Romantic Poetry - Analysis of Wordsworth Poetry by M-Azeem Yaseen

Topic: Extraction of the features of romantic age; emotional and imaginative
spontaneity, self-expression and individual feelings and imagination as creative

faculty, from Wordsworth’s poetry.
Romantic age refers to a movement originated in Europe in the late eighteenth century till the
mid of nineteenth century. It was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement which was the
reaction of French revolution, Industrialization and was a rebellion against the conventions of
Neo-classical literature of the first half of the 18th century. The word “romantic” comes from
the French word “roman” which refers to heroic tales but later it referred to personal feelings
and emotions. The major focus of Romantic Movement was emotions, sensitivity,
subjectivity and individualism. The poets of this age towards the middle of 19 th century, were
grouped as “Romantics” based on some common features i.e. imagination, individualism,
youth, escapism and nature.
The six of the most important Romantic poets were William Blake, William Wordsworth,
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, George Gordon Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats. In
1798, William Wordsworth published Lyrical Ballads in Collaboration with S.T. Coleridge. It
is considered that publication of Lyrical Ballads initiated Romanticism. William Wordsworth
gave valuable contribution to the Romantic Poetry. His famous poems include Tintern
Abbey, The Prelude, Solitary Reaper, I wandered lonely as a Cloud and Ode: Intimations of
Immortality.
Wordsworth enjoyed the celebration of the beauty of nature, power of human mind,
childhood, memory and visions. His poetry focused on human emotions, subjectivity,
imagination, self-expression and creativity. As Wordsworth defined poetry as “spontaneous
overflow of powerful emotions” (Preface to Lyrical Ballads), his poetry truly depicted
spontaneity of his emotional state of mind.
Wordsworth preferred common and rustic life as best material for poetry and advised young
poets, “You feel strongly; trust to those feelings, and your poem will take its shape and
proportions as a tree does from the vital principle that actuates it” and he preferred to use
diction of common people. As he said, “a poet is a man talking to men” (Preface to Lyrical
Ballads). A poet observes and recalls his memories and creates something extraordinary from
ordinary things by painting it with his power of creative imagination. For example, in Ode on
the Intimations of Immortality, Wordsworth recalls his childhood memories in which the
glories of Earth seemed to him dressed in “celestial light” (s1)
In this poem, Poet is grieved at loss of vision of heavenly delights of nature which a child can
only experience as he has lately arrived on earth from heaven. The poet upon listening to
“birds’ joyous song” and sound of “cataracts” is relieved and became happy again (s3).
Hence, there is shift of moods of happiness and sadness which truly depicts the spontaneity of
Wordsworth personal feelings. Wordsworth added beauty to his spontaneous emotions by
imagination and creativity.
Wordsworth showed a greater degree of self-expression in this poem. As a poet sees ordinary
things with extraordinary eyes and the poet is a sensitive soul, his poetry is drawn from his
individual experiences. Wordsworth used “I” and “me” in this poem which shows the
feelings and expressions are not fictious neither self-drawn rather these are poet’s own
emotions associated with his personal experiences. As, “To me alone there came a thought of
grief…., I again am strong” (s3). Wordsworth consciously observed every single detail of the
events he observed being a child, “Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses”. Similarly, he
thinks, even a “meanest flower” can give thoughts deeper than tears (s11). The poet then calls
the child a “mighty philosopher”, a “seer blest” which showed his self-expressions towards a
child.
Wordsworth other poem Solitary Reaper, according to the Wikipedia entry, was inspired by
Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy’s stay at the village of Strathyre, in Scotland. Although
the evidence is scanty, but it might be considered as autobiographical poem showing his
poem related to his personal experience. Wordsworth addresses his readers to watch the girl
singing and reaping alone in the field. Wordsworth expresses his feelings for her melodious
song and advices others to “stop” and listen to her song or “pass gently” without disturbing
her (s1). The whole valley is overflowing with her melodious song.
After expressing his personal association with the girl’s songs, Wordsworth praises her voice
by adding the flavor of imagination and creativity. He compares her voice with nightingale,
“No Nightingale did ever chaunt” (s2). The poet then compares her voice with cuckoo bird
as, “A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard, In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird” (s2)
The poet is fascinated after listening to girl’s voice, and he is curious to know what she is
saying. Wordsworth truly expresses his emotions which is true depiction of his self-
expression. He says her song is endless or immortal, “As if her song could have no ending”
(s4). Her voice was heart-catching for Wordsworth and he listened to it with devotion, “I
listened, motionless and still” (s4) and kept this memory safe in his heart, “The music in my
heart I bore,” long after he listened her voice no more (S4).
Hence, Wordsworth attached much importance to the role of the Imagination as a creative
faculty which a writer uses to apprehend the truth and realty of things which are hidden from
the other humans. Wordsworth in the above explained poems, expresses his thoughts on self-
expression as he coronates his spontaneous emotions with the lightening of imagination and
creativity.
References:
 https://neoenglish.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/william-wordsworth-as-a-poet
 https://englicist.com/notes/the-solitary-reaper-wordsworth
 https://englishpost.org/literary-movement-romanticism
 https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-Romantic-period
 http://library.altspu.ru/dc/pdf/shevchenko1.pdf
 Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1801)
Romantic Poetry
Submitted by:
Mohammad Azeem Yaseen
CMS: 404470
SAP ID: 10454
BS English
4th Semester
Submitted to:
Ma’am Fatima Zahid
Riphah Institute of Language and Literature

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Topic: Extraction of the features of romantic age; emotional and imaginative

spontaneity, self-expression and individual feelings and imagination as creative

Riphah Institute of Language and Literature

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