Wildly Romantic: The English Romantic Poets: The Mad, the Bad, and the Dangerous

by Catherine M. Andronik

Meet the rebellious young poets who brought about a literary revolution

Rock stars may think they invented sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but the Romantic poets truly created the mold.
In the early 1800s, poetry could land a person in jail. Those who tried to change the world through their poems risked notoriety--or courted it. Among the most subversive were a group of young writers known as the Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Cole-ridge, William Wordsworth, and John Keats. These rebels believed poetry should express strong feelings in ordinary language, and their words changed literature forever.
Wildly Romantic is a smart, sexy, and fascinating look at these original bad boys--and girls.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Literary Criticism, British Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2007

About the author

Catherine M. Andronik is a library media specialist in a Connecticut high school. She has written nonfiction books for readers of all ages.

Reviews

[karen]

okay, i have to call WTF maintenant. so, i ordered this for myself, not realizing it was YA. fine - i am not averse to YA. but on the back, bold as balls, this book claims:

the entanglement between lord byron and lady caroline lamb started out as a mutual flirtation...

maybe it was just a rumor, maybe it had a shred of truth, but a story spread that lady caroline was once delivered to lord byron's place on a silver serving tray. beneath the tray's cover, she lay stark naked

no.

that was never a rumor. she was served up naked in a covered soup tureen, yes, but never to byron; it was as a birthday present for her husband at some swank banquet.

and maybe this will be addressed in the book, like "haha - i got you - it wasn't byron at all, it was her husband!!!" which, admittedly, is less titillating.

but why use that as your entire back-cover copy when it is incorrect??

CATHERINE M. ANDRONIK, THIS IS ME QUESTIONING YOUR SCHOLARSHIP!!!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply absorbing read about a deeply fascinating group of people. Being a relatively short book to cover the lives of so many major poets, there's obviously some picking and choosing of what to cover. Andronik chose to focus on the scandals, which certainly has its place in biography, aside from being interesting. Maybe some deeper analysis of their works would have been welcome, but I didn't come here for literary analysis, and I never expected it. If that's your expectation, you'll be disappointed. But if you just want some incredibly juicy, two-century-old gossip, this is the book for you.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a very accessible overview of the big names in Romantic poetry. I really enjoyed it. I also loved that she included poems she referenced between the sections. It did a lot to showcase what each poet was like through each section. I even learned a bit I hadn't leaned before in my lyricism class, so kudos to her.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who was obsessed with Romantic poetry and Anne of Green Gables as a kid, this was a fantastic overview of the romantic poets we deify now. Basically they were all kind of rock star douchebags, haha.

[Timothy Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

very readable

[Benjamin Ried · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Romantic poets, because of "their fascination with genuine emotion, with lyrical use of everyday language, with ordinary people and ordinary situations."

However, this book pulled back the curtain on their scandalous lives and it was appalling. We often lament the moral decline in our current time and nation; however, moral depravity has been a part of human civilization since the fall. The accounts of sexual immorality, homosexuality, drug addiction, idolatry, abuse, etc., etc. served the purpose of reminding me that these men were just men. It also caused me to forget some of the joy and fascination that I experienced when reading their works.

One of my favorite poems of all times, "Ozymandias", will now forever be linked to the biographical information that I read in this book. My admiration that I had for Percy Bysshe Shelley (and to a lesser degree Mary Shelley) has now been turned to contempt.

This book has its place, and I do not believe we should hide the truth about someone's life or character. I would not appreciate a book that made these five men out to be angels. After all the Bible depicts men the way they are, not the way we want them to be. This biographical account is so concerned with the scandal that it unfortunately only paints that side of the poets' lives. I did not appreciate this book making these five men out to be demons (Mad, Bad, and Dangerous).

[Ginger Gonzales-Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very accessible introduction to the Romantic poets, and, for the most part, I liked it. However, this text is essentially just a very abridged account of the Romantic poets' lives. The lack of any discussion of their actual work left me wanting more. I also had to chuckle at the introduction which clearly wanted to make the Romantics sound cool and appealing to the YA to whom this book is generally directed; Andronik made 19th century England sound like something out of a telenovela or YA primetime drama. While the great Romantics had turbulent lives, I was a little frustrated to have them reduced only to those scandals. Certainly we shouldn't idolize these men (and women), but neither should an approach to them be so reductive as to almost completely neglect to discuss why their works were so revolutionary, useful, and important (and that's coming from someone who really can't get behind poetry).

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Romantic Poets... This is the most emotionally charged
book I have read recently. Catherine M. Andronik brings the romantic poets(Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelly, Keats) alive. Andronik brings all of the passion, and pathos alive. This book spotlights the tragedies of their lives makes them real.
I am glad I have not read any other biographies of the Romantic Poets, because this is detailed and only 249 pages; thus, making it one of those emotionally charged
readings that explodes into your heart, and occupies
me fully while I am reading of their lives.
They are fascinating lives. I had sympathy for all of thier lives even the weird Byron. I found Wordsworth, and
Keats as normal as Byron and Shelly were extreme.
This was a great book. Were these Poets the rock stars of the late 18th and early 19th century?

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Mad, the Bad, and the Dangerous" Romantic poets (minus Keats from that description- what I know of him, which is little) is an appropriate description with the sex, drugs, and delusions revealed about some of history's greatest poets. It saddens me that men so gifted died so young and spent a lot of time tortured by addictions it seems. Some parents may not want their teens reading this due to the incest, drugs, etc... However, I think this book is more apt to keep some teens reading than other non-fiction due to the inclusion of focusing on the darker side of these poets' lives.

Some poems are included at the end of each chapter. The book reads more like a story than a book of factual information. I kept wanting to turn the pages.

[andie z (amzreads)]

Reviewed for The In Group

Wildly Romantic is a fascinating look at the lives of the Romantic poets Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and John Keats. These young rebels pushed the boundaries of their times, risking everything to express themselves through their poetry. I really enjoyed this book, because I have always loved the Romantic poems and it was wonderful to read about what was going on in the lives of the brilliant people who wrote them. I would recommend this book to anyone, however, not just poetry buffs. It may be classified as a non-fiction book about the Romantic poets, it reads more like a fascinating novel, and with the many poems scattered throughout the book, it is sure to keep anyone's interest.

[Mary Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was in the adult non-fiction section of the library but it read as if written for someone in high school. Sure enough, reading the back cover it stated, "Catherine M. Andronik writes non-fiction books for teenagers...." Still, I wanted to read it to learn about the Romantic poets and I did. While not deep or detailed, I got the information without a lot of academic mumbo-jumbo. The age group focus made it a quick read. Since my goal is to get an historic background on poetry and poets, this book fills in some of the background for the other book I'm reading, "Perrine's Sound and Sense An Introduction to Poetry," by Thomas R. Arp.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to get middle- and high-schoolers interested in 18th- and 19th-century poetry. (And let's face it, they're not going to get hooked on it of their own accord.) The scandalous details will reel 'em in and make the poets much more memorable than otherwise.

It's long been my opinion that people, especially students, are better off knowing the follies of the heroes of history (like the fact that Ben Franklin was a raging sex fiend, for example) -- not to demonize the aforementioned heroes or demean their accomplishments, but simply to make them more human.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember as a college student thinking that nothing was more boring and hard to read than Romantic poetry. I wish I had had this book then! Zowie! These guys lived like today's most degenerate pop stars! They give Slash a run for his money. I picked this up in honor of National Poetry Month, and now I want to pick up some of those old Norton anthologies I have lying around from past English courses. It's a quick read, and you'll definitely learn something new about these dead white guys.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written, provided insightful historical context as well as the social relationships and interactions between the poets. Easy to read and also managed to be funny. The stories of these poets definitely illustrates how life can be stranger - or more amazing - than fiction. Also includes excerpts of their work, which was made easier to interpret and understand having the context in mind. Highly recommend. I originally bought this as a gift. Looks like I will need to buy another copy!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was reading it with the thought that I may use it with my high school seniors. I really found this accessible. It give faces and lives to the names in our textbook. It was scandalous enough to interest high school seniors and perhaps, dare I hope, spark further independent research, without being graphic or raunchy. I liked the poems at the end of each chapter, so readers can make connections between poets' lives and their works.

[Alex Jiménez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of straightforward facts. I appreciated it for that. The writing and organization could've been way better, though. One example: The author repeatedly reminds the reader about the high rate of infant mortality during this time, as if they need to be reminded, and then neglects to touch upon Byron's bisexuality more than three times in throwaway lines. All in all, it was an educational read and good for starters to learn the essentials about the Romantics. 3.5 stars.

[Molly Gaudry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad introductory text to the Romantics for young people. I'd gift it. But then I'd have to explain to a parent the jacket copy, which I'd have to then explain is misleading on so many levels--librarians don't know where to shelve it, adults are disappointed bc this is YA-level history/biography and not the steamy story they were expecting, and, come on, really? Why is Caroline Lamb even anywhere near the back cover?

[jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still fascinated by those Romantic poets. This is teen non-fiction with very short chapters about Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats and of course Shelley, Byron and the girls. The book definitely focuses on the scandalous, with chapters like 'Byronic Entanglements' and 'Dead Babies.' It was fun and informative.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that not only was it a short biography of 5 english poets lives (wordsworth, shelley, byron, coleridge and keats) but how their lives were intertwined. It was fascinating to see how not very different they are from us today. I also enjoyed the smattering of poetry spread at the end of each chapter.

[Mayday Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I'm not on for biographies--- but this one is actually quite good.

It is an amusing tale of the original Romantic poets. Most of them are pretty creepy. One's a jerk, a opuim-addict, a pervert, a psycho (no really - he started 2 go pretty crazy) & a sad young poet who met a tragic fate.

None of them died of old age. Pretty sad.

[Christia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andronik writes for a young adult audience, which is not necessarily a bad thing - just unexpected. A good overview of the Romantic poets and their escapades, along with some samples of their best known poetry. I enjoyed learning more about Wordsworth and Coleridge. Shelley and Byron's lives in particular are proof that truth is in fact stranger than fiction.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great intro to the romantic poets - this is a YA book so at times it seemed simplistic, yet i loved the poem selections and reading how their lives entwined.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild indeed!!!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so disappointing! A book about the Romantic poets could easily read like the racist tabloids. This was too sanitized.

[ATM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a good job of weaving all the poets together and how they intermingled with each other. Also Wordsworth is so beautiful to re-read!

[Annette Heslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a group of young Writers/Poets - known as the Romantics in the late 1700's and early 1800's.
Each Chapter is dedicated to a Writer with a summary of their life and a few poems that they wrote. Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, just to name a few.
I found their life stories to be interesting and fascinating. The curse which plagued them was Opium, which in those years was the cure for any ailments, and of course, people became addicted to it, leading to overdoses.
The one I still can't get my head around was the Writer that was addicted to Arsenic and accidentally overdosed!

[Meredith Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything about my gothic favorites - Mary Shelley, her hubs Percy, Lord Byron and their motley assortment of friends. This is the famous story of the gothic writers and poets who were snowed in during the Little Ice Age. Bored, they instigated a competition to see who could write the scariest story. Guess who won?

[Lulu (the library leopard) · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun to read even if it seemed more than a little sensational at times!

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointing rendering of a great premise. This book begins well, with a thesis that the Lake Poets of the early 19th century were revolutionaries in both their lifestyles and their art. The text quickly degenerates into a cataloging of scandal and tragedy. Although the author does include samples of the poets' work, she does not give any explanation of criticism of any of the pieces, and the reader has neither any idea of when the pieces were written, nor any explanation of just how the poem in question was "revolutionary." What a wasted opportunity--and what a sign of our times. The author (or her editor and publisher, at least) assumes that the young adult readers must be told that infant mortality was high in the eary 1800s; yet it is plainly assumed that the same historically deficient readers will know exactly what it means that Byron liked to surround himself with attractive young men.

[Deb]

Reads like a crappy, sordid tabloid. Also, the Romantic poets were pretty much just bastards. Sure, they wrote some nice stuff. But they were frat boys who wrote nice stuff. Okay, some of it was brilliant stuff. But the drugs, the incest, the affairs, etc -- turns out I have no patience to read about this crap.
Also, this book was really poorly written. I got halfway through, which is more than enough.