William Wordsworth Preface

Thinking activity on Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballad.

Lyrical Ballads is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. Title of collection recalls rustic form of art. French revolution had deep influence on Romanticist and Wordsworth. Liberty- Equality- Fraternity are three watchword of the  French revolution and inspired Wordsworth and other romantic posts.

Q.1] What is the basic difference between the poetic creed of  'Classicism' and 'Romanticism'?

Classicism is objective and Romanticism is subjective. Classicism follow classical writer like Aristotle, Plato, Virgil. Romantic writer follow imagination. Classicism mostly described city life and Romanticism described rustic life. 

Classicism and Romanticism are artistic movements that have influenced the literature, visual art, music, and architecture of the Western world over many centuries. With its origins in the ancient Greek and Roman societies, Classicism defines beauty as that which demonstrates balance and order. Romanticism developed in the 18th century — partially as a reaction against the ideals of Classicism — and expresses beauty through imagination and powerful emotions. Although the characteristics of these movements are frequently at odds, both schools of thought continued to influence Western art into the 21st century.

The treatment of emotion is one of the primary ways in which Classicism and Romanticism differ. The Romantics placed a higher value on the expression of strong emotion than on technical perfection. Classicists did not shy away from describing emotionally charged scenes, but typically did so in a more distant manner.

Q.2] Why does Wordsworth say 'What" is poet? rather than who is poet ?

William Wordsworth says that he has selected incidents and situations of common life. He describes them by selection of incidents and situations of common life. He describes them by selection of language really used by men. In the past this ordinary life of the ordinary people has never been a subject of poetry. For the first time he democratizes poetry and gives a universal appeal to it. People living in the modern cities are very much artificial and far away from the simplicity of nature.

Wordsworth comments that humble and rustic life holds simplicity, serenity and tranquility. The rustic people express their feelings and emotion through simple, unelaborated and unsophisticated way. Their language is more passionate, more vivid and more emphatic.He says that a poet is more comprehensive, a better human being. Wordsworth says about 'what is poet' rather than 'who is poet'.

Q.3]  What is poetic diction? Which sort of poetic diction is suggested by Wordsworth  in his preface ?

Preface to Lyrical Ballads” is an essay written by William Wordsworth which serves as an important piece of literary criticism. The essay throws powerful insights into the Romantic notions of school of poetry and understand the main ideas and concepts behind it. Wordsworth defended his theory in the essay and hence the essay becomes the bible of the Romanticism.

The poetic diction is the essay as suggested by Wordsworth applies the “real language of men”. He has selected it to communicate and connect it with the other men and common people. He further adds that the selection of the common language can add “vivid sensation” and “pleasure” to the readers as each and every poem has its own “purpose” to share and evoke “pleasure” to the readers.

In addition to this, the selection of such poetic diction to impart the “incidents and situations from common life”. It is only possible for Wordsworth to impart these poetic themes in the poem only with the “real language of men”. He even stated that it will add a “certain colouring of imagination” on the readers so to evoke the ” state of excitement” which the common people share in their everyday lives. The “real language of men” will enable the other men can relate “the manner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement”.