Though Lord Byron described William Wordsworth as crazed beyond all hope and Samuel Taylor Coleridge as a drunk Essay Example For Students

Though Lord Byron described William Wordsworth as crazed beyond all hope and Samuel Taylor Coleridge as a drunk Essay Though Lord Byron described William Wordsworth as crazed beyond all hope and Samuel Taylor Coleridge as a drunk, the two are exemplary and very important authors of the Romantic period in English literature 648. Together these authors composed a beautiful work of poems entitled Lyrical Ballads. Included in the 1802 work is a very important preface written by William Wordsworth. The preface explains the intention of authors Wordsworth and Coleridge, and more importantly, it includes Wordsworths personal opinion of the definition and criteria of poetry and of what a poet should be. Although there was some disagreement about the proper diction of a good poem, Coleridge, the lesser represented author of the two in the work, agrees with most of Wordsworths criteria. He voices his own personal opinions, however, in his Biographia Literia. In both Lyrical Ballads and Biographia Literia, the authors opinions coincide in that the definition and criteria of a poem is to be a structured and carefully planned composition that stirs passionate natural emotions in the reader and that the poet is the force directly responsible for this. We will write a custom essay on Though Lord Byron described William Wordsworth as crazed beyond all hope and Samuel Taylor Coleridge as a drunk specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now To accomplish this, a great poet must possess an intimate knowledge of nature and have close interaction with all aspects of it. Coleridge states in his Biographia Literia that the definition sought for be that of a legitimate poem, must be one the parts of which mutually support and explain each other; all in their proportion harmonizing with and supporting the purpose and known influences of metrical arrangement 481. This statement illustrates Coleridges opinion that in order to be a poem, the composition must be properly structured and composed so that all of the sentences create an identifying rhythm while still representing a single purpose. Wordsworth also speaks of the importance of purpose-focused poetry in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads, stating that in order to be a good poem, it must have behind it a worthy purpose 242. The two authors believe that a poem must have a definite direction and that the reader should be very clear as to what the poem is actually about. The authors believe that in order for a short metrical composition to be a poem, it must be organized clearly and, according to Wordsworth also thought long and lovingly about Preface 242. Passion and emotion were two subjects that typically characterizes the Romantic period. Exemplifying this, Wordsworth and Coleridge thought that the direct purpose of any poem should be to stir passion in the reader. They thought that a poem should also be a work that stirred the same feeling in the reader every time it is read as if it were being read for the first time; but that to which we return with the greatest pleasure, possesses the genuine power and claims the name of essential poetry Coleridge 473. By this meaning, after a good poem is read once, the reader should have the desire to read it many times. The passion in the reader should also be a pleasurable one, explained by Coleridge as immediate object pleasure 481. The pleasure is nicely illustrated by Coleridge in Biographia Literia in the way he speaks of the pleasure in repeating rhymes. He goes on to identify a passionate pleasure as permanent, that nothing can permanently please which does not contain in itself the reason why it is so 480-81. Wordsworth expands on this by explaining that the passion that is felt by the reader should be of natural descent because they are the general passions and thoughts and feelings of men and that we not only wish to be pleased, but to be pleased in that particular way in which we have been accustomed to be pleased Preface 249-51. The pleasures that Wordsworth was referring to man being accustomed to are those experiences that are derived from nature. Nature in this sense may be the emotion of an experience with living nature, such as a majestic observance of a mountain, or it may be in the sense of human nature, such as the natural presence of a mothers love. Coleridge explains that the reader should be carried forward, by the pleasurable activity of the mind excited by the attractions of the journey itself 481. Since the purpose of a poem is to stir passion kindred to nature, it is the duty of the poet to convey that feeling and make it immediately apparent in his composition. The poet would therefore have to be capable of being passionate and understanding nature enough to describe it in a sensible literary form. This criterion for a poet is another aspect of which Wordsworth and Coleridge are in agreement. Coleridge says the poet, described in ideal perfection, brings the whole soul of a man into activity, with the subordination of its faculties to each other, and diffuses a tone and spirit of unity that blends 482. This description is of the magnitude of passion that a poet must have in order to reach the soul, and that passion is intertwined with the soul as an emotion of it. Wordsworth writes of the poets duty of producing pleasure with a serious overtone, The poet writes under one restriction only, that of necessity, of giving immediate pleasure to a human being being possessed of that information which may be expected of him not as a lawyer, physician, mariner, but as a man 247. By this statement, Wordsworth is grouping all people together as of mankind, and more specifically as beings of nature. .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .postImageUrl , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:hover , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:visited , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:active { border:0!important; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:active , .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3 .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6e80f3166fb684292f67381b3abb1be3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Blood brother review EssayThe serious overtone of this statement is elaborated on by Wordsworth in the following paragraph by replacing the description of the poets obligation to nature as a restriction to an acknowledgement of beauty 247. This is a point that Coleridge opposes, however, believing that language differs with occupation Taybi 94. To Wordsworth, the poet is a translator that communicates the passion felt by nature to the conscious mind of the reader. Passion as described by Wordsworth and Coleridge is derived most naturally from situations from common explained by Coleridge as immediate object pleasure 481. The pleasure is nicely illustrated by Coleridge in Biographia Literia in the way he speaks of the pleasure in repeating rhymes. He goes on to identify a passionate pleasure as permanent, that nothing can permanently please which does not contain in itself the reason why it is so 480-81. Wordsworth expands on this by explaining that the passion that is felt by the reader should be of natural descent because they are the general passions and thoughts and feelings of men and that we not only wish to be pleased, but to be pleased in that particular way in which we have been accustomed to be pleased Preface 249-51. The pleasures that Wordsworth was referring to man being accustomed to are those experiences that are derived from nature. Nature in this sense may be the emotion of an experience with living nature, such as a majestic observance of a mountain, or it may be in the sense of human nature, such as the natural presence of a mothers love. Coleridge explains that the reader should be carried forward, by the pleasurable activity of the mind excited by the attractions of the journey itself 481. Since the purpose of a poem is to stir passion kindred to nature, it is the duty of the poet to convey that feeling and make it immediately apparent in his composition. The poet would therefore have to be capable of being passionate and understanding nature enough to describe it in a sensible literary form. This criterion for a poet is another aspect of which Wordsworth and Coleridge are in agreement. Coleridge says the poet, described in ideal perfection, brings the whole soul of a man into activity, with the subordination of its faculties to each other, and diffuses a tone and spirit of unity that blends 482. This description is of the magnitude of passion that a poet must have in order to reach the soul, and that passion is intertwined with the soul as an emotion of it. Wordsworth writes of the poets duty of producing pleasure with a serious overtone, The poet writes under one restriction only, that of necessity, of giving immediate pleasure to a human being being possessed of that information which may be expected of him not as a lawyer, physician, mariner, but as a man 247. By this statement, Wordsworth is grouping all people together as of mankind, and more specifically as beings of nature. The serious overtone of this statement is elaborated on by Wordsworth in the following paragraph by replacing the description of the poets obligation to nature as a restriction to an acknowledgement of beauty 247. This is a point that Coleridge opposes, however, believing that language differs with occupation Taybi 94. To Wordsworth, the poet is a translator that communicates the passion felt by nature to the conscious mind of the reader. Passion as described by Wordsworth and Coleridge is derived most naturally from situations from common life Preface 241. This subject of common life in poetry is of particular importance to Wordsworth. Although of much lesser importance to Coleridge, both authors considered this as a one of the criteria of a good poem. Wordsworth chose the subject of common life because it is what he finds to be in closest association with nature. He says poetry is the image of man and nature and a homage paid to the native and naked dignity of man 247. To Wordsworth, the most important type of common life was the low and rustic life because the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in that condition, and the manners of rural life germinate from those elementary feelings 241. In other words, this type of mans feelings was more recognizable and more closely connected with the natural, or instinctive, feelings of man. Coleridge, on the other hand, uses the term ordinary life in his Biographia Literia 478. The different terms indicate the differing feelings of the authors on the subject. The term ordinary seems to indicate a more disconnected feeling from nature and seems to be typified more by social standards, while common has a much more naturalistic connotation. This point is well supported in a PMLA article on Coleridge by addressing the use of the Latin phrase lingua communis Sternbach 326. Some critics argue that, rather than diction, this disagreement was over dramatic method but this may be incorrect Parrish 367. Their idea about diction is where the controversy between Coleridge and Wordsworth occurred, which stems from their differing views on common versus ordinary life. .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .postImageUrl , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:hover , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:visited , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:active { border:0!important; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:active , .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u515ae73fee4e179188b24d227a91695f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: George and Lennies dream EssayWilliam Wordsworth thought that the poem should speak directly from common life by fitting to metrical arrangement a selection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation Preface 239. It is in this context that he describes his idea of proper poetic diction, which was the complete opposite of what was considered proper in the late 1700s. He in fact says of his own works diction found in these volumes little of what is usually called poetic diction 244. The diction of a poem is not bound by a set of rules or binding for every poetic composition according to Wordsworth. In his opinion, it is necessary for a poet to choose his own diction because a poet is a man speaking to men 246. The language of common life is the language of nature as well, so it is the best way to describe the feelings of nature. Coleridge, on the other hand, has a more formal idea of what the diction of a poem should be. He says, My own differences from certain supposed parts of Mr. Wordsworths theory ground themselves on the proper diction for poetry from the mouths of men in real life under natural feelings 483. Coleridge doesnt believe that common language can be applied to a wide enough public, or that certain classes wouldnt understand it. He says, My objection is this rule is applicable only to certain classes of poetry, and either need not or ought not to be practiced Coleridge 483-84. He also explains that the common language varies with location, occupation, and culture. Coleridge thought that the proper diction of a poem could not be produced from the vocabulary of common language and had no place in the consciousness of an uneducated man 484. Most critics, such as David Joplin, agree that this opposition in opinion arises from Coleridges more formal idea of poetry Tayebi 94. The second topic in which Coleridge disagrees with Wordsworth is on the application of prose to poetry. He directly addresses this matter in Biographia Literia by quoting from Wordsworths Preface, between the language of prose and that of metrical composition, there neither is, nor can be any essential difference. It is against these exclusively that my opposition is directed 484. Their disagreement on the concept of poetry and prose is in the purpose of each of the methods. Coleridge says that a poem is opposed to the works of science by proposing for its immediate object of pleasure 481. In this statement works of science is in reference to prose, where Coleridge is quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary as The definition of good prose is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" proper words in their proper places. Wordsworth says that metre is the only thing separating a good poem from good prose 245. Coleridge however elaborates on the distinction between poem and prose by explaining the emotional purposes of each, it is discriminated by proposing itself such delight from the whole, as from each component part 481. This means that in order for the work to be poetry, it must produce natural and passionate feelings from reading the whole, but must also do so simply by reading a small part of the poem. To Coleridge, poetry is different from prose in that, prose does not produce a fraction of the emotions that are produced by a poem, and therefore does not deserve to be called poetry. Oxford gives the definition of prose as an ordinary form of written or spoken language without metrical structure. However, to capture the language spoken by men was the chief objective in Wordsworths poetry. When Wordsworth says, no essential difference between the language of prose and of metrical composition, he is speaking of the ordinary language spoken by men 245. The distinction between poetry and prose discussed by the authors is in agreement that a poem is something better than a work of prose. Coleridge sys this by completely separating the definitions of the two while Wordsworth blends the two terms together by saying poems will be found to be strictly the language of prose, when prose is well written 245. Coleridge and Wordsworth create a definition and criteria for a poem that becomes representative for the ideology of the Romantic era. They thought that a poem should be a careful composition resulting from the passionate feelings that are experienced through nature. They are in agreement on the criteria of a poem being that it must evoke the emotion of passion each time it is written and that it must be written about nature, whether of Earth or of the human experience. The two also believe it is the poets responsibility to put these emotions into words by being knowledgeable about poetry and, most importantly, having a truly intimate interaction between nature and his own mind. The two poets did seem to disagree on the actual proper structure of a poem, however, they both agreed on a basic purpose and technique that brought about an entirely new kind of poem in the beginning of the nineteenth century.