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British Romantic Literature

Code: 106297
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
English Studies OB 2
English and Catalan Studies OB 2
English and Spanish Studies OB 2
English and French Studies OB 2
English and Classics Studies OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Francesca Blanch Serrat
Email :
francesca.blanch@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Anna Casablancas Cervantes

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

In order to take this subject, we recommend that you should previously have taken "Literatura Anglesa del s. XX" (C20 English Literature), a first-year subject in the Degree of English Studies, and “Literatura Victoriana” (Victorian Literature) in the first semester of the second year of study for this degree.

We also recommend that you should at all times bear in mind the content taught in the first-year subject “Història i Cultura de les Illes Britàniques” (The History and Culture of the British Isles).

An initial level of English of between C1 (Advanced) and C2 (Proficiency) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required for this subject. With C1, students can understand a broad range of extended and complex texts, and recognise the implicit meaning of such texts; express themselves with fluency and spontaneity without having to evidently search for words or expressions sense; use the language in a flexible and efficient way for social, academic and professional purposes; produce clear, well-structured and detailed texts on complex subjects, and demonstrate a controlled use of organizational structures, connectors and mechanisms of coherence. With C2, students can understand practically anything that they read or hear without effort; summarise information deriving from diverse written or spoken sources; reconstruct facts and arguments, and present these in a coherent fashion; express themselves spontaneously, with fluency and precision, distinguishing subtle nuances of meanings even in the most complex of situations.

Objectives

Literatura del Romanticisme Anglès (British Romanticism) provides an introduction both to the English poetry produced during the period of Romanticism in the British Isles (c.1780 to c.1830) and to representative works of English novelistic fiction written in the same period. The subject involves the reading, analysis, debate and interpretation of the selected works. The academic training deriving from this subject is essential for all subsequent courses in this degree relating to English Literature in the sense that the principal aim of this subject is to prepare students to be competent and effective readers, ctitical thinkers and analytical writers.

On successfully completing Literatura del Romanticisme Britànic, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a good level of reading knowledge as regards the key literary works of English Romanticism

• Produce basic literary criticism through essays and presentations.

• Use the resources of any university library relating to material on the literature of the English Romanticism.

• Express an informed opinion on the literary texts studied throughout this course.

Learning outcomes

  1. Locate and organise relevant English-language information available on the internet, databases and libraries, and apply this to work and/or research environments.
  2. Demonstrate a solid knowledge of subjects related to the study of Literature and Culture in general.
  3. Express oneself in English orally and in writing in an academic register and using appropriate terminology in relation to the study of nineteenth-century literature.
  4. Participate in face-to-face and virtual discussions in English on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  5. Demonstrate understanding of a wide range of nineteenth-century literary texts in English and recognise implicit meaning.
  6. Write argumentative essays (C2) of medium length and produce textual commentaries in English on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  7. Make oral presentations in English of academic content on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  8. Correctly contextualise nineteenth-century literary texts in English within the History of English Literature.
  9. Correctly contextualise literary texts in English of the nineteenth century in their corresponding historical and cultural environment.
  10. Conduct bibliographic searches of secondary sources related to nineteenth-century Literature using digital technologies.
  11. Integrate secondary sources related to nineteenth-century Literature in the production of basic academic criticism.
  12. Distinguish principal ideas from secondary ideas and synthesise the contents of literary texts of the nineteenth century.
  13. Analyse and interpret (at a basic level) literary texts in English of the nineteenth century.
  14. Assess how stereotypes and gender roles are present in literary texts of British Romanticism and the Victorian period.
  15. Demonstrate understanding of a wide range of nineteenth-century literary texts in English and recognise implicit meaning at Mastery level (C2).
  16. Write argumentative essays at Mastery level (C2) of medium length and produce textual commentaries in English on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  17. Make oral presentations in English aat Mastery level (C2) of academic content on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  18. Demonstrate understanding at higher-proficient-user level (C2) of a wide range of nineteenth-century literary texts in English and recognise implicit meaning.
  19. Make oral presentations in English at higher-proficient-user level (C2) of academic content on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  20. Express oneself in English orally and in writing in an academic register, using terminology appropriate to the study of the texts and contexts of English literature.
  21. Demonstrate understanding of a wide range of nineteenth-century literary texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) in English and recognise implicit meaning.
  22. Make oral presentations in English at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2) of academic content on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.
  23. Understand specialised academic texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) on research into the texts and contexts of English literature.
  24. Produce written and spoken academic texts at a higher-proficient-user level (C2) on the concepts and skills relevant to the study of English literary texts and contexts.
  25. Demonstrate understanding (C2) of a wide range of nineteenth-century literary texts in English and recognise implicit meaning.
  26. Make oral presentations in English (C2) of academic content on topics related to nineteenth-century literary texts in English.

Contents

UNIT 1: First-Generation Romantic Poets

UNIT 2: Second-Generation Romantic Poets

UNIT 3: Austen: Pride and Prejudice (1813)

UNIT 4: Shelley: Frankenstein (1818)

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Individual reading 35 1.4 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 13
Lectures 20 0.8 1, 6, 9, 12, 21, 25
Individual study 15 0.6 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 19, 22
In-class reading and debate 25 1 3, 4, 7, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26
Revising for exams 15 0.6 1, 4, 10, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25

Remember: 1 ECTS credit = 25 teaching hours > 6 credits = 150 hours


Methodology:

  • Lectures
  • Commentary on Texts
  • Class Debates
  • Crafting Thesis Statements
  • Integration of Critical Sources into Texts
  • Composition of Analytical Critical Essays
  • Thorough Reading and Interpretation of Critical Sources
  • Personalized Tutorials


Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
In-class critical essay including secondary sources (Austen) 25% 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25
Attendance and participation 10% 4 0.16 3, 4, 7, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26
In-class critical essay including secondary sources (Shelley) 30% 12 0.48 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26
In-class analytical essay on poetry (Unit 1) 15% 6 0.24 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25
In-class analytical essay on poetry (Unit 2) 20% 8 0.32 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25

The assessment of the course is based on the following percentages:

  • In-class analytical essay on poetry: Unit 1 (15%)
  • In-class analytical essay on poetry: Unit 2 (20%)
  • In-class critical essay including secondary sources: Unit 3 (Austen) (25%)
  • In-class critical essay including secondary sources: Unit 4 (Shelley) (30%)
  • Attendance and participation (10%)


Important information about assessment:

  • THE MAIN LITERARY WORKS OF THE COURSE ARE COMPULSORY READING. Any indication that a student has not performed the mandatory readings will affect their assessment negatively.
  • All assessment dates will be confirmed at the beginning of the semester.
  • All assessment activities are mandatory to be able to pass the subject. Any exercise not presented will receive a 0. Students will obtain the grade of Non-Assessed/Not-submitted as long as they have not delivered more than 30% of the assessment activities.
  • The mastery of English by the student will be taken into account in the qualification of all the exercises and in the final qualification. It will count as 25% of this grade for all exercises and will be evaluated as follows: Grammar (morphology and syntax): 30%; Vocabulary (accuracy and variety): 15%; Consistency (between sentences and paragraphs): 15%; Organization (sound argumentation of ideas): 20%; Style (expression and register): 15%; Orthography: 5%.
  • Important note for exchange students (Erasmus, etc.) in the exams and other tests: Erasmus students who request to present an exam or any other type of assessment activity must present to the teacher an official document of their home university justifying their application.
  • The assessment dates will not be modified due to consideration of personal situations that have occurred, except in cases where a medical receipt is provided


Procedures for reviewing exercises:

  • The maximum period to return the assessment activities and communicate the grades is three weeks.
  • Students have the right to review the exams or other tests carried out during the course within the deadlines established by the teaching staff. This right will be lost in those cases in which the day and time announced is not attended to the review, except in duly justified cases and communicated to the teacher before it.
  • At the time of carrying out each assessment activity, the teacher will inform the students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date of reviewing of the grades.


Reassessment:

  • In order to qualify for reassessment, students must have an average mark of the final exam between 3.5 and 4.9.
  • If a student has a 4.9 as the final grade of the continuous assessment, this will be rounded to 5 and the student will pass the course and not have to go to recovery.
  • To have access to recovery, it is necessary to have been previously assessed in a set of activities whose weight equals to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade.
  • Students will receive the final average grade of the subject at least 72 hours before the recovery test.
  • The recovery consists of a two-hour written test on topics related to the subject. The date and place of the recovery, as well as any details about the test, will be given once the teacher makes public the final grades (maximum 72h before the test).


Single assessment:

  • Students who opt for this modality must take the following tests:
  • In-class analytical essay with textual analysis of poems (Units 1 and 2) (50%)
  • In-class critical essay with textual analysis incorporating secondary sources (Units 3 and 4) (50%)
  • The single assessment exam will take place on the same day and time that the rest of the group takes the last assessment activity (or on a date to be determined, and announced in Moodle, in case they do a written work and not an exam).
  • The same recovery system will be applied as for continuous assessment.


Plagiarism and other irregularities

  • The total or partial plagiarism of any of the exercises will automatically entail the penalty indicated in the following paragraph. By \"plagiarism\" we understand to copy literally or with some superficial modification or change of order of sources without properly identifying the origin, whether a series of expressions, a single sentence or a set. THIS INCLUDES COPYING PHRASES OR FRAGMENTS FROM THE INTERNET AND ADDING THEM WITH JUST A FEW TWEAKS TO THE TEXT THAT IS PRESENTED AS YOUR OWN. It is necessary to learn to respect the intellectual property of others and to always identify the sources that have been used and it is essential to take responsibility for the originality and authenticity of the own text.
  • In the event that a student commits any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment item, this assessment item will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. In the event of several irregularities in the assessment items of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its phases. Any work that includes fragments generated with AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and imply that the activity is evaluated with a 0 and cannot be recovered, or greater penalties in more serious cases.
  • Other irregularities may refer, for example, to copying in an exam or copying from sources without indicating authorship. Similarly, these assessment activities will not be re-evaluated.
  • In the event of several irregularities, the grade of the course will be zero.

Bibliography

MANDATORY READINGS


It is recommended to bring printed readings to class:

Unitats 1-2 (First and second generation of Romantic poets): a dossier will be provided on Moodle.


It is recommended to bring the books in physical format to class. You may be required to bring them to the exam:


UNITAT 3: (Jane Austen). Pride and Prejudice. (Oxford University Press, 2008 [1813], Ed. James Kinsley.

UNITAT 4: (Mary Shelley): Frankenstein. (Oxford University Press, 2008 [1818], Ed. M. K. Joseph).


ONLINE RESOURCES



OTHER RECOMMENDED SOURCES


PRIMARY SOURCES

Trelawny, Edward John. Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron. Cambridge University Press, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139061650.


SECONDARY SOURCES

Abrams, M. H. (1971). The Mirror and the lamp : romantic theory and the critical tradition. OUP.

Abrams. M.H (ed., 1975), English Romantic Poets. Modern Essays in Criticism, OUP. [available online]

Baugh, Albert C. et al (1967) A Literary History of England.

Bloom, H. (1975). The Anxiety of influence : a theory of poetry. OUP.

Bloom, Harold. (1971) The Visionary Company : A Reading of English Romantic Poetry. Revised and Enlarged edition, Cornell University Press.

Brewer, John (2004) The Pleasures of the Imagination : English Culture in the Eighteenth Century. 1st ed., Routledge. [available online]

Briggs, Asa, (1994) A Social History of England, Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Butler, Marilyn (1981) Romantics, Rebels and Reactionaries, OUP.

Butler, Marilyn. Jane Austen and the War of Ideas. (1987 edition with a revised introduction). OUP.

Civale, S. (2019). Romantic women’s life writing : reputation and afterlife. Manchester University Press.

Copeland, Edward and McMaster, Juliet (Eds). The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen.. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 1997. [available online]

Damon, S. F., & Eaves, M. (2013). A Blake dictionary the ideas and symbols of William Blake (Updated ed.). Dartmouth College Press. [available online]

Eagleton, Terry. (2006). How to read a poem. Wiley.

Frye, Northrop, Fearful Symmetry. A Study of William Blake, Princeton University Press, 1969.

Havard, J. (2023). Late Romanticism and the End of Politics: Byron, Mary Shelley, and the Last Men (New edition). Cambridge University Press.

Hawkins, A. R., Blackwell, C. S., & Bonds, E. L. (2022). The Routledge companion to romantic women writers. Routledge.

Kelly, Gary. English Fiction of the Romantic Period, 1789-1830. London & New York: Longman, 1989. [available online]

Kermode, Frank et. al. (eds.), The Oxford Anthology of English Literature, volume II. “1800 to the Present”, OUP, 1973.

Martin, Brian (ed.), “The Nineteenth Century (1798-1900)”, Macmillan Anthologies of English Literature, volume 4, Macmillan, 1989. [available online]

Mellor, A. K. (1990). Mary Shelley : her life, her fiction, her monsters (1st ed.). Routledge. [available online]

Mellor, A. K. (1993). Romanticism and gender. Routledge.

Morgan, Kenneth O. (ed.), The Oxford History of Britain, OUP, 1984.

Picard, L. (2002). Dr. Johnson’s London : coffee-houses and climbing boys, medicine, toothpaste and gin, poverty and press-gangs, freakshows and female education. St. Martin’s Press.

Pietropoli, C., & Crisafulli, L. M. (2007). Romantic women poets : genre and gender (1st ed.). Rodopi. [available online]

Ready, K., & Sigler, D. (Eds.). (2025). Romantic women’s writing and sexual transgression.. Edinburgh University Press. [available online]

Sales, Roger. Jane Austen and Representations of Regency England. London and New York: Routledge, 1994. [available online]

Sanders, Andrew, The Short Oxford History of English Literature, Clarendon Press, 1994.

Tomalin, C. (1974). The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft. Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Watson, John Richard. English Poetry of the Romantic Period 1789-1830, Longman Literature in English Series, Longman, 1992. [available online]

Wu, Duncan (ed.), A Companion to Romanticism, Blackwell, 1998. [available online]

Wu, Duncan (ed.), (1998). Romantic Women Poets: An Anthology.




Software

The UAB Virtual Campus (https://cv.uab.cat)

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 English first semester morning-mixed