Romanticism emerged in which period?

• A. Late 18th century
• B. Early 19th century
• C. 20th century
• D. 16th century

Answer: (A)

Romanticism begins in the late 18th century, arising as a response to the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason and order. It centers on emotion, imagination, nature, and the individual experience, valuing personal feeling and the power of the creative spirit. In literature, this shift is marked by works around the 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, signaling a move that will carry into the early 19th century. So, the late 18th century is the period when the movement first emerges, making it the best choice among the options. The early 19th century is when Romanticism continues to grow, not where it first appears, while the 20th and 16th centuries lie outside this timeframe.