Preface - Wordsworth

Ami C. Jani

Roll no. – 41

SEM – I

Paper no – 3

Year – 2010-11

Topic: Preface to Lyrical Ballads

Submitted to Dr.Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

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The essays here brought together are meant to illustrate English literature criticism during the 19^thnd edition in 1800, show the romantic movement grown conscious an deliberate with results that have coloured the whole stream of English poetry and criticism ever since. The 19^th century, having discarded the dogmas and “rules” of Neo-criticism, had perforce to investigate a fresh the theory of poetry, and though there is no systematic treatment of the subject in all its bearings appeared, some valuable contributions were made, the most notable of which came from the poets themselves.  century. The publication of the Lyrical Bollards in 1798 and of Wordsworth’s preface to the 2

The 1^st volume of these poems has already been submitted to general perusal. It was published as experiment, which might be of same use to a ascertain a section of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation, of that sort of pleasure and that quality of pleasure may be imparted, which  poet may rationally endeavor to impart.

Wordsworth’s enormous poetic legacy rests on  a large number of poem written by him, but the themes that run through Wordsworth’s poetry remaining consisted throughout. Even the language and imagery he used to embody the preface to Lyrical Bollards. In the second edition of the Lyrical Bollards he wrote preface to defend himself from the negative reviews. 

Wordsworth argued that poetry should be written in the real language of common man, rather than in the lofty and elaborate dictions that were then considered “Poetic”. He believed that the 1^st principle of poetry should be pleasure and so the chief duty of poetry is to provide pleasure through a rhythmic and beautiful expression of feelings. All human sympathy, he asserted, is based on a subtle pleasure principle that is the naked and negative dignity of man.

Wordsworth’s poetic creed initiated the romantic era by emphasizing feeling instinct and pleasure above formality and memoriam. More than any poet before him Wordsworth gave expression to inchoate human emotion.

In the “Advertisement” to the 1798 edition of Lyrical Bollards, Wordsworth and Coleridge state that the poems in the collections were intended as a deliberate experiment in style and subject matter. Wordsworth elaborated on this idea in the “Preface” to the 1800 and 1802 editions which outline his main ideas of new theory of poetry. Wordsworth explained his poetical concept: 

“The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purpose of poetic pleasure”.

And he says that for treat the subject of poem, the subject with the clearness and coherence of which it is susceptible, it would be necessary to give full account of the present state of the public state in this country and to determine how far this taste is healthy or depraved, which, again could not be determined without painting out in what manner language and the human mind act and react on each other, and without retracing the revolutions not of literature alone, but likewise of society itself. 

The principle object, purposed in those poems was to choose incident and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language really used by men, and at the same time; to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, where by ordering things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect and further and above all, to make these incidents and situation interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentiobusly, the  primary laws of out nature chiefly, as far as regards the manner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement. 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 out elementary feelings co-exists in a state of greater simplicity and consequently, may be more forcibly communicated because the manners of rural life germinate from those elemtaly  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. The language, too of those men both adopted, purified, indeed from of what appear to be its real defects, from all lasting and rational causes of dislike or disgust because such them thoroughly communicate with the best part of language is originally derived, and because from their rank in society and the sameness and narrow circle of their intercourse being less under the influence of social vanity, they convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. 

Accordingly, such a language, arising out of repeated experience and regular feelings is a more permanent and as far more philosophical language than that which is frequently substituted for it by poets, who thinks that they are conferring honor upon themselves and their art, in proportion as they separate themselves from the sympathies of men, and indulge in arbitrary and capricious habits of expressions in order to furnish food for fickle tastes and fickle appetites of their own creation. 

It the experiment with vernacular language was not enough of a departure from the norm, the focus on simple uneducated country people as the subject of poetry was a signal of shift to modern literature. One of the main themes of “Lyrical Bollards” is the return to the original state of nature, in which man led a purer and more innocent existence. Wordsworth subscribed to Rousseau’s belief that man was essentially good and was corrupted by the influence of society. This may be linked with the sentiments spreading through Europe just prior to the French revolution. 

Rejecting the classical notion that poetry should be about relevant subjects and should be composed in a formal style, Wordsworth instead championed more democratic themes the lives of ordinary men and women, farmers,  paupers and the rural poor. In the “Preface” Wordsworth also emphasized his commitment to writing in the ordinary language of people, not a highly crafted poetical one. True to traditional Ballard from, the poems depict realistic  character in realistic situations and so contain a strong narrative element. For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; and though this be true, poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organize sensibility, held also through long and deeply. For our continued influence of feeling are modified and directed by our thoughts, which are indeed the representatives of all out past feelings and as by contemplating the relations of these general representation to each other. We discover what is really important to men, so, by the repetition and continuance of this act, our feelings will be connected with important subjects till at length if we be originally possessed of much sensibility, such habits of mind will be produced, that by obeying blindly and mechanically the impulses of those habits, we shall describe objects and utter sentimental of such nature, and in such connection with each other, that the understanding of the reader must necessarily be in some degree enlightened and his affections strong themed and purified. 

Wordsworth views on the theme and subject matter of poetry :

• Object (Subject matter of poetry) : The principle object, them propose in there poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life and to relate and describe them, throughout as far as possible in a selection of language really used by men, and at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, where by ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect and further and above all to make these situations and incidents interesting by tracing in them, truly  though not ostentatiously, the primary, the primary laws of our nature chiefly as regards the manner in which we associated ideas in a state of excitement. 
• Humble and rustic life (Subject matter of purity) : Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because that condition, the essential passions of the heart finds 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 conditions of life, our elementary feelings co-exists in a state of greater simplicity, and consequently may be more accurately contemplated and more forcibly communicated because the manners of rural life geminate from these 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. 
•   Language : The language, too, of those men has been adopted – purified indeed from what appear to be its real defects from all lasting and rational causes of dislike and disgust because such men communicate with the best part of language is originally derived, and because from their rank in society and the sameness and narrow circle of their intercourse being less under the influence of social variety, they convey their feeling and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. Accordingly, such a language arising out of the repeated experience and regular feelings is more permanent and a far more philosophical language, than that which is frequently substituted for it by poets, who think that they are conferring honor upon themselves and their art, in proportion as they separate themselves from the sympathies   of man serves indulge in arbitrary and capricious habits of expression, in order to furnish food fickle appetites, of their own creation. Thus Wordsworth’s revolutionary of all the idea in his preface . he described the gaudiness and inane phraseology of may modern writers. He insist that his poems are written in “selection of language of men in state of vivid sensation”. His views of poetic diction can be summed up as : “There neither is nor can be any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition ”.
• Definition of Poetry : All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling and through this be true, poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects by a man who, being proposed of more man usual organic sensible had also thought long and deeply.

Our confirmed infures of feeling are modified and directed by our thoughts, which are indeed the representative of all our past feelings. By contemplating the relation of those general representatives to each other, we discover what is really important to men, so by the repetition and continuance of this act, our feelings will be connected with important subjects. If we be originally possessed of such sensibility, such habits of mind will be produce that by obeying blindly and mechanism the impulses of these habits, we shall describe objects and utter sentiments of such a nature and in such connection with each other, that the understanding of he reader must necessarily be in some degree enlightened and his affections strengthened and purified.

According to Wordsworth what is a poet ? 

•  He is a man speaking to men :  A man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility more enthusiasm and tenderness.
• He has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, man one supposed to be common among mankind.
• He is a man pleased with his own passions and volitions and who rejoices more than other. Man 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 compelled to create them where he does not find them.
• To these qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present. He has an ability of conjuring up in himself passions, which are indeed far from being those produced by real events, especially in those parts of the general sympathy which are pleasing and delightful. He can better remember the passions produced by real events which other men are accustomed to feel in themselves.
• Then, from practice, he has acquired a greater readiness and power in expressing what he thinks and feels, feelings whichm by his own choice, or from the structure of his own mind, arise in him without immediate external excitement.
• The function of poetry : “Poetry”, according to Wordsworth, is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, the impassioned expression that is in the countenance of all science.

          Poetry seeks to ennoble and edify. It is like morning star which throws its radiance through the gloom and darkness of life. The poet is a teacher and through the medium of poetry he imparts moral lessons for the betterment of human life. Poetry is the instrument for the propagation of moral thoughts. Wordsworth’s poetry does not simply delight us, but its also teaches us deep moral lessons and brings home to us deep philosophical truths about life and religion. Wordsworth believes that “A poetry of revolt against moral ideas is a poetry of indifference towards moral ideas is a poetry indifference towards life”.

Conclusion : 

The “preface” is itself a masterpiece of English prose, exemplary in its lucid yet passionate defense of a literary style that could be popular without compromising artistic and poetic standards. It is also vital for us to understand what Wordsworth and Coleridge were attempting in their collection of verse and also provides us with a means of assessing how successfully the poems themselves live up to the standards outlined in the “Preface”. The preface covers a number of issues and wide-ranging in its survey of the place of the Lyrical Bollards on the contemporary literary scene.