paper:3,Literary theory and criticism.Wordsworth as critic

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.