Umar Khan 1816

Final Paper 19th & 20th Century Literary Criticism

MA Eng. Lit. Year ll, semester lll

Instructor Ma’am Dr. Ana Ashraf

“Comparative study of Wordsworth and Coleridge’s views about poetry and poet’s role’’

Both of them are the great poets of the Romantic era. They are the heads of the Revival of
Romanticism. They contribute an extraordinary part in this regard. But still their ideas about nature
and function and creation of the poetry and poet’s role are different. Yet, they don't hold similar
perspectives on the nature, capacity and formation of verse and artist. Their mentality to them
frequently varies from one another.

Wordsworth's poetry focused on the concept of the individual and nature, while
Samuel Taylor Coleridge focused the theme of imagination and fancy in his discussion of poetry.

We are first acquainted with Wordsworth and his assessments of verse. William says;

"The principal object, then proposed in these Poems was to choose

incidents and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was
possible in a selection of language really used by men."

To begin with, the poet of nature, Wordsworth has great interest for the admiration of
common man; he chooses common language to talk, therefore, his poems are worthy of high
esteem. Wordsworth, in his book " Lyrical Ballad" throws light upon his poetry that, "the reader will
find that personifications of abstract ideas rarely occur in these volumes’’. He further adds, "Utterly
rejects them [personifications of abstract ideas] as a mechanical device of style." After all,
Wordsworth makes us learn that "poetry is the most philosophic of all writing". Moreover, it is all
clear that poetry is the "image of man and nature’’. He poet is of the view that "criticism is
destructive of sound unadulterated judgment and let the reader then abide independently, by his
own feelings”. It makes one thing obvious that this priest of nature seems less concerned about the
elements that criticizes him.

He does not care a straw for the reader's criticism as well. On the other hand, S.T Coleridge's poetry
"appears as the idea starter you could state". He seems interesting in compiling the 'Lyrical Ballad’,
while it is Wordsworth who continues it and succeeds in making his vows true. Coleridge is seen
intrigued in meter perfection, he is highly passionate. To analyze the comparison between both the
poets, it is important to asses contrast as well. Therefore, Coleridge believes that "common language
does not apply to all classes; its practices should not be admired." Contrarily, Wordsworth has used
the language of the common man in his poetry to convey his basic ideas.
Coleridge and Wordsworth are sharing the same views about nature. To them, nature is a reflective
place to go to. In "Lines" by Wordsworth, he is "in that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts bring
sad thoughts to the mind’’. Despite the fact that Wordsworth is appreciating nature he keeps on
contemplating the dim musings of humankind as he inquires “have I not reason to lament what man
has made of man? In one of Coleridge’s poem, “Nightingale”, he discovers despair in nature also.
The tone at the outset is quiet and reflective yet as the sonnet advance, we find that the character
told the Nightingale all "of his own sorrows", furthermore, presently the Nightingale echoes the
distress.

Wordsworth proposed poet as “A man speaking to a man”. He is a human being just like his fellow
humans. However, he differs from other men in the terms of his “social duty”. He is supposed to
perform a ‘social function’. The purpose of his writing is not just the sake of pleasure, instead he is
supposed to convey his feelings and emotions through his poetry in this respect. As for him, a poet
should write in the language used by ordinary, common people of the society. Hence, Wordsworth
presents himself as the true admirer of human. Wordsworth states that there is no dissimilarity
between a poet and the fellow human beings. A poet varies from an ordinary man, “not in kind,
rather in degree.” He is rewarded with a “far reaching soul” that is not owned by common rustic
people. He is bestowed with way more energy, passion and delicacy. He keeps more knowledge
about a man's instinctive nature and a lot more “far reaching soul” His strength to imagine things is
very powerful. Therefore, he tends to feel, analyze and convey his response with a mature and
accurate approach even to the events and interactions he never first handedly. Experienced. To talk
of Coleridge, he believes, that the poet’s soul is the “fitting spot” of “idyllic action”. He says that a
poet has phenomenal “virtuoso”. He makes adjustment of the emotions, interactions, sentimental
acknowledgements and the images in his own mind. He can extravagantly modify his emotions at a
greater level. He activates the soul of a reader. He makes a fine utilization of his passion in a literary,
poetic manner. Every image, feeling or emotion of his brain is merges with a poetic touch and
activity. Thus a poem proves to be a reflecting art of the amalgamated parts of a poet’s soul.
Coleridge states that a poet must be a remarkable philosopher. Foe him, no man can ever claim to be
a poet until or unless he has a profound philosophical knowledge. Contrary to this, Wordsworth
believes that a poet gets more inspired by his fellow men and the society rather than absent
interactions and experiences made to feel real and present. A poet has the power to convey the
emotions and feelings of other people. He gains a self-identification by other’s sentiments. He can
easily and communicate the emotions of people. Also, a poet is bestowed with phenomenal
communication skills and strength. He is able to convey the emotions and mind activities of other
people which he can feel without any external stimulus or provocation.

While Coleridge thinks, creative mind and emotion are two fundamental characteristics of a poet. A
poet is an individual who has additional capacity to oversee various characteristics. He plays a
reconciliatory part in the exercises of various thoughts and percepts. He is an individual who is
talented with a remarkable capacity to feel feelings. Evidently, the brain of a writer has all the
earmarks of being confused. Yet, subtly, it is consistently in an arranged condition. The writer knows
about the universe. The universe never comes out from its exact request. Similarly, the writer's
psyche never locale from its way. It is consistently in a correct request. The inventive movement of
the writer doesn't emerge from its normal work. Creative exercises of the writer follow the arranged
course of his psyche. Coleridge imagines that poetry is a repeat of God's imaginative demonstration.
Thus, the exertion of the artist is the artist's reverence of God. The artist reproduces the brilliance of
God. So he is the vocalist of God. While, as indicated by Wordsworth, a writer should feel the beat of
the average person. He is the artist of regular mankind however not for the writers as it were. In this
regard, we notice Edmund Spenser. He is known as the writers' artist in the Elizabethan Age. At the
point when we experience his verse, we feel that he doesn't compose it for normal man yet
composes just for the artists and the elites. In the Neo-traditional Period, we see that the writers
made sonnets in depicting the adorned drawing room, cafés and so on Embodiments of unique
thoughts are notable highlights of the eighteenth century. Wordsworth disapproves such tendency of
the poets. As far as he might be concerned, poets ought not to compose just for writers. They need
to compose for just average people in like manner or natural language. Coleridge imagines that a
poet should feel the centrality of objectivism. The writer needs objectivism to shape a sonnet. To
move a human interest from our internal nature, objectivism is required. Objectivism assists the
writer with making willing willingness to accept some far-fetched situations and lovely confidence in
his composition. Subjectivity might be conceded by a writer. Be that as it may, a genuine writer has
the ability to go past the restrictions of subjectivity. Valid and talented writers needn't bother with
the impact of subjectivity. Individual contribution isn't required on account of a talented artist.
Nonetheless, Coleridge doesn't protest subjectivity. He needs to confine the artist from his own
emotions. He needs to coordinate the artist towards comprehensiveness.

In conclusion, we can say that the entire point of them was that as individuals we need to see things
in life similarly as they are. In the event that things will undoubtedly occur, let them occur, don't
place more idea into it. Furthermore, “take the path of least resistance", and afterward figure out
what is straightaway", decide how far it has been accomplished; and, what is much more important
question, regardless of whether it worth achieving, and upon the choice of these two inquiries will
rest my case to the approval of the Public”. It comprises their whole idea about understanding of
poetry. While in order to conclude their views about poet’s role, it will not be wrong to say that the
Wordsworth’s view about a poet is unclear, he does not provide a definite definition of a poet. Also
in “Preface to the Lyrical ballads”, we are failed to find such a perfect definition, all we can find is
about some good qualities that a poet must possess. Same is the case with Coleridge as he also does
not describe the poet in a definite way in ‘’Biographia Literaria". They mostly discussed qualities of a
good poet in their writings.

Bibliography:

Literaturemini, InfoRefuge,
http://www.lcwu.edu.pk/ocd/cfiles/English/Eng/Maj/SamuelTaylorColeridgeinContrasttoWilliamWor
dsworth