NAME : GOHIL
HETALBA. I.
ROLL NO. : 12
SUB : Literary Theory & Criticism
M.A. : SEM – I
TOPIC : Words Worth as a Critics
GUIDED BY : Dr. DILIP BARAD
SUBMIT TO : Department of English
Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
v Wordsworth as a Critics :
Wordsworth was born in 1770 and died
in 1850. He was primarily a poet and not a critics. He belongs to the age of
Romantic critics. His views on Poetry are extremely important and can be found
in the preface to the Lyrical Ballads' (1800). The preface was first published
as a short advertisement in 1798. In 1800 AD he wrote the detailed preface and
in 1803 he further prefacted the preface. Coleridge claimed that the 1802
preface was an 'Half a child of my own brain. The most important addition in
the 1802 preface is the long account of nature, qualification and functions of
a poet, the demonstulation of his functions of a poet, the demonstolation of
his superiority over the mas of poetic pleasure. World scoolth added an appendix
on poetic diction.
The aim of writing the preface was to
introduce to the readers poems of a new
kind, both in theme and style. Wordsworth evaluate early poetry and how new
poetry is different and can be appereciated. The dominan theme of the preface is
words worth view of poetic diction and thus subject of poetry.
v Wordsworth Conception of poetry :
After his attack on the diction of the
Neo-classical poets and the poets of his time wordsworth moves to his
conception of poetry and its function. Wordsworth defines poetry as 'The
spentaneous' ever flow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. The two
parts of the definition are opposite to each other. The first one is sudden
while the second one suggests a deliberate recalling to memory thus wordworth
is giving an idea of a poetic process.
It suggests both emotional and mental activities. The four stages in the poetic
composition are :
Ø
Observation
Ø
Recollection
Ø
Contemplation
Ø
Imaginative expression
In this way, wordsworth has give
emphasise to emotion but he has also indicated that emotion has to be expressed
by thought. The critics view of the poet gives the poet a very high status.
According to him the poet is a man
speaking to man. He differs from other men not in nature but in the degree of
talent. The poet wordsworth says is a the man of greater sensibility,
observation, reflection imagination and has great powers of communication. He
can see what other cannot see and he can communicate his comprehending to the
soul of the readers.
Talking about the function of poetry
wordsworth says that it gives him pleasure. By pleasure here, he means
knowledge and understanding. He considers poetry to be superior to history
philosophy and science. For wordsworth poetry is the pursuit of the truth and a
great force for good. He differs from neo-classical critics because for him
poetry appeals to feelings and not the intellect.
Wordsworth's view on meters makes a
distinction between use of metre and the use of poetic diction. The use of
metre are fixed. It gives the sense of restrained contrast, it gives pleasure
by softening the emotion, grace and dignity and shows the skills of the poet.
But in diction he says there are no rules but he advocates the use of simple
everyday language. Words worth's theory of poetic diction is very important but
it thus been criticized, Coleridge was the first to criticize his theory of
landing. Diction is not just words but also arrangement of words, imagery, etc
wordsworth does not define what he meant by fiction.
Wordsworth said that the language of
the rustics need purification Coleridge says in that case threre will be no
difference between rustics diction and diction of others. Secondally he fells
that there is no difference between language of poetry and prose. Criticizing
him Coleridge point out that the use of metre and the arrangement of words in a
poem makes poetry different from prose. T.S. eliot also points out that
wordsworth on one hand talk about using the real language of men and on the
other hand he speaks of selection. This is nothing but contradictory views.
The literary criticism of William
wordsworth is usually considered the menifesto of the English romantic
movement. The single for the break with the age of neo-classicism. After severe
criticism by other critics wordsworth had to write criticism in self defence
and justification of the type of poetry he was writing. only a through study of
his critical writings can prove his worth as a literary critics and can also
bring originality of his views with regard to the natural of poetry, poetic
creation, and poetic diction.
v Importance of "Preface to the 'Lyrical
Ballads" :
With sidney's 'Apology for poetory'
and shelley's 'Defence of poetry' wordsworth's preface is also a critical
document of great importance. It has an account of creative process of a great
poet. This nation gave a blow to faulty
poetic diction of the 18th century and then came a fresh breeze in the
hot-house of literary conventions.
v Theory of Poetry :
Words worth was against the
stereotyped mode of writing. According to him the faculty of recreating an
emotion belongs to the poet. Words worth believes that the artistic creation is
the result of observation, impressions, fellings, thoughts, and their
interactions. 'Tintern Abbey' and 'Yarrow Revisited are examples of this type
of poetries. Subject matter was chosen from humble and rustic life the passion
of heart find a better place in which they can attain their maturity. Words
worth rejects the use of personifications in poetry, because personifications
do not form a part of the language really used by men words worth recommends
naturalness and universality.
Words worth criticism marks the
beginning of a new Romantic school of criticism. He was against the
new-classical attitude because their was no slope for originality and freedom.
Wordsworth's value to English literary criticism is very significant.
v Wrods worth's Achievements as a Critics :
Words worth is not among the best English
critics and his position as a critics is not as high as that of Coleridge. But still
his criticism has a value and wordsworth was against neo-classism in his views
on the nature of poetry. Poetic diction and also in his Judgement of poetry.
The neo-classicists believed in set rules and principles and adhered to them
closely and rigidly either when writing poetry or when judging poetry.
Wrodsworth posed and important problem – that a poem might be flawless and
perfect from the point of view of metre diction etc and yet it may fall to
please the reader. The ultimate test of the beauty and literary excellence of a
work therefore, is not in its out wardly perfect structure but somewhere else.
It lies, according to wordsworth, in the healthy pleasure which a poem afforded
to the reader. Thus words worth gave first priority to pleasure in poetry than
to any other thing in it. This impression istic approach towards literature was
a major contribution to English critical idea. He says good poems are produced
only by a man who has thought long and deeply.
v The main defect of words worth :
His defect as a critic is that he
shows a lack of balance in his critical approach. He constantly overstates in
everything. There is some truth in most of the things he says but it is marred
by his tendency to over state wordsworth says that impolished language of
rustic is the only fit medium of poetic composition. He confronted in
demolishing outmoded beliefs and principles and of course, nobody can criticise
a dogma without himself becoming a little dogmatic.
v Theory of Poetic diction in Words worth :
Words worth is the English critic of
Romantic Age. People's tendency arose towards
Romanticism. The broke off from the neo-classical ideas. Wordworth and
coeridge are considered to be the beginners in Romanticism. In it he discussed
Theory of poetry subject matter of poetry, theory of poetic, diction etc. Today
I am going to discuss. The Theory of poetic diction in the preface to the Lyrical
Ballads.
Basically wordswroth is a poet,
However, his criticism is small but
whatever he says about poetry is full of sincerity, passion and truth. He knows
about poetry in real sense and whatever he says is valuable and worth thinking.
When wordsworth started writing, it was the Era of Neo-classical criticism.
When poetry was judged on the basis of rules devised by Aristotle and other
ancients, who cared for rules, forms but ignored the substance the soul of
poetry. He is the first critic who turned from the form of the poetry to the
substance. He is the first critics who builds the theory of poetry. His
emphasis is on novelty. Experiment liberty, inspiration and imagination as
contrasted with the classical's emphasis on authority, restraint and tradition.
Poetry is communication and it is the
pleasure that poet communicates. Traditionally it has been believed that the
function of the poetry is to interest and delight but words worth says that the
function of the poetry is to give pleasure. Words worth says that poetry is
most Philosophical.
Regarding process of poetic creation
he says that all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.
The process of storm is claim when the man recollects some past emotional
experience.
Wordsworth's preface has been badly
criticised by some of the contemporary critics but the preface is probably the
most important single document in the History of English criticism. It provide
the readers his most important views and reforms on poetry.
Wordsworth insists on humble and
rustic life. He also talks of simple language. Which is rustic and simple.
v Conclusion :
Wordsworth loved nature so his themes
are also natural. His language is also natural. He says that there is neither
and nore can be any difference between language of prose and verse. The only
difference is that the poet uses metre. Words worth says since metre add an
additional source of pleasure so it is useful. The poet speaks through the
character so his language should be proper and a simple diction should be
prefered.
In those days most of the writers or
poets glorified Royal families where as wordsworth wants the glory of all. He
wants the poets to write and communicate in such a way that no class remains
untouched. He wants to write in local language as our Tulsidas write Ramayan in
the local dialect again as the original in Sanskrit seemed though for common
people.
