What are the major points of the Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth? Please help.
http://articles.poetryx.com/4/
Make sure you read it all and take notes as you read.
He indicates major ideas fairly clearly, especially when he shifts from the ending of one topic to the beginning of the next. Once you have made your list or taken notes, please re-post, and someone here will be happy to comment.
I actually read the whole part of the preface, and these are what I've got:
1. Wordsworth gives his famous definition of poetry as " the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquility", which as far as I understand would mean that writing a poem should come from your innermost feeling, and pouring out the emotions on the poem you are writing.
2. Wordsworth discusses what he sees as the elements of a new type of poetry, one based on the "real language of men"---( I don't really know what this mean)
3. Humble and rustic life. In writing poems, it should be based on your experiences of your life; being humble.
4. He also described what a poet should be and what actions should the poet do. He even compare poets with other profession related with Science.
I only got these. Can you please add some or make any corrections.
If no one has addressed your answers by this evening (I'll get home about 7 pm CDT tonight), I'll reread the preface and your answers. Then I'll get back to you.
1. Wordsworth gives his famous definition of poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquility",<~~comma comes before closing quotation marks which means that writing a poem should come from your innermost feeling,<~~delete comma and pour out the emotions on the poem you are writing. Rephrase all this to get rid of the instances of "you" in all its forms.
2. Wordsworth discusses what he sees as the elements of a new type of poetry, one based on the "real language of men"---( I don't really know what this mean) To use language used in the real world rather than trying to imitate earlier poets' work which is often stilted and hard to understand. <~~MHO!
3. Humble and rustic life. In writing poems, it should be based on your experiences of your life; being humble. The first four words make a fragment, not a whole sentence; fix that. And again, rephrase to get rid of instances of "you" in all its forms.
4. He also described what a poet should be and what actions should the poet do. He even compared poets with other professions related to science.
Here are some other sites that may give you further ideas:
http://www.ajdrake.com/e212_sum_04/materials/authors/wordsworth_sq.htm
http://67.104.146.36/english/Romantic/Rm-Ws.html
Scroll almost all the way to the bottom and read through the section, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth#First_publication_and_Lyrical_Ballads
A few ideas here.
http://www.calvertonschool.org/waldspurger/pages/romantic.htm
To find the major points of the Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth, you can follow these steps:
1. Start by locating the text of the Preface. It is a separate piece of writing that typically appears at the beginning of the book Lyrical Ballads.
2. Read the entire Preface carefully to get a comprehensive understanding of Wordsworth's ideas and arguments.
3. Identify the main themes and concepts that Wordsworth discusses. Some key points often mentioned in the Preface include:
a. The nature of poetry: Wordsworth argues that poetry should be a reflection of everyday human experiences and emotions, rather than being focused solely on grand and lofty subjects. He emphasizes the importance of a natural and simple language in poetry.
b. The role of the poet: Wordsworth believes that the poet should be a keen observer of nature and human life, with a deep understanding of both. He argues that the poet has the ability to communicate the beauty and truth of the world to others through their words.
c. The purpose of poetry: Wordsworth contends that poetry should aim to evoke genuine emotions in the reader and provide pleasure. He emphasizes the value of what he calls "the real language of men," which is distinct from the artificial and overly elaborate language often used in poetry.
d. The connection between poetry and the common people: Wordsworth stresses the importance of poetry being accessible to everyone, not just the educated elite. He suggests that ordinary people have a natural capacity to appreciate and understand poetry, and that they should be its primary audience.
4. Take note of any examples or anecdotes that Wordsworth uses to support his arguments. He often refers to specific poems in the Lyrical Ballads collection to illustrate his points.
By following these steps, you should be able to identify the major points of the Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and gain a better understanding of his views on poetry.