Assignment - Literary Theory and Criticism

Wordsworth’s Theory of Poetic Diction as Enunciated in the ‘Preface’

Name- Kavisha Alagiya

Paper- Literary Theory and Criticism

Roll No- 15

Enrollment no.- 2069108420200001

Email id- kavishaalagiya@gmail.com

Batch – MA 2019-21

Submitted to- S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Wordsworth’s theory of poetic diction as enunciated in the 'Preface to the Lyrical Ballads'

Introduction

Though Wordsworth is not among the best English critic, not even the best Romantic critic, his criticism has a great value and significance of its own.

Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth was published in 1798 and later in 1800 when he extended the preface two years later. Wordsworth begins with a discussion of the collection of poems, written mostly by Wordsworth with contributions by S.T. Coleridge.  

One of the most important documents on the subject of poetic diction is the preface by William Wordsworth. His views in the work are expressed in exaggerated terms and they are at variance with Wordsworth's on practice in most of his best poetry. Yet it remains the most comprehensive and impatient explanation ever made by a great poet on vital aspects of his art.  

Importance of Wordsworth's views on the nature and language of poetry

Wordsworth's views on the nature and language of poetry are important because they mark a complete break from the poetic tradition of the neoclassical School. In the 'Preface to the Lyrical Ballads' defining the nature and function of poetry Wordsworth say that:

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”

Poetry, according to Wordsworth, is not dependent upon rhetorical and literary devices. It is the free expression of the poet's thoughts and feelings. The poet must make an attempt to reveal truth through an imaginative awareness of persons and things. 

Wordsworth says that a poet must convey his ideas and emotions through a powerful recreation of the original experience. To achieve this, he further adds that he removed the dead expressions of the older poetic vocabulary and substituted the language of common men and women. 

·        The use of Simple Language in Poetry
·        "A Selection of Language really used by Men"
·        Rustic Language- The Natural Language of the Passions
·        Wordsworth's Democratic ideals
·        No difference between the language of Prose and Poetry
·        The use of Metre in Poetry
·        The Possibilities of 'Flowers of Speech' in a poem
·       Two main impulses in Wordsworth's theory of poetic diction 

The use of Simple Language in Poetry

Wordsworth set for himself and others a new theory of man, of nature, and of poetry. His aim was to deal in his poetry with humble and rustic life and therefore it was quite natural for him to advocate the use of simple language in poetry to suit it simple theme. Moreover, according to him, the poet is essentially

'a man speaking to men'

And so he must use a language in poetry that is used by a man so that man could easily understand and grasp the very meaning of poetry. He gave emphasizes on the use of simple language in poetry which could be easily understood by the shepherds and cottagers, who primarily were the main agents he was writing. 

His aim was to bring poetry out of the narrow bounds of town life and make it embrace the life of nature and humanity in the simplest and the most unsophisticated forms. 

"A Selection of Language really used by Men"

Wordsworth is of the opinion that poetry should be written in a "selection of language really used by men". For him the rustic speech becomes synonymous with the general human speech-language spoken by human beings in a state of excitement, purged and purified by the poet for men. The language of the rustic is to be purified of all that is painful, disgusting, vulgar and course in it before it becomes a suitable language of poetry. The word 'selection' is significant for it indicates that artistic creation implies the process of elimination of the vulgar, coarse and painful elements. The primary aim of poetry is to give pleasure. 

Rustic Language- The Natural Language of the Passions

Wordsworth has a preference for the language used by illiterate rustics, usually of the countryside, because it is the natural language of the passions. This language is simple and straightforward and comes directly from the heart. It is more so when these rustics are in a state of emotional excitement. They live in natural surroundings and therefore their feelings and emotions are less complicated by artificial conventions that are prevalent in the town life. The rustics,  free from all external influences, speak from their own personal experiences and their passions may not be restrained. 

Wordsworth's Democratic ideals

Wordsworth was a democrat and his political ideas were in some ways obviously democratic.  He was against all kinds of artificial conventions and shame prevalent in the society of his times. He was not satisfied with the artificial life of men that was leading in the town.  He wanted men to return to 'Nature' to fact and reality, and to realize the value of fundamental manhood which lies behind all class distinctions. He inspired men to feel that are one touch of nature can unite the world. It was therefore natural for him to describe and concentrate in his poetry, the common man and common things. 

Referring to Wordsworth's theory and practice Cazamian says 

"The doctrine of lyrical ballads is an aesthetic application of sentimental democracy."

No difference between the language of Prose and Poetry

In his revolt against artificial and stereotyped poetic diction of the 18th century, Wordsworth went so far as to state that

 "There neither is, nor can be any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition."

The use of Metre in Poetry –

Wordsworth further states that there is also a problem in using metre in poetry as it causes distinction between the language of prose and poetry. The fact is that Wordsworth's views on poetic diction and on the use of metre in poetry, are not in harmony with one another, and appear contradictory in nature. His problem is that though he doesn't consider meter as essential to poetry. Critics think that there is an inherent contradiction on Wordsworth views in this regard. 

Advantages of Meter-

In the Preface, Wordsworth says that he himself has written in meter and not in prose because the metre has certain advantages. According to Wordsworth, the metre is an additional source of pleasure and people of all ages and countries here have acknowledged its charm. Its use is sanctioned by tradition and authority.  Then, the use of meter in poetry is an aid to memory and it also imparts the pleasing uniformity and regularity to a composition that produces a feeling of gratification among the readers. The aim of poetry is to produce emotional excitement. 

The further meter has a distracting effect- it diverts language of its reality and thus throws over the composition. of a sort of half-consciousness of unsubstantial existence the aim of poetry is to impart pleasure and the introduction of meter heightens that pleasure. This is another striking feature of using the metre in poetry as suggested by Wordsworth. 

The Possibilities of 'Flowers of Speech' in a poem-

 The fact that emerges here is the distinction between the language of poetry and prose, or the very language of men; and this distinction is brought out not only by the use of meter in poetry but also in the selection of words and while using by the metre in Poetry. Wordsworth even admits s the possibilities of "flower of speech" in the poem because when a poet is truly inspired his language must necessarily be elevated and dignified,  full of metaphors and other figures of speech if the concept of poetic diction he seems to fall back on the new classical view about poetic diction. 

Two main impulses in Wordsworth's theory of poetic diction

We can see that in Wordsworth two main impulses are evident: opposition to the 'insane phraseology’ of the more life less verse of the time personifications, cliches, trite mythology and likewise ; and an impatient love of simple words and the poetic effects latent in them. 

Wordsworth's love of plain language does not preclude the frequent borrowing of apt phrases from other poets. His diction is, in fact, more literary than is commonly recognized. Whenever Wordsworth wrote under the influence of fine imagination he produced the greatest poetry such as 'Immortality Ode', 'Tintern Abbey' and "Ode to duty" which could never be within the common speech of rustics.

Conclusion-

In a nutshell, it can be said that Wordsworth certainly deviated from his own principles in many of his poems and so Coleridge admirably shows the things and effects in Wordsworth's theory of poetic diction. But Wordsworth sincerely believed that it was the sacred duty of a poet to communicate to as wide an audience as possible. In his views, the poet is 'a man speaking to men in the language of men.