Wordsworth

 

INTRODUCTION

William Wordsworth is one of the greatest poets of England, one to whom Mathew Arnold assigns a place next only to Shakeshpeare and Milton. He was primarily a poet and not a critic. Wordsworth was dragged into criticism in spite of himself. For neither by temperament nor by training was he qualified to be a critic. As W.J. Owens says,

Wordsworth’s literary criticism springs from his creative writing; it is almost invariable an exposition or a defense of his own poetry.

The chief of his critical papers is the ‘Preface’ to the second edition of the “Lyrical Ballads” dated 1800, which was revised and enlarged in the subsequent edition of 1802 and 1815. The revision and enlargement also include an ‘Appendix’ to the edition of 1802 and an ‘Essay Supplementary’ to the ‘Preface’ to the edition of 1815.  Two years after the publication of ‘Lyrical Ballads’, he felt he ought to write a preface to his anthology as he was attempting to overthrow the neo- classical pattern and began a new mode.

Wordsworth began with a vehement opposition to the existing poetic diction by which he meant the mechanical application of conventions of rhyme and meter that rendered poetry only as grandiose sound without substance. Consequently, the moving power of poetry, was dead, its thought and language reduced to utter triviality and inane phraseology.

HIS VIEWS ON THE THEME OF POETRY

In the beginning, he expresses his views on the theme of poetry. His principle object in these poems he says,

“Was to choose incidents 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, whereby ordinary  things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect.”

For his choice of humble and rustic life, Wordsworth puts forward these arguments. In humble and rustic life feelings are freely and frankly expressed. In rustic life feelings are more simple, and so are expressed more accurately and forcefully. The manners of the rustics are not sophisticated. They are simple and so more conducive to an understanding of human nature and, In rustic life, human passion are connected with the grand and  noble objects of nature, and so they are more noble and permanent.

Being less under the influence of social vanity, they convey their feelings and notion in simple and unelaborated expressions. Accordingly, such a language, arising out of repeated experience, and regular feelings is a more permanent and more philosophical language. In this way, he sought,to imitate, as far as possible to adopt the very language of men.

HIS VIEWS ON THE LANGUAGE OF POETRY

Regarding the language of poetry he opines that,

There neither is, nor can be, any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition.

He believes that there is nothing special about poetry that requires the use of a special language. So Wordsworth intended to use, a selection of language, really used by men.

But such a language was to be purified of all that is vulgar and coarse. He was to use such a selection of language of real men, because the aim of a poet is  to give pleasure and such language without selection will cause disgust. Only such a judicious selection of such a language can give pleasure.

WHAT IS A POET?

Taking up the subject upon general grounds he comes to the question What is a poet? According to him

He is a man, speaking to men, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul…

The poet communicates not only personally felt emotions, but also emotions which he has not directly experienced. His enthusiasm for life is far greater than that of an ordinary man. A poet, according to Wordsworth, differs from other people only in degree and not in kind.

HIS CONCEPT OF POETIC PLEASURE

Wordsworth gives his concept of poetic pleasure. Poetic pleasure is not a more idle amusement. It is much higher and nobler.

Poetic truth is much higher than the truth of philosophy or history. Philosophy deals with particular illustration of that truth. Poetry gives us both universal truths and illustrates them through particular examples.

From a consideration of the language of poetry Wordsworth is led to a consideration of the poetic art itself. To begin with, he defines good poetry as,

The spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility…

The definition tells about the poetic process. There are four stages

ž  Observation

ž  Recollection

ž  Contemplation

ž  composition

First of all, the poet observes certain objects, or situations, or phenomena of nature, which excite in him certain emotions. He does not give poetic expression to these emotions on the spur of the moment, but rather carries them in his heart.

Secondly, he recollects those emotions in the moment of tranquility. At this stage, memory plays a very important part. In tranquility, the impression received by the mind is purged of the non-essential elements, and is qualified by various pleasures.

Thirdly, in contemplation, the interrogation of memory by the poet set up or revives the emotion in mind itself. It is very much like the first emotion, but is purged of all superfluities and constitutes a state of enjoyment. However this does not mean that the creative process is tranquil one. The poet expressly points out that in the process of contemplation tranquility disappears.

The four and the  last stage, is the stage of composition. The poet must convey that overbalance of pleasure; his own state of enjoyment to others and as a result the poetic creation takes shape.

Meter is justified for it is pleasure super- added. He says,

Verse will be read s hundred times where prose is read only once.

CONCLUSION

Wordsworth’s views on poetic diction are contradictory. The question is how with vulgarity of common speech refined by taste and dignity and variety added to it by metaphors and figures, is Wordsworth’s concept of poetic diction in any way different from that against which he protests? His poetic practice repeats the same taste. His greatest poems “Tintern Abbey”, “The Immortality Odd”, The Solitary Reaper” are not written in a selection of language really used by men.