This document provides an overview of Wordsworth's preface to Lyrical Ballads. It discusses the objectives of studying the preface, including understanding Wordsworth's views on the themes, subject matter, function, and diction of poetry. It also contrasts the neoclassical and romantic styles, noting the romantic emphasis on imagination, emotions, nature, and the everyday lives of common people. Finally, it examines Wordsworth's conception of the poetic process and his argument that poetry originates from the poet's passions rather than from adherence to rules.

1. CHINTAVAN BHUNGANI
• ROLL NO. 06
• COURSE:- LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
• TOPIC:- WORDSWORTH AS CRITIC PREFACE TO
LYRICAL BALLAD.
• EMAIL ID: cnbhungani7484@gmail.com
• SUBMITTED TO :- DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
M.K.BHAVNGAR UNIVERSITY

2. Introduction

3. Origin of form who and when
• Lyrical Ballads is a collection of
poems written by Samuel Coleridge
and William Wordsworth, although
you may hear some people refer to
Lyrical Ballads simply as
Wordsworth's because he
contributed the majority of the
poems. Although Coleridge
contributed fewer poems to Lyrical
Ballads than Wordsworth, many of
his poems were particularly
influential, such as The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner.

4. The objectives of this unit are:
– to explain the concept of the Romantic Revival
– to familiarize with the impact of the French
Revolution on Romantic critical tradition
– to make aware of the genesis of the Preface to the
Lyrical Ballads
– to let them know key concepts conversed in the
Preface to the Lyrical Ballads
– to clarify Wordsworth's views on themes, subject
matter, function & diction of poetry

5. Motto of written lyrical ballad
• ”Return to nature” was their motto. They
turned away from the artificial urban life and
found refuge in the country life and nature.
They worshipped nature. Love of nature for
them meant love of mankind, humanism and
a more world view that encompassed the idea
of freedom and equality.

6. The following table presents the contrast
between the neo-classic and the romantic:
The following table presents the contrast between the neo-classic and the romantic:
Romantic Neo-Classical
Emphasis on Imagination Emphasis on Intellect
Free Play of Emotions and Passions Restraint and Obsession with Reason
Proximity to the everyday life of common man Remoteness or aloofness from everyday life
Inspiration sought from country life and nature Incidents from urban life prevailed
Primarily Subjective Primarily Objective
Turned to Medieval Age for inspiration Turned to Classical writers for inspiratio

7. Wordsworth’s Conception of Poetry:
Passion and Reflection
• Poetry has its origin
in the internal
feelings of the poet.
It is a matter of
passion, mood and
temperament.
Poetry cannot be
produced by strictly
adhering to the rules
laid down by the
Classicists. It must
flow out naturally
and smoothly from
the soul of the poet.

8. Process of Poetic Composition
• Stage One: Observation
• Stage Two: Recollection
• Stage Three: Filtering
• Stage Four: Composition
• The Solitary Reaper
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
William Wordsworth

11. Conclusion
• At the end It would not be wrong to say that
Wordsworth contradicts himself because at
the stage of contemplation a poet chooses
words very carefully, therefore it is not
possible to use the language “really used by
men.” In spite of such criticism, the ‘Preface’
remains one of the most significant critical
documents in the history of English Criticism.
It has been a source from which the next
generation critics have derived ideas and
exploited them to the fullest.