Theory Of Poetry

Rinzeen N.
 Poetry
Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art
form in which human language is used for its aesthetic
qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and
semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works
in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user
and audience to differ from ordinary prose.
The Greek verb ποιεω [poiéo (= I make or create)],
gave rise to three words: ποιητης [poiet?s (= the one
who creates)], ποιησις [poíesis (= the act of
creation)] and ποιημα [poíema (= the thing
created)]. From these we get three English
words: poet (the creator), poesy (the creation)
and poem (the created).
A poet is therefore one who creates and poetry is what
the poet creates. The underlying concept of the poet as
creator is not uncommon. For example, in Anglo-Saxon
a poet is a “scop” (shaper or maker) and in Scots
“makar”.

For the ancients, Poets were neither made nor born, but
chosen by gods. Poetry was not considered to be
entirely within the control of the poet. Poet was the
“Prophetes” of the Muse.
 Mimesis
 Greek for “imitation.” In aesthetic theory, mimesis can also
connote “representation,” and has typically meant the
reproduction of an external reality, such as nature, through
artistic expression. Plato disparaged mimesis for merely
providing inferior copies of original forms; Aristotle, in
his Poetics, recuperated the idea, alleging that mimesis is
“natural” to humans. For Aristotle, mimesis in part both
recreates the objects of reality and improves them; it provides
humans with a special kind of symbolic order.
 Poetics
 Aristotle defined poetry as the ‘mimetic’ use of language,
rhythm, and harmony, separately or in combination. Poetry is
mimetic in that it creates a representation of objects and
events in the world, unlike philosophy, for example, which
presents ideas. Humans are naturally drawn to imitation, It
can also be an excellent learning device, since we can coolly
observe imitations of things like dead bodies and disgusting
animals when the real thing would disturb us.
 Classical Poetry
 It is partly identical with idealism. It aims to express the inner truth
or central principles of things, without anxiety for minor details,
and it is by nature largely intellectual in quality, though not by any
means to the exclusion of emotions. In outward form, therefore, it
insists on correct structure, restraint, careful finish and avoidance
of all excess. It is fairly objective, it is an ‘attempt at expressing
infinite ideas and feelings in a finite form’. The style inherent can
be called “Sculpturesque”.
 Romantic Poetry
• It lays most emphasis on independence and fullness of
expression and on strong emotion, and it may be
comparatively careless in form. It is an attempt to
express a kind of universal poetry in the creation of
which the poet made his own laws.

• More importance is given to the individual or the

subject and the style inherent can be called
“Picturesque”.
 Wordsworth’s Theory of Poetry
Wordsworth defined poetry as spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings, it takes it’s origin
from emotions recollected in tranquility, the
emotion is contemplated till tranquility disappears
and an emotion kindred to that which was before
the subject of contemplation is gradually produced
and does itself actually exist in mind.
 Poetic Process
 Poetry is the an overflow of powerful emotions which involves a
reconciliation of opposite powerful emotions and profound
thought.
 The sequence of events described in the preface for the production
of poetry is a notable experience, deep and long contemplation, a
period of tranquility, sudden overflow of powerful feelings as the
notable experience is recollected.
 Pleasure in poet’s pleasurable emotion as the experience is
recaptured and recreated shaping of the poem, hardly touched on in
the preface except as a transition in the pleasure of the poet,
pleasure for the reader.
 Wordsworth’s Definition of Poetry
 Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. This refers to the nature of
poetry. Poetry is a matter of feeling and mood. It flows from the internal
feelings of the poet.

 When the poet in in poetic mood he sings out rapture as sorrow

spontaneously flows from the core of his heart.

 In the poetic mood, poetry flows out naturally from the poet’s heart. In
such moments, his language of discourse becomes the language of poetic
inspiration.

 Poetry cannot be composed under duress “The clear spring of poetry must
flow freely and spontaneously, it cannot be made to flow through
artificially laid pipes.
 Expression of Powerful Feelings
 Wordsworth talks of expressing powerful feelings felt in heart and not generated in
the mind. Poetry takes it’s birth in the springs of heart and not in the cold store of
intellect. “Poetry is born, not in the mind, but in the heart overflowing with
emotions.

 All of us feel and so does the poet, but he feels more intensely and deeply. The
poet’s heart leaps up when he beholds a rainbow.

 The heightened emotional state of the poet finds expression through the verses. Thus
according to Wordsworth, deep emotion is fundamental condition of poetry. It is the
feeling of that matters.

 He discards the Aristotelian doctrine. For him, the plot or the situation is not the first
thing. Wordsworth himself says that “The feelings there in developed gives
importance to the action and situation”.
 Organic Sensibility
Organic sensibility means or implies the capacity to
receive impressions through senses.

The emotions which accompanied the original

impression revives when the impression is recalled.

The ability thus to reconstruct an emotion belongs in an

eminent degree to the poet, being in fact a portion of his
native endowment more than usual organic sensibility.
 Emotions Recollected in Tranquility
 Wordsworth observed that sensibility alone is not sufficient to ensure good
poetry, it must be directed by a calm mind.
 He explains the 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 produced and does itself actually exist in the
mind.
 In this mood a successful composition generally begins and in mood similar
to this it is carried on. The process of a poetic composition is not an easy
one.
Wordsworth has mentioned six causes that lead to
poetic composition.
• Observation and description
• Sensibility
• Reflections
• Imagination and fancy
• Invention
• Judgment
 Interpretations
 Wordsworth lay emphasis that a good poetry is never an
immediate reaction to the provoking cause, and that our
sensations must be allowed time to back into the common
fund of our experience, to find their level and due proportion.
 That level is found for them by the mind in the act of
contemplation, the sensations revive and out of the union of
the contemplating mind and the receiving sensibility rises the
unique mood of expression which we call poetry.
Wordsworth says that poetry is the breath and finer
spirits of all knowledge; the impassioned expression
that is the countenance of all sciences.

Wordsworth felt strongly that there was no worthy

pursuit but the idea of doing some good for the world.

He hoped that his poems would separate in the degree

to extend the domain of sensibility for the delight, the
honor and the benefit of the human nature.
He asserted that the poet should console the afflicted.
He should make happy, happier and should lead the
young and gracious of every era, to see, to think and to
feel.
Such is the poet’s office and there is none more exalted.
Poetry is not a mere entertainment, a diversion for
patience’s idle hours.
Poetry seeks to enable and edify.
The Poet through his poetry, imparts moral lessons for
the betterment of human life.
 Wordsworth says that “a poetry of revolt against moral ideas
is a poetry of revolt against life, a poetry of indifference
towards moral ideas is a poetry indifferent towards life”.
 Wordsworth subscribes to the view that to the poet the
particular is nothing and the universal, everything.
 Wordsworth is precise and emphatic in stating that pleasure is
the end of poetry.
 “the end of poetry is to produce excitement in coexistence
with an over balance of pleasure.
 Thus the rehabilitation of pleasure to a primary position was a
major item in the romantic creed which Wordsworth was out
to promulgate.
 Wordsworth proposes to throw “a certain coloring of
imagination whereby ordinary things should be presented to
the mind in an unusual aspect” few modern poets have
embodied in their work, whether by statement by implication
so firm a sense of dignity or worth of the common individual
man.
 Wordsworth found some meaning in human life, if human
beings lived in close proximity to nature and allowed, it would
being to sink into their soul. He thought that oral elevation and
spiritual edification of a man was not possible in the humdrum
life in towns and cities.
 Rustic people lead a life of primal simplicity in constant
communication with nature.
 He decided to deal with the lives of cadgers and rustics instead of
politicians and statesmen stupefied with victory and intoxicated
with glory and power. He refuses to glorify lives of kings and
princely men of higher strata of the society, because he in their
lives found an artificiality that he despised.
 He chose a rustic life for poetic treatment cause in that condition of
life “essential condition of life finds a better soil”.
 By his temperament he was prone to be attracted to by things of
elemental simplicity and necessary corollary to the choice of
subjects from the low rural life, he decided to use the language of
common people as the vehicle of poetic expression.
 He rejected the artificial diction of the 18th century and also
rejected the “gaudy and insane phraseology of many modern
writers”. He insists that his poems contain little poetic diction
and are written in a “selection of the real language of men in a
state of vivid sensation”.
 Wordsworth defined the employment of meter in poetry as a
protest against the use of poetic diction “whereas in the
matters of poetic diction Wordsworth breaks with the orthodox
convention of his days and turns to the natural diction of
normal men.
 In the matters of meter he appeals to the tradition.
 Wordsworth says that in his poems he has dealt with great and
universal passion of men, the most general and interesting of
their occupations, as of the entire world before him.
 He could have written in prose as well but chose meter for the
sake of charm.
 Pleasure is clear from the fact that poems written on humbler
subjects and in more naked and simpler language have
continued to give pleasure from generation to generation.
 While defining the meter, the end of poetry is to produce
excitement to coexistence with an over balance of pleasure.
 This excitement is an unusual state of mind. In that state of
excitement, ideas and feelings do not follow each other in the
regular order; the expressions of ideas and feelings appear to
be incoherent.
 Again if the words by which this excitement is produced are
powerful, then there is some danger that excitement maybe
carried beyond it’s proper bounds.
 Therefore in order to restrain and temper the ideas and
feelings in a state of excitement meter is essential, it restrains
the unusual state of mind
 There are four stages of process of poetic creation.

 Observation

 Recollection

 Contemplation

 Imaginative excitement

 The poet observes certain character, situation or phenomenon of nature. This

observation excites in him certain emotions. He does not give poetic expression to
them immediately but carries them in his heart for some time.

 Afterwards he recollects these emotions in tranquility, contemplates upon them

and revives his original emotional excitement.

 The emotions thus revived are purged of all that was accidental, temporary and
superfluous.

 Finally this emotional excitement is given poetic expression. This is the process of
poetic creation which gives joy both to the poet and the reader.
Thank you