Preface to the second Edition of Lyrical Ballad by William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth's preface to the second edition of Lyrical Ballads" is a major expression of the spirit of English Romanticism. This present essay simply shifts emphasis from the relationship between poem and reader to that between poet and poem. But it does not mean that Wordsworth gives up the concern for his reader.

He is deep interested in speaking to the reader by the moral effect of his work. Nevertheless, he defines the poem primarily in term of its author's creative activity. He approaches the idea of poem after discussing the idea of poet. In this sense, a poet is a man who speaks to men; he has great knowledge of human nature, and a mass comprehensive soul. It is true that a poet is endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness. He is the one who can be affected more by imagining things.

William Wordsworth then goes on to describe the poem as the result of those power and activities. It is a ‘spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” It means poetry is an expression, or overflow or utterance of feelings or as the product of poet's imagination, operating on his or her perceptions, thoughts and feelings. There is the dominance of feeling over intellect. In fact, feeling becomes the real basis of imagination, which is the power to grasp natural in its totality and to order one's experience.

Therefore, Wordsworth talks about the expression of emotion. He gives importance to emotion and feeling rather than intellect in poetic creation. But poetry is not the imitation of human action, as Aristotle believes; rather it is expression of emotion. For him, source of poetry lies either in nature or in poet's heart. Language expresses the natural form and it is closer to rural life. It must be a simple and lucid language of common people. Simple, concrete language expresses a close relationship to the permanent forms of nature, which he associates with rural speech and rural life.

He also gives his view about the process of poetic creation. At first, the poet experiences the external world (nature and rustic life) but immediately, he does not express this emotion. After long time, he contemplates over these emotions remaining under the peaceful place. He, accordingly, recollects all those earlier experiences with the help of imagination. In this way, there is indication of two states of emotion: earlier emotion, and recollected emotion. Similarly, Wordsworth promisesed that he will supernaturalize the natural, he will make the ordinary events extraordinary. In other words, he presents the natural things as if they are supernatural things. But unlike Wordsworth, Coleridge presents the supernatural things, as if they are natural.

As we mentioned above, Wordsworth considers the poet as a man speaking to men. He has the capacity to talk to rustic people about rustic life. He has lively sensibility, enthusiasm and tenderness. The poet has greater knowledge of human nature and more comprehensive soul than that of ordinary people. The poet is a man who pleased with his own passions. He is the moral teacher because of the sense of morality can be found in nature. It means, he can see the spirit in nature and the poet brings that natural force from the nature to the ordinary people, only then these people can understand the nature. So, in this respect, Wordsworth believes in pantheism, that is the notion that sees unity between nature and mankind. The sole purpose of the poet is to provide pleasure by the use of his imagination.

Wordsworth stands against the decorated language as new- classical artists used in their work of art. He deliberately opposed it because it veils the reality of nature but simple and rustic language uncovers and reveals the natural spirit. As the subject matter of poetry is incidents and situations of common life, there must be common language. The essential passion of the heart finds a better soil in humble and rustic life, in which passion can attain the maturity. According to him, meter and rhyme can be used for pleasure but without conscious craftsmanship. He says that the poet has to observe the rustic life but at the sometime he stands against imitation of human action. Poetry is not an imitation of imitation, unlike Plato. But it is concrete and sensuous illustration of both fact and relationship, which provides pleasure and at the same time shows the universal importance of pleasure.

Wordsworth also goes against reason, because it disturbs our contemplative and meditative faculty. The total suspension of physical existence is not possible in relational world. So, he favors the heart, which helps us go to emotional world. In this way, there is difference between Neo- classical poetry and Romantic poetry. Neo-classical poetry is totally bound up with rules and regulations. The language is very tough and difficult to understand for common readers. It was for only urban people. The hero of poetry is either a knight or anyone from high class people or aristocratic families. Whereas romantic poetry does not care rules and regulations, but it deals with the poetry that comes naturally. The language of this poetry is easy and simple. It is for rustic and ordinary people. The hero of the poetry is of a lower class.

But Wordsworth's definition of poetry has contradiction and limitations. The recollection in tranquility must necessarily be a slow deliberate process where there is the place for spontaneity. From this definition, he means that poetry is a matter of heart but not mind. It is not craft, but inspiration. It is not written to order but is created voluntarily by the poet. In Wordsworthian concept of poetry, the idea of passion is central one, which is not acquired by stylistic devices, but carries from the nature of the poet's perception. In his view, the purpose of art is not only for art for art's sake but it has something to do with the teaching of moral lesson to society. Wordsworth, here, shares the similarities with Pope and Sidney in terms of artistic purpose.