Sem 1 Paper no. – 103 : Literature of the Romantics

1.  Presented by : Chandani Pandya
 Department of English MKBU
 Presentation Topic :- Wordsworth and Coleridge : Their
Poetic creed
 Paper no. – 103 : Literature of the Romantics
 M.A Sem-1
 Roll no. – 06
 Batch -2020-2022
 Email ID :- pandyachandani11@gmail.com

2. Introduction
 William Wordsworth S. T. Coleridge
• William Wordsworth was a
major English romantic poet.
• Born : April 7, 1770, Cocker
mouth United Kingdom.
• Died : April 23, 1850,
Cumberland, United Kingdom.
• S. T. Coleridge was an
English poet, Literary Critic
and Philosopher.
• Born : October 21, 1772,
Ottery St Mary, United
Kingdom.
• Died : July 25, 1834,
Highgate United Kingdom.

3. Samuel Coleridge
• What is Poet?
 “ No man was ever yet a
great poet without at the
something being a profound
philosopher.”
 According to him; if a
person is a poet be a
philosopher otherwise he
is not poet.
 The poet must be educate
person who possess poetic
genius.

4.  William Wordsworth
• What is poet?
 “ He is a man speaking to
men; a man, Endued with
more lively sensible who has
a greater knowledge of
human nature, and a more
comprehensive soul, than
are supposed to be common
among mankind.”

5. How William Wordsworth Defines
Poetry :-
In the preface to the Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth
defines Poetry thus :
“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings; it takes its origin
from emotion recollected in tranquility.”
Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the
impression which is in the countenance of all Science.

6.  How Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Defines Poetry :-
‘ A poem is the species of composition, which is opposed
to works of science, by proposing for its immediate object
pleasure, not truth; and from all other species (having this
object in common with it) it is discriminated by proposing
to itself such delight from the whole, as is compatible with
a distinct gratification from each component part.’
• Another definition:
 “ Prose-words in their best order, poetry-the best words in
their best order.”

7.  Basic difference between the poetry
of Wordsworth and Coleridge:
Wordsworth writes in a subjective
style. He examines his state of mind
or consciousness before attempting
To write a creative work.
• Wordsworth • Coleridge
 Coleridge on the other hand
is quite objective. His works
arise out of the factual and
biographical antecedence
that surrounds his life.
 Wordsworth’s writing are highly
sequential, logical and remain
thought form all throughout his
creative endeavours.
 Coleridge writes in fragments
and he is unable to maintain
a single thought probably due
to his opium use which he is
notorious for.

8.  Subject Matter
• William Wordsworth • S. T. Coleridge
 Childhood manners.
 Rustic, humble and common
life.
 Beautiful forms of nature
(anti-neoclassical).
 Super natural, extraordinary
and mysterious elements
that can be found in human
nature.
 Nature is not only subject
matter, he also talks about
psychology of character.

9.  Language
• William Wordsworth • S. T. Coleridge
 Language really used
common man.
 He used language and
subject of the common man
to convey his ideas.
 He was against to Augustan
Age decorum and overflow.
 Metrical arrangement.
 Sophisticated.
 ornamented.
 Elevated.

10.  Conclusion
 It certain respect it was Coleridge who had a better
flowering.
 Coleridge soon came to an end.
 Wordsworth could not stop the decline in Coleridge’s
poetic power, but one can say that their contribution
to English was a landmark for the English poetry.

11.  Reference :
https://www.academia.edu/8877771/Coleridge_on_Imagi-
nation_Comparison_with_Wordsworth_Introduction
 Coleridge’s imagination comparison with Wordsworth
 Compare and Contrast between Wordsworth and
Coleridge
https://www.cram.com/essay/Compare-And-Contrast-Words
worth-And-Coleridge-And/F3V3GUH9CXXQ