet another important Romantic Poet and Lake Poet. Famous works of his include “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, “Kubla Khan”, and “Christabel”.
Robert Southey
Southey too was a notable Romantic Poet in addition to being the final and third of the Lake Poets. Famous works of his include “Thalaba the Destroyer” and “The Curse of Kehema”.
Conclusion
The Lake Poets were thus important for the Romantic Age. They were crucial in the history of English literature.
