Question: What led Wordsworth to write Preface to Lyrical Ballads?
Introduction
To flourish the art of Romanticism as a movement of poetry, William Wordsworth (1770-1850) wrote “Preface to Lyrical Ballads”. Here he explains the characteristics of the new kind of poetry that is called romantic poetry.
Reasons for writing the “Preface to Lyrical Ballads”
Wordsworth came to the decision that “every author as for as he great and at the same time original, has had the task of creating the taste by which he is to be enjoyed.” His poems were a new kind of experiment that different from contemporary poetry in subject as well as conduct. He wants to make concern his readers that they should not expect the traditional treatment of contemporary poetry from his Lyrical Ballads. They should not read his poems with any preconceived idea based on poetry of the 18th century. Because his poems deal with the theme of simple life and common language. He wrote the preface to express the aim of his literary works. He wanted to put emphasis on the features of his poetry that is different from the earlier poetry.
More Notes of Criticism
Conclusion
Finally, we can undoubtedly say that Wordsworth wrote the preface with much skill to inform his readers with the theme and language of romantic poetry as an advertisement.
