M.K.BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
NAME :- Parmar Milankumar L.
ROLL NO :- 16
ENROLLMENT NO :- 14101026
SEMESTER :- 1st
COURSE NAME :- Literary theory and criticism
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC:- Wordsworth’s definition of
Poet and poetry
SUBMITTED TO :- Department of English
Smt.S.B.Gardi
M.K.B.University
M.K.B.University
Ø Introduction Of The Writer:-
William Wordsworth the greatest among all romantic poets was born on 7th April, 1770 at Cekermouth, in Lake District. He studied at Cambridge and completed his graduation there. His first published work was ‘The Lyrical Ballads’ (1798).
The preface to the lyrical ballad was perhaps more remarkable than the poem themselves, for in the preface to lyrical ballads, in the preface the theory of new poetry of the Romantic age was laid down with great details leaving no scope for the ambiguity and doubt. It was in the Preface to The Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth made bold and categorical statement regarding the nature of the poetry, the function of the poetry, and the role of the poet as creative artist. Wordsworth stated that” the poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge”. And poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, taking its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility’. The qualifications of the poet are laid down in his conformity of his art. To Wordsworth he is man possessed of more than usual organic sensibility and one who has also “thought long and deeply.”
Ø His Reaction Against 18th century poetic:-
Every genius is rebel and so was Wordsworth. He protested against the traditions and usages setup by the poets of the pseudo classical school of during the eighteenth century. In 1798 he came forward with a new theory of man, a new theory of poetic nature, and a new theory of poetry. He put forward his theory of poetic diction in the “Preface to The Lyrical Ballads” and his views about the language that was to be employed in poetry raise a storm of protest against him even by such a close associate as Coleridge. In this he simply emphasized the use of the simpler language well within the reach of cottagers, and shepherds about whom he was composing poems. Poetry now coming out the narrow groves of town life and was embracing the life of the nature and humanity in its simplest and most unsophisticated forms. Wordsworth rightly felt that for the new poetry of new age, a language is needed and what he honestly expressed in the preface to The Lyrical Ballads. His entire effort in renovating the language of poetry was guided by that feeling that “all conventions of pedantry must be discarded in order to evolve the true poetic style, which should not only be simple and unaffected but should possess the power and the truth of feeling.” With these ideas in his mind Wordsworth formulated his theory of poetic diction, in his preface to ‘The lyrical ballads.’
Ø Preface to the Lyrical Ballads:-
In preface to the second edition of the Lyrical Ballads (1802) Wordsworth set out his theory of poetry. We find a sustained exposition of Wordsworth’s general theory of poetry as well as his opinions about (1) subject matter (2) style of poetry, (3) and of poet in the Preface. Entire poetic theory of Wordsworth centers round the examination of the origin, nature, and the purpose of the poetry, together with a probe into the subject matter and style of poetry.
Definition of the Poetry:-
According to Wordsworth the poetry is “all good poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” and further he says “though this be true, poems to which and value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subject but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic sensibility, has also ”thought long and deeply.”
By above two statements brings out certain points for our consideration. First poetry is spontaneous and it cannot be made to order. Poetry cannot be composed under duress nor can the poet be forced to write at the spur of an opportune moment. Poetry is a matter of feeling and mood. When the poetic mood is on the poet, he sings out songs of rapture or sorrow spontaneously from the core of his heart. In poetic mood poetry flows naturally from the poet’s heart. His language of discourse in such moments becomes the language of poetical inspiration. In short Wordsworth emphasizes the basic fact of poetic creation when he say “ the poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, the clear springs of poetry must flow freely and spontaneously- it cannot be made to flow through artificially laid pipes” from this observation flows the next that poetry is essentially a matter of “ expressing powerful feeling” felt in the heart and not generated in the mind. Poetry takes its birth in this spring of the heart and not in the cold store of the intellect. Poetry is connected with the feelings all of us feel but the poet feels intensely and deeply than most people and, that is why he is able to express his feelings more touchingly in poetic language than most people can do. Poet’s heart leaps up when he beholds rainbow, a red rose, a white dove and pure lily. He is stirred to emotion at the sight of beautiful things and the heightened emotional state of the poet finds expression through his verses. Thus according to Wordsworth deep emotion is the fundamental condition of the poetry. Without emotion and powerful feelings poetry cannot be written. The third conclusion that follows Wordsworth’s later observation is that” sensibility alone is not sufficient to ensure good poetry it must be directed by a calm mind.” Wordsworth arrives at the conclusion,” poetry is produced by man who being possessed of more than organic sensibility, had also thought long and deeply.”
Wordsworth says that “poetry takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility, Wordsworth explains role of calm thinking and deliberate contemplation in the composition of poetry later on in The Preface when he says “the emotion is contemplated till by a species of reaction, the tranquility gradually disappears and an emotion kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produce and does itself actually exist in the world- mind in this mood successful composition begins, and in a mood similar to this is carried on”. The process of poetic composition is not an easy one. As above statement poetic composition has to pass through four stages: recollection, contemplation, recrudescence, and composition. All that Wordsworth seeks to emphasize in his theory that “poetry is emotion recollected in tranquility” is to quote the words of Herbert Read “that good poetry is never an immediate reaction to the provoking cause; that our sensation must be allowed time to sink back in to the common fund of our experience, there to found their level and due proportion. That level is found by them by the mind in the act of contemplation and then the process of contemplation the sensations review, and out of the union of the contemplating mind and receiving sensibility, rises that unique mood of expression which we call poetry.”
Wordsworth followed the above process of poetic composition he allows. He allowed the emotion to sink and reviewed them at a later stage in a state of tranquility, and composed his finest works that recollected state of tranquility. The Daffodils, Rainbow, Independence, Solitary reaper, etc. are examples of this.
One of the critic Mair says that ”life was series of impressions and the poets duty was to recapture those impressions to isolate them and brood over them, till gradually as result of his contemplation, emotions stirred again and emotion akin to the authentic thrill that had excited him when the impression was first bore in experience.
“for oft, when on my couch I lie in vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude.”
Ø Poet according to Wordsworth:-
After defining the poetry, in the later part of Preface Wordsworth talks about poet and his qualifications. According to him to be a poet is rare privilege and a poet has noble mission to carry out in his life.
Ø He is a man speaking to a man; a man, is true more enthusiasm and tenderness.
Ø He has greater knowledge of human nature, and more comprehensive soul, than one supposed to be a common among mankind.
Ø He is a man pleased with his own passions and volitions (wishes), and who rejoice more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings on of the universe, and habitually bound to create them where he does not find them.
Ø The poet has a greater degree of imaginative power than other men. He has power of looking from heaven to earth and earth to heaven. He can present absent things as if they were presented.
Ø The insight of the poet is higher than other people. That is why a poet can create a new images and ideas and present them to us with images and symbols.
Ø His responsibility is great because, what other can’t think or see he is present the incredible and invisible images to the readers
Ø Elucidating Wordsworth’s observation about a poet J. c. Smith remarks in his book a ‘Study of Wordsworth’ “the poet is a man endowed with a more than usual capacity to perceive and feel and retrieve his perception and feelings in the presence of their objects. To be a great port, let us add, he must have thought long and deeply. In all this he differs from his fellow men only in degree: all men are able to perceive, feel and think in some measure, and many are able to even imagine.
“It is the last gift, the accomplishment of verses that distinguishes the articulate poet from other nature’s, even from other poetics nature the poet can communicate his experience, and communicate them in such a way as to give us pleasure.”
Ø The Function Of poetry:-
In Wordsworth’s opinion the function of the poetry is “is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, the impassioned expression that is in the countenance of all science.”
Ø Poetry is the instrument for the progression of moral thoughts.
Ø Poetry seeks to ennoble and edify.
Ø To delight with some moral lesson.
In the other parts of the Preface to Lyrical ballad he gives his views about poetic diction, subject matter, about the theme of the poetry and the style and the language of the poetry very nicely.
Ø Conclusion:-
In short we can say that he wrote Preface to vindicate himself and his poetry from the harsh criticism of critics. In this way by writing Preface he gives new theory of poetry of romanticism, he changed the subject matter of the poetry and even expressed his views about the poet and poetry. His views all these are at some level very true to the time he lived. But we can’t accept his all concept about poetry now days. As nothing is static, these concepts also will go away as time passes.
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