Romantic Dialogues and Afterlives

Romanticism is often associated with the image of a solitary genius, a poet on the fringes of society who emphasizes creative independence. However, many Romantic writers portrayed themselves in this manner while simultaneously engaging in unique dialogues with contemporary and past creators, as well as with anticipated readers and successors. This broad concept of Romantic dialogue is a central theme in essays by scholars from countries such as Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Canada, and the United States. The articles in this collection shed new light on the interactions among European and American Romantic writers, their connections with classical literature, and their legacy and influence on later artists, extending to modern creators. The book encourages readers to participate in this stimulating exchange of ideas and to re-examine the multi-dimensional network of relationships that emerge during the reading process, connecting various cultures, languages, worldviews, and bridging the past, present, and future.

Monika Coghen, a literary scholar at the Institute of English Studies at Jagiellonian University, focuses on British literature from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the literary and cultural exchanges between Poland and England. Anna Paluchowska-Messing, also affiliated with the Institute, has researched figures like Frances Burney, Hannah Cowley, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Her interests include the interplay between novels and drama in the long eighteenth century and how authors portrayed themselves during this period. Overall, the volume presents an intricate web of artistic connections, linking Romantic creators with both their antecedents and successors across time and continents.