The English Romantic Period (1785-1832) was a complex movement that expressed dissatisfaction with current society, explored the human condition, celebrated nature, and greatly encouraged experimentation and creativity in the arts. This period emphasized emotions over thoughts and reason and a highly valued individualism. Romantic writers of the period were "aware of a pervasive intellectual and imaginative climate, which some called 'the spirit of the age.' This spirit was linked to both the politics of the French Revolution and religious apocalypism” (“The Romantic Period”). Because the era before Romanticism was weakening religious hold on society, the Romantics were not very concerned with piety, but were instead interested in experimentation. with religion in an aesthetic way. Many artists, writers and visual artists, used religious imagery and themes in their works, but did not necessarily consider their works to have Christian or religious overtones. As in previous times, people in the Romantic period expressed doubts about a higher deity. They questioned the teachings of the Church and sought more scientific answers to how the world worked (Brians). The romantics “crossed the dark side of existence. They were intrigued by the grotesque, the evil, the horrible and the frightening” of nature and the human spirit. They believed that life could not be beautiful without death because “all beauty is fleeting and eventually withers” (“Romanticism: Imagining Freedom”). It is from this approach that the majority of the works of art of the English Romantic poet William Blake derive. "The Tyger", one of Blake's most famous and controversial poems, can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but much of it has to do with this doubt in the middle of the article......of . Washington State University. March 11, 1998. Web. November 13, 2013. Evans, Robert C. “Literary Contexts in Poetry: William Blake’s “The Tyger.” Literary contexts in poetry: “Tyger” by William Blake (2006): 1. Literary reference center. Internet. November 13, 2013Potter, Polyxeni. “A flea has smaller fleas that feed on its prey; And these are even smaller to bite them, and so continue infinitely. Emerging Infectious Diseases 16.3 (2010): 583-584. EBSCOHOST. Internet. November 13, 2013. “Romanticism: imagining freedom”. Cinema Media Group. Movies on demand. 2005. Internet. Nov 13 2013. “The Romantic Period 1785-1832”. Overview of the period introduction. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Flight. D. Gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt. Norton, 2011. web. Nov 13 2013. “William Blake.” Academy of American Poets – Biographies of American Poets (2008): 1. Literary reference center. Internet. November 13. 2013.