If the publication of Lyrical Ballads marks the climax of the Romantic Revolt, it is because of its importance as a gesture of revolt against the existing poetic practices. In his Preface to the second edition Wordsworth explained in detail what his theories about new poetry were and what was to be looked for in his own poems. The immediate purpose of the Preface was to defend his poems against “the charges of lowness and unpoeticalness that had been made against both their subjects and their diction” to use the words of Graham Hough. The overall intention of Wordsworth was two-fold, that is, to relate poetry as closely as possible to common life, by removing it in the first place from the realm of fantasy, and in the second by changing it from the polite or over-sophisticated amusement to a serious art. . According to him, poetry should be “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings,” not mere satisfaction of a taste for imagery and ornament. Wordsworth’s aim in all this is to show that the poet is a man appealing to the normal interests of mankind, not as a peculiar being appealing to a specialized taste. He says:
“He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind; a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighted to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them.”
In his Preface Wordsworth made four claims: first, “to choose incidents and situations from common life”; second, “to relate or describe them throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language really used by men”; third, “to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect”; and, last, “above all, to make these incidents and situations interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentatiously, the primary laws of our nature.” The greater part of the Preface is devoted to justification of the first two claims, and this has caused too much stress to be laid on them while the fact remains that it is on the last two claims that the greatness of his poetry rests.
The poetic language of the eighteenth century was unreal, and its substance was far from being an interpretation of the universal spirit of man. Wordsworth did inestimable service in insisting on a new and true orientation. But he went too far; he said that rustic life and language were the simplest and purest being elementary, in close touch with nature, and unspoiled by social vanity. The fact remains that the rustic has little originality, few ideas, and makes almost no attempt to correlate them. It is also true that Wordsworth proposed to prune it of peculiarities but, as Coleridge observed, this would render it the same as the language of any other section of the community similarly treated. Wordsworth also asserted that the language of poetry differs in no way from that of prose, with the single exception of metre. This is the controversy that still rages and Wordsworth’s finest poetry does not show any influence of this idea. Geoffrey H. Crump has stated categorically that “In his greatest poems he forgot his theories, or the poems are great enough to dwarf the theories into insignificance, and in his later works he intentionally discarded them.”
Wordsworth was a complete innovator who saw things in a new way. Those who approach his poetry for the first time notice two peculiarities – its austerity and its appearance of triviality. It is so in the case of those who fail to see the quality of really human sympathy. Besides, Wordsworth himself is responsible for inviting this sort of response, as he had no relish for the present. Shelley said about him that “he was hardly a man, but a wandering spirit with strange adventures and no end to them.” The triviality of manner is the manner through which he could convey the profoundest truths. While reading Wordsworth’s poems, it is impossible not to be struck by two things:
- “ the magical strength of truth” to borrow the words of De Quincey, because “the poet binds together by passion and knowledge the vast empire of human society, as it is spread over the whole earth and over all time” to quote Wordsworth himself, and
- the number of fine phrases that have become the common coin of everyday speech. John F. Danby observed in his book: The Simple Wordsworth that “Words exist not on the page but between people: only people can mean anything.”
Very beautiful and useful for my pg exam
ReplyDeleteWordsworth’s Theory of Poetry
ReplyDeleteWordsworth has an exalted conception of poetry. According to him “poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all science”. He not only defines poetry; but also explains too the process involved in the production of poetry. His theory of poetry is comprehensive in the sense that it tells us the qualification of the poet, the function of poetry and recommends the language of poetry. This theory is valid because it comes from a poet who practiced it himself in his poetry.
Nature and process of poetry
About the nature and process of poetry Wordsworth says “poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; to takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility; the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reactions, the tranquility disappears, an emotion kindred to that which was before the subject of itself actually exit in the mind. In this mood, successful composition begins and in a similar mood it is carried out to be continued”.
These famous lines of Wordsworth describe the process, which leads to the production of poetry. First, there is the emotion set up by an experience. Then there is an interval of time, during which the non-essential elements in the experience are purged off. In the second stage, memory plays the important role. It controls what is to be retained and shapes into beautiful forms what it retains.
This idea of an interval between experience or observation and composition is an important part of Wordsworth’s theory of poetry. The third stage is recollection, when the experience thus purged is recalled. At the fourth stage, the emotion is gradually set up in the mind again. The last stage is composition. Thus these stages are
Sensation
Recollection
Contemplation
Recreation
Composition
Emotion recollected in tranquility means that poet does not react at an impression immediately. He allows his sense impressions of objects perceived by him to sink into his mind along with the feelings, which it has excited. There they remain buried till their accidental ingredients have been purged and its ideal and essential truth is left. When later the impression is recalled, the original feeling revived with it.
Fundamental condition of Poetry
According to Wordsworth, deep emotion is the fundamental condition of poetry. It is the feeling that matters. Wordsworth discards Aristotelian doctrine that the plot, or the situation is the first and most important thing. For Wordsworth the first thing is feeling. It is objected that Wordsworth emphasizes feeling and ignores thoughts, but it is not true. It is true that he attaches great significance to feeling, yet he maintains that valuable poems can only be produced by a man who has thought long deeply.
The Function of poetry
Wordsworth remarks “The end of poetry is to produce excitement in co-existence with an over-balance of pleasure”. The function of poetry is to offer delight. The poet console afflicted and leads men to virtue. Wordsworth stresses the importance of metre in poetry because it is helpful in achieving poetic pleasure.
His Conception of a poet
Wordsworth considers poet a seer. He is a man speaking to men, and is different from others in the degree of certain qualities. He is endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, more lively knowledge of human nature, more fertile imagination than common people.
The Language of Poetry
Wordsworth has romantic and revolutionary views about the language of poetry. He revolts against the artificial language of 18th century. He recommends the ordinary language that is used in daily conservation for poetry. In his view this is more effective.
Wordsworth practice of his theory
Wordsworth had a practiced approach towards his theory of poetry. He followed to a great extent his theory in his own practice. His poems like, the prelude, the solitary Reaper, the Daffodils etc are based on his theory.
comprehensive (y)
Deletethanks
ReplyDeleteReed also www.glamornbeauty.com
ReplyDelete