William Wordsworth

   

William Wordsworth was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads.

Wordsworth's masterpiece is generally considered to be The Prelude, an autobiographical poem of his early years which the poet revised and expanded a number of times. The work was posthumously titled and published, prior to which it was generally known as the poem "to Coleridge". Wordsworth was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.

CLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM  are artistic movements that have influenced the literature, visual art, music, and architecture of the Western world over many centuries. 

With its origins in the ancient Greek and Roman societies, Classicism defines beauty as that which demonstrates balance and order. Romanticism developed in the 18th century — partially as a reaction against the ideals of Classicism — and expresses beauty through imagination and powerful emotions. Although the characteristics of these movements are frequently at odds, both schools of thought continued to influence Western art into the 21st century.

The name "Classical" was given to the Greeks and Romans retroactively by RENAISSANCE writers. Artists and thinkers of the Renaissance, which literally means "rebirth," saw themselves as the heirs of that world following the Middle Ages. Its ideals continued to exert strong influence into the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In literature, Classicism values traditional forms and structures. According to legend, the Roman poets Virgil left orders for his masterpiece The Aeneid to be burned at his death, because a few of its lines were still metrically imperfect. This rather extreme example demonstrates the importance placed on excellence in formal execution. Such attention to detail can also be seen in the work of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, whose Divine Comedy contains over 14,000 lines written in a strict rhyming pattern known as' terza rima'. Other characteristics of the movement include balance, order, and emotional restraint.

What is the basic difference between the poetic creed of 'Classicism' and 'Romanticism'?

Romanticism and classicism they are two different ideologies or 'school of thought'. And given idea about dominance of certain things. 

Classicism:in classicism aesthetic attitude and principals manifested in the art architecture and literature if ancient Greece and Rome and characterized by emphasis on form simplicity proportion and restraint. Romanticism: Romanticism was an artistic literary musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of 18th century. 

Difference between classicism and romanticism is that classicism put out restrictions,whereas romanticism believes in liberty. Classicism presents urban life , whereas romanticism presents rural life. classicism believe on subjectivity and romanticism believes in objectivity. classicism is about intellectual and romanticism is about imagination .

➤ Why does Wordsworth say 'What' is poet? rather than Who is poet?

A poet is man speaking to men, a man, it is true, endued with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness,

Who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind. 

Wordsworth has greater knowledge of human nature through the emotions like observation, heightened. He also uses platonic, more comprehensive soul. 

➤  What is poetic diction? Which sort of poetic diction is suggested by Wordsworth in his Preface?

Poetic diction means 'Choice of Word'- unique style of authors that he or she chooses his or her own language, which is understood by rustic people; who closure to reality and more genuineness the language should be natural not ornamental. Wordsworth's argument is that he is interested in writing poems in lyrical ballads. And the language "as really used by men". Wordsworth also answers to Coleridge that he finds humble and rustic life, a men who closer to reality or more genuineness. Wordsworth preferred rustic men rather than city dwells.

➤ What is poetry?

 Wordsworth's  definition of poetry  :

    " Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings it takes origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. "

   Wordsworth portrays his idea about poetry in this definition that poet is the most comprehensive soul and far better human being than ordinary people. so, the poet is the teacher and through the medium of of poetry he imparts moral lessons for the betterment of human life.

➤  Discuss 'Daffodils - I wandered lonely as a cloud' with reference to Wordsworth's poetic creed.

  'Daffodils' is the best example of Wordsworth's definition of poetry “poetry is a spontaneous overflow of a powerful feeling, recollected in tranquility". We all see the beauty of nature by our different point of views  but we cannot recollect and express that delight in tranquility.  so, we can call Wordsworth as nature poet, by recalling his memory and sensibility and by observing the nature, Wordsworth wrote his poetry.