This blog is in response to thinking activity given by our professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir.Dryden's essay on dramatic poesy. this is the link you can go there and see more detail about this task.
John Dryden’s “An Essay on Dramatic Poesy” presents a brief discussion on Neo-classical theory of Literature. He defends the classical drama saying that it is an imitation of life and reflects human nature clearly.
(Essay on dramatic poesy)
An Essay on Dramatic Poesy is written in the form of a dialogue among four speakers: Eugenius, Crites, Lisideius, and Neander. The four speakers are Sir Robert Howard [Crites], Lord Buckhurst or Charles Sackville [Eugenius], Sir Charles Sedley [Lisedeius], and Dryden himself (Neander means "new man" and implies that Dryden, as a respected member of the gentry class, is entitled to join in this dialogue on an equal footing with the three older men who are his social superiors). Eugenius favours the modern. Crites favours the ancients, blank verse French vs English. Lisideius Favours French drama. Neander favours the modern-English plays, rhyme.
Do you any difference between Aristotle's definition of Tragedy and Dryden's definition of Play?
ANS:
Aristotle define tragedy as:
“Aristotle says that "Tragedy is an imitation [mimesis] of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude…through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation [catharsis] of these emotions.”
As Aristotle suggests that poetry is mere copy of an action or whatever one has seen, poetry is not pure creation. Dryden on the contrary uses words like ‘lively image’. Advancing his definition, he says that it is representing its passion and humours and it is for delight and instruction of mankind.
Dryden defines Drama as:
"Just and lively image of human nature, representing its passions and humours, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind."
According to Dryden, drama is an ‘image’ of ‘human nature’, and the image is ‘just’ and ‘lively’. By using the word ‘just’ Dryden seems to imply that literature imitates (and not merely reproduces) human actions. For Dryden, ‘poetic imitation’ is different from an exact, servile copy of reality, for, the imitation is not only ‘just’, it is also ‘lively’.
Do you think that the arguments presented in favor of the French plays and against English plays are appropriate?
ANS:
Lisideius speaks in favour of the French. He agrees with Eugenius that in the last generation the English drama was superior. The French are superior to the English for various reasons. One of them being they follow the Ancients. They favour the Unity of time and they observe it so carefully. When it comes to the Unity of Place, they are equally careful. In most of their plays, the entire action is limited to one place.
The French do not burden the play with a fat plot. They represent a story which will be one complete action, and everything which is unnecessary is carefully excluded. But the English burden their plays with actions and incidents which have no logical and natural connection with the main action so much so that an English play is a mere compilation. Hence the French plays are better written than the English ones.
It is wrong to believe that the French represent no part of their action on the stage. Instead, they make proper selection. Cruel actions which are likely to cause hatred, or disbelief by their impossibility, must be avoided or merely narrated. They must not be represented. The French follow this rule in practice and so avoid much of the tumult of the English plays by reducing their plots to reasonable limits. Such narrations are common in the plays of the Ancients and the great English dramatists like Ben Jonson and Fletcher. Therefore, the French must not be blamed for their narration, which is judicious and well managed.
In short, the English drama has decayed and declined because they live in an awful age full of bloodshed and violence, and poetry is an art of peace. The French dramas did not decline because they stick to the ancient unities. The English tried to do something new in order to differ from them.
Conclusion:
The dramatic poesy has successfully explained the merits and demerits of English and French drama. Also explained that it is not necessary to follow the rules and conventions, more delightful work can be done by coming out of bondages.
This blog is in response to the task given by kavisha maam. In this blog i am sharing my own understanding and belief of celebration of shitala satam.
Shitala Satam festival is celebrated on the 7th day of the Shravan month, i.e., the day before Krishna Janmashtami, and a day after Randhan Chhath. It is also referred to as Shitla Saptami or Shitala Satam. The benefits of worshipping Mata Shitala have been explained in the Skanda Puranam that consists of the Shitala Mata Strotra, also known as ‘Shitalaashtak’ written by Lord Shiva.
Shitala Satam Significance:
Shitala Satam is observed in honor of Goddess Shitala, who is known to be the Goddess of measles and pox. It is celebrated to receive protection against smallpox or similar diseases. This is a significant day for the people of India, especially Gujaratis.
Known to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga, Shitala Devi is highly regarded and worshipped as a form of Shakti in Hinduism. Goddess Sheetla is said to be a natural healer, and in Sanskrit, the name Sheetala truly means one who cools. The Goddess is worshiped by several names in different parts of India. Many Hindus, Buddhists, and tribal communities worship her, and address her with the words Ma and Mata (mother).
Shitala Mata is mainly popular across North Indian states. She is also revered and viewed as the Goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. While, in South India, Goddess incarnated as Mariamman is believed to have taken Shitala Mata’s role and is worshiped by the Dravidians.
Shitala Satam Rituals and Puja Vidhi:
The ceremonial tradition of Shitala Satam is similarly followed as Basoda and Shitala Ashtami that are celebrated after Holi in North India. The most important ritual of Shitala Satam is to avoid cooking food on that day. Family members must not consume fresh food, and hence, on the day of Randhan Chhath just before Sheetala Satam, most Gujaratis prepare food in abundance. This food is sufficient enough to be taken the next day, i.e., the day of Shitala Satam. Below are the rituals to be followed on this day:
On the pious occasion of Shitala Satam, devotees take bath in a lake or river before sunrise and establish an image or idol of Shitala Ma. Then it is decorated using turmeric powder, sandalwood paste, vermillion (Sindoor), or Kumkum.
Devotees who can afford it, also make a golden sculpture of Shitala Mata who is seated on her vehicle (a donkey).
Join palms and offer homage to Shitla devi by doing puja with Aarti.
After the puja, offer fruits with 16 varieties of naivedyams. Some devotees also offer flour and gud (jaggery), or rice mixed with ghee (butter) which was prepared on Randhan Chhath.
People read Sheetla Mata Vrat Katha or story to gain blessings of the goddess.
As per the customs, only one meal should be taken on this day.
People also visit the Shitala Mata temple, where the Devi is worshipped using turmeric powder and Bajra (Pearl millet).
In Rajasthan, people celebrate this festival with full fervor and immense devotion. Also, a huge fair is organized, and many musical programs are also conducted on this day.
Smallpox vs shitala satam:
Between the second and sixth centuries, a series of pandemics destabilized the Roman empire. The first of these was the Antonine Plague, between 165-180 AD, and the second was the Plague of Justinian, between 541-542 AD. The first outbreak killed some five million people across Europe and Asia while the latter was even more deadly, killing close to 50 million people. Historians have concluded that the first outbreak would have been either smallpox or measles, while the second one was probably bubonic plague. What’s clear is that these pandemics contributed to the decline and eventual decimation of the Roman empire.
So what do these pandemics have to do with India? The outbreak of the Antonine Plague coincided with the first artistic depictions of South Asia’s first “epidemic" goddess, Hariti. This demonic yakshi-turned-protector of Buddhism was a well-known figure around the turn of the Christian Era. The Mother of Demons, as she was called in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, Hariti and her demonic progeny were notorious for stealing and eating newborn children. According to Buddhist legends, she was made to see the error of her ways by the Buddha and converted into the chief protector of the Buddhist sangha. In her new avatar as a benevolent goddess of plenty, among other roles, she would grant boons of healthy childbirth.And she was also a protector from diseases, mainly smallpox.
There have been many other “fever" goddesses in India but I will mention two other, related goddesses: Parnashavari and Shitala. Parnashavari is a Buddhist tantric or Vajrayana deity, most likely borrowed from tribal sources (her name translates to “the leaf-clad tribal lady"). Her cult as a goddess who heals fevers and smallpox coincided with the same areas where the goddess Shitala is venerated for similar attributes—eastern India, primarily Bengal and Odisha.
"Sitala is not to be identified with disease, as the label ‘smallpox goddess’ seems to imply. Smallpox, measles and fevers exist independently, and they are already in our body—though inactive. Sitala simply controls them, as many of her names suggest,"
(Parnashavari)
In the end of this blog i can say that shitala satam is celebrated without any logical reason and in shitala satam many women become weak and ill because of cold food.
Post-truth is a term that refers to the 21st century widespread documentation of and concern about disputes over public truth claims. The term's academic development refers to the theories and research that explain the historically specific causes and the effects of the phenomenon.
There is one sting operation on 6th march 2019, this operation is based on propaganda in exchange for money? I found this on one youtube video. The source of this video is "Cobrapost".
this is the video which i found based on post truth. according to me.Post truth this term is also used in many manner but this is particularly used for political parties and political leaders.
In the play "The Importance of being earnest" in that oscar wilde is quoted this line "The Truth is rarely pure and never simple".We can say that in this quote oscar wilde want to convey that the truth is not always pure and also truth is never simple as well.
Now let's talk about one poem which is written by Ogden nash.this is first stanza of this poem"Humor".
The source of these points are from this debate video of post-truth.this video is from Jaipur literature.this video is based on one question "Are We Living in a Post-Truth World?"
Let me end this topic with the political controversy of Donald trump. This controversy of post truth started with Donald Trump when he became president of America and after that in the context of every political party we can use this term. everyone is lier here.
We can say that "We lived in land of Gandhi,Mahatma not Rahul"
so we have to search for truth for that we have to do some ground work on any type of rumor,fact,etc.
Post-truth is also seen in movies,like one Hollywood movie "Don't look up". This movie is based on the political conflict between normal astronauts and the president. and the media is a very important part of post-truth.In this movie the media is ignoring the truth of the end of the earth because there is political pressure and people of England used to listen to news that is fun and entertaining.
If you want to see the truth you can refer to the website "Alt-news".
This blog is in response to the task given by vaidehi maam. in this blog i am going to share my understanding on "The Rape Of The Lock".
The ‘rape of the lock’ to which the poem’s title refers, and the major event of the poem, is the seizing, by force (‘rape’ coming from the Latin rapere, to seize), of a lock of hair from a young lady named Belinda by her suitor, the dastardly Baron. This does not happen until the end of the poem’s third canto, with the delay itself being a parody of the way in which Milton, for instance, makes his reader wait until over halfway through Paradise Lost before narrating the crucial event of the Fall of Mankind.
The rest of Pope’s poem is given over to intricate, comical descriptions of Belinda’s boudoir, the trials of the card table and the activities of the gloomy gnomes and sprites at the court of the Queen of Spleen, who sends Belinda, via Umbriel the gnome, a bag of ‘sighs, sobs, and passions, and the war of tongues’, and a vial filled ‘with fainting fears, / Soft sorrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears’
Why did Pope write The Rape of the Lock?
The work was inspired by the scandalous news that Robert, Baron Petre (1690–1713), had surreptitiously snipped a curl from the head of Arabella Fermor (c. 1689–1738), a society beauty. The incident caused ‘estrangement’ between two Catholic families, so John Caryll, Petre’s guardian, asked Pope to ‘laugh them together again’.
In Pope’s verse, Belinda represents Arabella, while the Baron represents Lord Petre. The first version, with just two cantos, was dashed off in a fortnight in 1711 and privately circulated. It was then printed anonymously in Lintot’s Miscellany of 1712. Two years later, Pope produced this expanded five-canto version, adding the dark Cave of Spleen episode and the supernatural ‘Machinery’ – a band of sylphs who protect mortals, like the gods in ancient epics. In 1717, Pope produced a third version, which includes Clarissa’s speech promoting ‘good-humour’ for women.
(this is video of the rape of the lock summary. you can watch video and you can better understand this poem and questions written further.)
Questions:
1.) According to you, who is the protagonist of the poem Clarissa or Belinda? Why? Give your answer with logical reasons.
2.) What is beauty? Write your views about it.
3.) Find out a research paper on "The Rape of the Lock". Give the details of the paper and write down in brief what it says about the Poem by Alexander Pope.
4.) Write your views about the significance of hair. Is it symbolic?
Q-1. According to you who is the protagonist of the poem clarissa or belinda? why?
ANS:
According to me Belinda is a protagonist of the poem "The rape of the lock".in this poem belinda is represented the 18th century women's and aristocratic lifestyle of upper class.
Representative of Social Class of 18th Century:
Belinda is a true representative of fashionable, aristocratic ladies of Popes age. Pope calls her a moving toy shop who keeps flirting. All the ladies of that age were regarded as petty triflers, devoid of serious concerns with life, and engaged in trifling pursuits like playing cards, having pets, sleeping till noon, dance and gaiety. Belinda’s fall represents the corruption of her class. Pope satirizes the flippancy and depravity of 18th century English society through Belinda’s Character.
“Here files of pains extend their shining rows,
Puffs, powders, patches, bibles, billet-doux”
Belinda’s character is an outstanding portrait by Pope in his mock epic The rape of the lock. Among all the other heroines in English Literature like Shakespeare’s CleopatraOphelia Emilia; Fielding’s Pamelia; Eliot’s Maggi; Belinda had been the favorite character of Pop. The way Pope pays attributes to Belinda’s beauty with his pen; it seems that he has been enamored with his own creation. Pope describes her paragon of beauty and wittiness: the goddess of beauty, the nymph, the fair, the rival of the sun’s beams. Pope’s Belinda resembles Shakespeare’s Cleopatra. Like her, she is a paragon of beauty and the winner of men of her age.
“This nymph, to the destruction of mankind,
Nourish’d two locks, which gracefully hung behind”
Belinda is a perfect creation of wit and beauty. Pope describes the way she paints and decorates herself with ornaments, diamonds, powders, patches, perfumes and puffs in front of a mirror. Then she leaves to win the heart of lovers.
“Favours to none, to all she smiles extends
Oft she rejects, but never once offends,”
Pope depicts that she passes smiles to the all to win them and flirt on them. All the young fall in spell of her beauty. Her sunny smiles, polished manners, and large shiny eyes make her a perfect trap for the young. Pope mocks at her the way she goes out to Hampton court and participates in different pursuits there. There her pretty locks are raped by the Baron. Pope mocks at her fight with the help of snuff and bodkin. Pope compares her eyes to the sun beams. He places the sun as a rival of Belinda’s eyes.
“Bright as the sun, her eyes the gazers strike.
And, like the sun, the shines on all alike”
Pope admires her for her beauty but on the other hand he also mocks her. There is no doubt that Belinda is a beautiful and charming lady but the way she flirts is mocking and satirizing. Belinda is both an object of mockery and admiration. As a representative of her social class, she is mocked at. She is almost presented as a goddess of beauty. Pope depicts the picture of her toilet describing different items at her mirror table.
“Here files of pains extend their shining rows,
Puffs, powders, patches, bibles, blllet-doux,”
Pope mocks at her that how she was fond of pets. Keeping pets was one of the common pursuits of the society. Pope satirizes the ladies who mourn the death of their pets but not their husbands.
“Not louder shrieks to pitying Heaven are cast,
When husbands, or when lapdogs breathe their last”
Q-2. What is beauty?write your views on it:
ANS:
Pope does seem to suggest that a day-to-day obsession with beauty is fundamentally an absurd and hopeless pursuit. However, he complicates this clear-cut moral by suggesting that ultimately beauty can have a certain kind of power in that it can inspire art, such as poetry, and as such can be part of something which truly is able to transcend time. Thus, Pope seems to be saying that vanity itself is folly, but that to appreciate great art, one should be careful not to underestimate the role of beauty in inspiring great works.
"When those fair suns shall set, as set they must, And all those tresses shall be laid in dust; This lock, the Muse shall consecrate to fame, And midst the stars inscribe Belinda’s name"
Beauty is blessing for one and it is curse for other one. we can see this concept of beauty in movie "Beauty and Beast" in this film we can see that that hero of film is very arrogant and and very rich person and he has that aristocratic life. he is very proud to be a beautiful in whole world.
In "Frankenstein" novel by mary shelley. and in adaptation of film also we can see a concept of beauty.in this film we can clearly say that people were judging us base on our appearance.
Q-3.Find out a research paper on "The Rape of the Lock". Give the details of the paper and write down in brief what it says about the Poem by Alexander Pope.
ANS:
when i was searching on google.I found this research paper on The Rape of The Lock.
this is a research paper which is on "the rape of the lock" and about pope's mock heroic epic and also in this paper i found that in this what is position of women in society and empire of that time.
Q-4. Write your views about the significance of hair. Is it symbolic?
ANS:
symbolism in Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is evident. The hair in this poem symbolizes youth, beauty, and social status of women. Together with this, it turns attention to the conflict between men and women and inequality existing between these two genders. With respect to youth and beauty, long hair has always been a symbol of them; the fact that the Baron cut off the lock of Belinda’s hair shows that he wished to deprive Belinda of her beauty, or at least to take away some of her pride in her beauty. Moreover, hair symbolizes Belinda’s social status; firstly, it signifies her belonging to the upper social class and, secondly, it means that she is not married, for she wears her hair loose. And finally, hair in The Rape of the Lock is a symbol of gender inequality and men’s receiving no punishment for being violent with women. In this way, hair is not only a superficial symbol of beauty, youth, and wealth, but also a reflection of deeper problems rooting in the society.
Thank you so much for reading this blog... Keep Loving Literature..😁
This blog is in response to the task given by Dr.dilip barad sir.this is Bridge course: wordsworth's preface. In this blog i am sharing my understanding on this topic like,
Q-1 What is difference between the poetic creed of 'Classicism' and 'Romanticism'?
Q-2 Why does wordsworth say what is Poet rather than who is Poet?
Q-3 What is Poetic Diction?which sort of Poetic Diction is suggested by wordsworth in his preface?
Q-4 What is Poetry?
Q-5 Discuss 'Daffodils' -'I wonderded lonely as a cloud' with reference to wordsworth's poetic creed.
Let's talk about Romantic age:
Introduction:
The romantic period in English literature begins with the publication of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Lyrical Ballads" in 1798 and ends with the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.Romantic period coincided with the revolution in France and America and therefore it is also known as "The Age of Revolution. "The writers of the romantic period were inspired by the ideas of the French revolution and tried to translate these ideas into the real of literature. the triumph of democracy in the period ended with the passage of the reform bill in 1832.
The French revolution was an especially important influence on the political thinking of many of the romantic poet. The romantic period was one of major social changes in England. the movement of so many people in England was the result of two forces:
1. The agricultural revolution.
2. The French revolution.
The 19th century is often called "the romantic era". romantic poetry was often written in common everyday language for all to relate,not just the upper class. Nature was a focus of many famous poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge,Keat.
William Wordsworth was known as "The Father of English Romanticism". Any of his work can support the focus of nature the great poets of the romantic poetry in the beginning of the 19th century took Blake and Byron as their novelists and celebrated the"Golden Age" in English poetry. Subjectivity was the main element of romantic poetry. The great romantics looked into their own souls and gave us typical individual poems. those poems reflected their personality. the romantic Age is also called "Renaissance of wonder". To the 18th century poets, nothing was mystery. it is discreative senseibility and individual emotion which gave us the glories of romantic poetry.
Characteristics of Romantic Age:
The characteristics of the romantic age are as below.
1.Love of nature.
2.Interest in the past.
3.Mystery.
4.Interest in humanity.
5.Freedom of Imagination.
6.Subjectivity and spontaneity.
7.Love for the elemental simplicities of life.
8.Regeneration of poetic style.
So, the romantic age was characterized by excess of emotions ,it produced a new type of novel. The romantic Age was the age of poetry. the human spirit began to derived new richness from outward object and philosophical ideas. that what some critics call the romantic revival as the "Renaissance of Wonder" the glory of the age is the poetry of Wordsworth,Coleridge,Scott,Byron,Shelley and Keats. the romantic literature is a genuinely creative literature calling into play the highest creative faculty of man.
Q-1.What is difference between the poetic creed of 'Classicism' and 'Romanticism'?
ANS:
Classicism:
"Learning hence for ancient rules a just esteem; To copy nature is to copy them"
this statement is said by the great Neoclassical poet and very important classical poet of English Literature. Alexander pope wanted to say that, "when you are following the ancient rules of the ancient poets and the writers, when you respect them and when you copy them, your literature is going to be classical literature."
classicism is a literary movement which is in sharp contrast to romanticism means it is apposite to romanticism. This movement became popular in english literature during 18th century.classicism became very popular in english literature during the Augustan Age or the Age of Enlightenment. the followers of classicism seek or want perfection and intellectual appeal rather than emotional appeal.
"classicism in literature is the name given to the works which adopt or follow the principles or style of the ancient Greek and Roman literature."
Major classical works:
major classical works were written during the Augustan Age(1700-1740) and during the age of Dr.jonson(1740-1800). classicism has its impact even during the modern age.
-Alexander Pope's 'The Rape Of The Lock'.
-Samuel Richardson's 'Pamela'.
-Daniel Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe'.
-Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver Travels'.
-Joseph Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness'.
-T.S.Eliot's 'Murder In The Cathedral'
Romanticism:
Romanticism is an english literary movement which flourished and bloomed with flying colours and spread its fragrance in the field of english poetry in the beginning of the 19th century. It began with the publication of 'Lyrical Ballads' in 1798. It is a collection of fantastic and touching lyrics by William Wordsworth and S.T.Coleridge. It was a reaction against the Neo-Classical poetry of the 18th century. It had its Origin in the Elizabethan Age of the 16th century.
Romanticism is a term derived from the French word "Romaunt"
meaning "A Romantic Story Told In Verse".It does not mean only love between man and women. It has a broder meaning"Romantic" means everything which excited us, appeals our emotions and thrills us.Hundreds of critics have defined the movement of romanticism in various ways. An English Critic,F.L.Lucas has counted 11,396 definitions of romanticism.
definitions:
"Romanticism is the addition of strangeness to beauty."
-Walter Pater.
Wordsworth and Coleridge's poetry was in sharp contrast to the Neo-classical poetry of 18th century. They reacted against all norms and rules of writing poetry and they discarded the reason,intellectualism and realism from poetry and they wanted to free poetry from the bondage of classicism. W.J.Long rightly remarks in this regard, "The romantic movement is marked by a strong reaction and protest against the bondages of rules and customs."
Major romantic work:
-the publication Lyrical Balladsby Wordsworth and Coleridge
- the composition Hymns to the Night by Novalis
-poetry by William Blake
-poetry by Robert Burns
-Rousseau's philosophical writings
-"Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman
-the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
-the written works of William Wordsworth
Difference between classicism and romanticism:
We would start with the discussion of the difference between classicism and romanticism. Romanticism and classism and not just to the age or period of English literature but there are two different ideologies, two different Schools of thoughts or techniques of writing certain things. It is not about the difference of ideology but it also has a difference in their approach to life and also in their approach to look towards the art and world.
Q-2. Why does wordsworth say 'what is poet'?rather than 'who is poet'?
ANS:
Views on a poet:
wordsworth gives an elaborated explanation on meaning of the word 'poet' and 'what is a poet?'(rather than 'who' is a poet?) He defines it in degree of comparison.
he says a poet is a man speaking to men,endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, amd a more comprehensive soul, who rejoices, more than other men in the spirit of life,habitually impelled to create volitions,passion and situations where he does not find them.
scott-james very aptly discusses wordsworth's views on poet.wordsworth demanded spontaneity in his definition which does, according to him,not make a poet 'a careless or thoughtless person' A poet possesses 'of a more than usual organic sensibility' with already 'thought long and deeply' as in the stages of poetic creation. the poet is a man of sensibility.
Q-3. What is poetic diction? Which sort of poetic diction is suggested by wordsworth in his preface?
ANS:
In general view, poetic diction simply means 'choice of words' resulting into style of the particular poet or poem. however, wordsworth,here, deeply advocates on a avoiding poetic diction of the previous age. he does not support the idea of using artificial metaphors and other figures of speech or any other device to decorate the poem or to make the style higher. He rather suggests to choose 'a selection of language really used by men' especially man of 'humble and rustic life' to make the poetry more interesting, popular among common readers and to give poetic pleasure to all.
wordsworth also asserts that there is no difference between language of prose and poetry. the arrangement or order of words used in the best poetry can also be found in the prose. only the use of meter can differentiate the difference between between the two. he favours use of meter in his views. According to him,readers can easily follow the rules of meter. it does not make any interference with the passion of readers.
Q-4. What is poetry?
ANS:
Wordsworth was profoundly influenced by the french revolution and its slogan 'liberty, equality and fraternity'. the three magic terms were one of the triggers for wordsworth to break-away from the rule-bound poetry of the previous neo-classical age into whole new poetic theory of 'inner evidence of vivid sensation and spontaneous feeling'.
he found the need of writing the preface in the second edition of Lyrical Ballads to the questions raised to his advent of a new type of poetry. with his preface he has put forth his point of view and removed the bitter criticism of his poems. secondly, he made readers aware about the different type of poetry he had composed to make them understand his poetry. Lastly, he wanted to re-established shakespeare and Milton over 'frantic novels, sickly and stupid german tragedies, and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse.'
Definition of poetry:
Wordsworth here gives one of the most famous definition of poetry.he define,
'poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.'
that means one cannot plan a poem ,it comes naturally with overflowing powerful feelings. Like Blake, he also rejects Aristotelian doctrines of poetry by saying that plot, or situation, is not first things but it is the strong feeling that matters.
According to Wordsworth, there are four stages in the creation of poetry of a true poet. it passes through Observation, Recollection, Contemplation and the Creation. such poetry gives immense joy to the poet and he shares it with his readers.
Daffodils: Published in 1804.
We would understand the definition of the poem by the example of Wordsworth's poem Daffodils. Daffodils was the poem published in 1804; the poem is in 4 stanzas; the first three stanzas of the poet are in past tense while the last stanza is in present tense.
After reading the whole poem we can imagine a poet reclining on the couch and recollecting his nature walk which usually the lake poets used to take, there he must have seen the spread of Daffodils and in his inward eyes, must have captured that and at present he is sitting in his pensive and the vacant mood, recollecting the view of Daffodils which he had during his nature walk. Here the past tense in the first three stanzas of the poem and the present tense in the last stanza of the poem clearly justifies that definition of the poem in the wordsworth's poem. The present tense of the last stanza depicts that the poet in his free time is collecting his memory about Daffodils and is writing the poem on Daffodils.
