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Nisha

Sunjay Sharma

Literary Criticism

Writing Workshop #5

23 August 2019

Citations from the primary text: Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800 and 1802) by William

Wordsworth.

“Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, in that condition, the essential

passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under

restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language; because in that condition of life our

elementary feelings coexist in a state of greater simplicity, and, consequently, may be more

accurately contemplated, and more forcibly communicated; because the manners of rural life

germinate from those elementary feelings, and, from the necessary character of rural

occupations, are more easily comprehended, and are more durable; and, lastly, because in that

condition the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of

nature.”

Wordsworth denounces the use of artificial poetic diction. He has focused on the original

form of language in the poetry i.e. original poetic diction which focuses on the rustic and simple

state of life. He favors original diction because it ultimately gets ridden into the men’s language

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and do not require any further decoration. Neoclassicist treated poetry as 1a sacred and

empathetic form of art. They stressed so much over the poetic diction that language of poetry

became “gaudy and inane”. Uneducated had no access over literature thus the literature was

limited. Ordinary language has no space to acquire. Ultimately the literature of the age became

artificial, stilted, rational and losing all inspiration and ienthusiasm. Here he has giver the reason

behind the use of “language of men”.

“They who have been accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many

modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will, no doubt, frequently

have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and awkwardness: they will look round for poetry,

and will be induced to inquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to

assume that title.”

As there was decorum of poetry being followed, Wordsworth has shown concerned over the

awkward and strange feeling which could be felt by contemporaries because of his new work in

lyrical Ballade in terms of language and subject matter.

“The Reader will find that personifications of abstract ideas rarely occur in these

volumes; and are utterly rejected, as an ordinary device to elevate the style, and raise it above

prose. My purpose was to imitate, and, as far as possible, to adopt the very language of men; and

assuredly such personifications do not make any natural or regular part of that language.”

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Wordsworth here criticizes the extravagant use of abstract personification in the poetries to

generate a fake excitement which was one of the qualities of neoclassical poetries. The use of

absurd personifications made verses prior to prose. Wordsworth felt that “there is no difference

in the language of poetry and prose” Wordsworth’s personification would be of the common life

and a part of regular language so they would have more reach to the common people’s

understanding and would not be fake or articulated with the heavy use of language.

“poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from

emotional recollected in tranquility”

By saying this in preface he has completely denounced the artifice and emotionless work of

poetry of 18th century .There was no space for the feeling and emotion in the neoclassical

poetries. In 18th century poetry was divided into various kinds such as epic poetry, elegy, satire

and these poetries had their own different dictions. In that era poetries were basically served to

other thus writing poetry was a communal act so the poet was not free to choose an independent

mode of writing. Poet needed to learn before he writes. He could not offend rules and

distinctions acknowledged by the poets and the readers.

“I cannot be insensible of the present outcry against the triviality and meanness both of

thought and language, which some of my contemporaries have occasionally introduced into their

metrical composition; and I acknowledge that this defect where it exists, is more dishonorable to

the writer’s own character than refinement or arbitrary innovation.”

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“The language too of these men is adopted... being less under the action of social vanity they

convey their feeling and notion in simple and unelaborated expression. Accordingly such

language arising out of repeated experience and regular feeling is a more permanent and a far

more philosophical language than that which is frequently substituted for it by poets”

-statement supports the Wordsworth’s idea of genuine poetry.

“A very small part of the pleasure given by poetry depends upon the metre, and that it is

injudicious to write in metre unless it is accompanied with the other artificial distinction of style

with which metre is usually accompanied”

Here he defenses the use of metre. metre, according to Wordsworth, is pleasure

‘superadded’. Thus he has given expression to his feelings and emotions and

the rustic recollections in verse not in prose. According to Wordsworth

metre is indispensable when the poet is trying to pen down some pathetic and painful situation.

Wordsworth considered metre’s importance for pleasure not for poetry. “metre is hence enable

to afford much pleasure”

“There will also be found in these volumes little of what is usually called poetic diction”

He has taken pain to avoid it but has employed a little of poetic diction. This is what he claims in

his preface to lyrical ballade. It seems he is basically concerned about the language and the

subject matter of the poetry. So far few critics have claimed that Wordsworth too followed the

Augustan poetic diction.

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“Pope by the power of verse alone, has contrived to render the plainest common sense

interesting, and even frequently to invest it with the appearance of passion”

Wordsworth is critiquing pope’s satirical form of writing.

“The truth is an important one; the fact is a valuable illustration of it. And I have the

satisfaction of knowing that it has been communicated to many hundreds of people who

would never heard of it, had it not been narrated as a ballad, and in a more impressive

metre than is usual in ballads”

Advantage of writing in ballads.

“My language may frequently have suffered from arbitrary connections of feelings and

ideas with particular words”

Evidences the spontaneous overflow of emotions.

“Not from metre, not from language, not from the order of the words; but the matter

expressed in Dr. Johnson’s stanza is contemptible... Dr. Johnson’s stanza would be a fair

parallelism is not to say this is a bad kind of poetry, or this is not poetry, but this wants

sense; it is neither interesting in itself nor can lead to anything interesting”

“How common is it to hear a person say, I myself do not object to this style of composition, or

this or that expression, but, to such and such classes of people it will appear mean or ludicrous!”

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