Assignment
Name: kunvarani
Nidhi k
Paper: 'Literary
Theory and criticism'
Topic: 'what
according to Wordsworth should be the theme of poetry?’ or write note on
wordsworth's view on the subject matter of poetry.’
Class: M. A (part-1)
Roll no:18
Submitted to:
Respected sir Dilip Barad
&
Department
of English
Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavsinhji University.
Bhavnagar.
v What according to Wordsworth
should be the theme of poetry? Or write note on wordsworth 's view on the subject matter of poetry.
William Wordsworth was born in cockermouth in camberland in
1770, the son of john and Anne Wordsworth. He went to school in Hawkshead, then
at the age of seventeen, went up to st.john’s college, Cambridge.
His main contribution in English as a poet. He was the great,
supreme and prominent poet of the age. He wrote many works but some of them ‘The
prelude’ and ‘preface to Lyrical Ballads’ his great and world famous works. Each
and every lines of their works are full of emotions, feelings and passions. ’The
Recluse’ is also another great work of him. In this work’s name he was
mentioned in the beginning of the ‘prelude’. He felt that it was-
“unprecedented in literary history that a man
should talk so much about himself.”
-
(‘The prelude’1799,1805,1850
William Wordsworth)
Only completion of ‘The Recluse’could he thought, justify the
claims that he had made in challenging the supremacy of milton’ s Christian epic:
“ Of genius, power,
Creation and divinity itself, I have been speaking,
for my theme has been what passed within me…
This in truth heroic argument…
(Beginning of the preface of ‘prelude’.)
He was the great creature of poem on nature. In the “Advertisement” to the 1798 edition of ‘Lyrical
Ballads.’ Wordsworth and coleridge state that the poems in the collection were
intended as s deliberate experiment in style and subject matter. Wordsworth
Elaborated on this ideas in the “preface” to the 1800 and
1802 editions which outline his main ideas of a new theory of poetry.
Even the language and imagery he used to embody those themes,
remained remarkably consistent. They remained consistent to the canons Wordsworth had set out in the ‘preface
to Lyrical Ballads. ’In the second Edition of the ‘Lyrical Ballads(1802)’, 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 first principal of poetry
should be pleasure and so the chief duty of poetry is provide is to provide
pleasure through a rhythmic and beautiful expression of feeling. All human
sympathy, he asserted, is based on a subtle pleasure principle that is “the
naked and native dignity of man.” Wordsworth’s poetic creed initiated the
Romantic era by Emphasizing feeling, instinct, and pleasure above formality and
mannerism. wordsworth gave his works to human emotions, feelings and passions
through their great imagination and style.
Wordsworth elaborated on this ideas in the “preface” to the
1800 and 1802 editions which outline his main ideas of a 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 view to ascertain
how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to
the purpose of poetic pleasure.”
His work was very easy to understand. He wrote their ‘preface’
in the vernacular language. Because he believed that in uneducated country
people as the ‘subject’ of poetry was a signal of shift to modern literature. That’s
why wordsworth wrote in simple and
easily language and style. so, Everybody can easily got it. one of the main themes of “Lyrical Ballads” is the return to the original state of nature,
in which man led a purer and more
innocent existence. Wordsworth subjected to Rousseau’s belief that man
was essentially good and was corrupt by linked with the
sentiments spreading though Europe just prior to the French Revolution.
Wordsworth changed the definition of poetry of the poetry
that poetry should be about elevated 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 emphasizes his commitment to writing in the ordinary
language of people, not a highly crafted poetical one. True to traditional
ballad form, the poems depict realistic characters in realistic in realistic
situations, and so contain a strong narrative element.
Object or subject
matter. He choose incidents and situations
from common life, and to relate and describe them, when he taken the
subject matter to the thing in that time may be they became himself this thing
that we feel after the reading of their work. A selection of language really
used by men, and, at the same time, to
throw over them a certain colouring of imagination .Through the used of his
primary and secondary memories colours of imagination through he decorated his
poetic work as a beautiful flowers, 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 laws of our
nature: chiefly as regards the manner in
which we associate ideas in a state of excitement.
Humble and rustic life also the subject-matter of the poetry.
wordsworth chosen the subject matter by the rustic life. Because rustic
life-style, people and the things are very kind and the things are very kind
and very near to the nature and god. And, Through the subject matter of rustic
life the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can
attain their maturity, are lessen under restraint, and speak a plainer and more
emphatic language; because in that condition of life, our elementary feelings
co-exist in a state of greater simplicity, and consequently, may be more accurately contemplated, and more forcibly communicated; The rural life and in rustic life we can see the elements of oneness and brotherhood.
That’s why .may be , Wordsworth mostly chosen his subject matter
regarding with the rural and rustic life. And, It also symbol of that may be
poet also nearer to the heart rustic life.
Language, style of poetry. Language also played very vital
role in process of creative writing. such men communicate with the best objects
from which the best part of language is originally
derived; and because, from their rank in society and intercourse. Language is
the thing that through men can communicate with the each other. They convey
their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. Accordingly,
“such a language, arising out of the repeated
experience and regular feelings is a more permanent, and far more philosophical
language, than that which is frequently substituted for it by poets, who think
that they are conferring honour upon themselves and their art, in proportion as
they separate themselves from the sympathies of men, and indulge in arbitrary and
capricious habits of expression in order to furnish for food fickle appetites, of
their own creation.”
That’s why Wordsworth’s views on poetical style are the most
revolutionary of all the idea in his preface. He insists that his poems are
written in ‘selection of language of men in a state of vivid sensation.’His
views about poetic diction can be conclude as: ’there neither is nor can be
conclude as: ’there neither is nor can
be any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical
composition.’ After. he gave the definition of poetry from the his point of
view.
Definition of poetry means what he believed about poetry that’s
he reflected here. He says about good poetry that,
“Sponteneous overflow of powerful feelings.”
Because it’s true that everyone has feelings, emotions, but
even if to wrote poetry is not the ‘cup of tea’ for everyone but only written
by those people who seen any thing or incidents and after stirwed in their
memories and after it’s spontaneous comes out as a word in rhyme and rhythm
that is called poetry. some people says that it’s written by the hands of
uncommon people.
Our continued influxes of feeling are modified and directed
by our thoughts, which are indeed the representative of all our past feelings. By
contemplating the relation of these general representatives top each other , we
discover what’s really important to men. our feelings will be connected with
important subjects. If we be origionally possessed of such sensibility, such
habits of mind will be produced, that by obeying blindly and mechanically 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 the reader must be necessary for the
poetry. After, we have to know that what is a poet?
Poet is a man speaking to men: a man ,it is true, endwed with
more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness.
Poet has a greater knowlwdge of human nature, and a more
comprehensive soul, than one supposed to be common among mankind. They were
known as superior human-being or geniuses or the messenger of the god.
They were a man to got the happiness within their own
passions and choice of decision, and who rejoices more than other man in the
spirit of life that is in him; when poet
see anything in that time in that mind consciously or unconsciously the thing
woven and stored and after it’s comes out as a flow that’s we called spontaneous
overflow. To these qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more
than other men by absent things as if they were present. Those who has an
ability of conjuring up in themselves passions which are indeed far from being
those produced by real events. He can better
events which other men are accustomed to feel in themselves.
And, They has very great understanding for to taken any
decision or to considered anything. Those who has acquired a greater readiness
and power in expressing what they thinks and feels, and especially those
thoughts and feelings. which, by his own choice or from the structure of his
own mind, arise in him without immediate exeternal excitement. In easy immediate
external excitement. In easy words we can say that their internal eyes is more
powerful than any common man. There are all some characteristics of the poet.
The function of poetry is very much important for the good
writer or poet. ’poetry’, according to wordsworth,’is the breath and finer
spirit of all knowledge, the impassioned
expression that is the countenance of all science.’
Poetry seeks to ennoble and edify. It is 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 battlement
of human life. poetry is the instrument for propagation of moral thoughts. wordsworth’s
poetry does not simply delight us, but it 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 revolt against life: a poetry of
indifference towards moral ideas is a poetry
of indifference towards life.”
There are above all
some view of wordsworth about theme or subject-matter of poetry, style, definition
and functions of poetry considered very
goodly. And, we can say it’ s very good
treatment of wordsworth. He conveyed all some thing in the very easiest way. The
subject matter or theme of his poetry is very near to the mother nature and
rustic life. So, Everybody can easily got the idea about the view points of the
work of wordsworth.
