Wordsworth: The Poet of Nature and Human Soul

      Why Wordsworth still speaks to the Modern Reader?

This blog is written as a task assigned by the Head of the Department, Prof. Dilip Barad Sir, MKBU.

For further details click here 

Introduction :-

“Wordsworth and the Birth of Romantic Literature.”

William Wordsworth was a Romantic poet who celebrated nature, emotion, and ordinary life, co-launched Lyrical Ballads in 1798, and believed nature was a spiritual guide shaping human thought and feeling.

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was a foundational figure in English Romantic poetry, celebrated for his deep reverence for nature and his belief in its power to elevate the human spirit. Alongside Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he launched the Romantic movement with Lyrical Ballads (1798), advocating for poetry written in everyday language that expressed genuine emotion. His work often explores themes of memory, childhood, and the spiritual connection between humans and the natural world. Poems like I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud and Tintern Abbey exemplify his lyrical style and philosophical depth. Wordsworth saw nature not just as scenery but as a moral and emotional teacher, shaping the soul and imagination.

What is Classicism and Romanticism?

Classicism

Classicism in literature and art refers to the style and principles inspired by the culture of ancient Greece and Rome. It values order, harmony, balance, clarity, and reason.

Classicism → order, reason, balance, harmony, rules, imitation of Greek & Roman ideals.

Romanticism

Romanticism arose in the late 18th century as a reaction against Classicism. Instead of reason and order, Romanticism celebrated imagination, emotion, individuality, and a deep connection with nature.

Romanticism → imagination, emotion, freedom, individuality, love of nature, creativity.

Wordsworth as a Romantic Poet

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) is considered one of the greatest Romantic poets in English literature and a founding figure of the Romantic Movement. His poetry reflects the main ideals of Romanticism—nature, imagination, emotions, simplicity of language,

Here’s an overview of Wordsworth as a Romantic poet:

1. Worship of Nature

2. Emphasis on Emotion and Imagination

3. Love for the Common Man and Rural Life

4. Simplicity of Style and Language

5. Individualism and Subjectivity

According to Wordsworth what is What is Poet? rather than who is Poet.

Wordsworth explains this mainly in his Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1802).

According to Wordsworth, a Poet is:

1. A Man Speaking to Men

A poet is not a superior being, but “a man speaking to men” who shares the same feelings as everyone else.

The difference is that the poet has a more sensitive and powerful perception of life.

2. Endowed with a Greater Sensibility

A poet has a greater readiness to feel emotions and a greater ability to express them.

He is “endowed with a more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness.”

3. Possessor of Imagination

A poet’s imagination allows him to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and to shape emotions into beautiful forms.

4. One Who Recollects Emotions in Tranquility

Poetry originates from intense emotions, but the poet recollects and reflects upon them in a calm state of mind before expressing them.

5. A Teacher and Moral Guide

The poet’s purpose is to give “immediate pleasure” but also to trace the universal and permanent elements of human nature, elevating the minds of readers.

What is Poetic Diction?

Poetic Diction in Lyrical Ballads

When Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads (1798), they rebelled against the old idea of “poetic diction.”

Earlier Idea of Poetic Diction (18th Century)

Poetry was thought to need lofty, ornamental, and artificial language.

Poets used “grand words” not used in everyday speech.

Example: instead of saying “fish,” they’d say “the finny tribe.”

Wordsworth’s View in Preface to Lyrical Ballads

Poetry should use the “real language of men.”

He rejected flowery, artificial words.

True poetry = simple language + deep feelings.

He believed ordinary rustic life expressed emotions more genuinely.

His Definition:

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

Wordsworth’s Poetic Philosophy:-

Wordsworth believed poetry should be simple in language, humble in subject, emotional in essence, imaginative in expression, and morally uplifting.

Daffodils a great poetry by Wordsworth:

Summary of Daffodils:-

The poem “Daffodils” (also called “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”) describes how the poet, while walking alone, suddenly sees a large number of golden daffodils beside a lake. Their beauty and lively movement, like stars in the sky, fill him with joy and wonder. Though the moment passes, the memory of the daffodils remains in his heart. Later, when he feels lonely or sad, recalling the scene gives him peace, happiness, and inspiration.

Themes in Daffodils:-

1. Nature’s Beauty –

 The daffodils represent the charm, simplicity, and glory of the natural world.

2. Joy & Inspiration – 

Nature gives spiritual joy, uplifting the human heart and mind.

3. Memory & Imagination – 

Even after the moment is gone, the memory of the flowers continues to inspire the poet.

4. Solitude & Peace – 

In lonely times, recollecting nature brings comfort and inner calm.

5. Romanticism – 

Emphasis on emotions, imagination, and the bond between man and nature.

Wordsworth describes a poet as a man speaking to men :-

Wordsworth’s Idea of a Poet

A poet is “a man speaking to men” – not someone above ordinary people, but one who shares the same human feelings and language.

The only difference is that a poet has a greater sensitivity, imagination, and emotional depth than common men.

The poet’s task is to use simple and natural language (the language of common people) to express universal emotions in a beautiful way.

A poet is like a teacher and interpreter of nature and life, showing how ordinary experiences can carry deep meaning.

Good poetry is the Spontaneous Overflow of Powerful feelings :-

Wordsworth’s famous statement that “Good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, recollected in tranquility” can be directly understood through his poem Daffodils.

In “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, Wordsworth describes a simple experience—coming across a field of golden daffodils. At first, the sight gives him joy and fills his heart with delight. But the true poetic value emerges later: when he is alone, lying on his couch in a quiet mood, the memory of the daffodils returns to him and overflows into powerful feelings of peace, joy, and inspiration.

Thus, the poem is not just about flowers but about how nature stirs human emotions. The initial joy (the spontaneous feeling) is recollected later in tranquility, and this recollection transforms into poetry.

 So, Daffodils perfectly illustrates Wordsworth’s idea:

The sight of daffodils = powerful feeling

Remembering them in solitude = recollection in tranquility

Writing the poem = poetry as spontaneous overflow

Conclusion:-

Wordsworth believed that good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, recollected in tranquility. His poem Daffodils is the best example of this idea. The sight of the golden flowers filled the poet’s heart with joy and excitement. Later, when he was alone and thoughtful, the memory of the daffodils returned to him with the same powerful emotions. This recollection gave birth to the poem, turning simple experience into deep poetry. Thus, Daffodils shows how nature, memory, and emotion combine in Wordsworth’s romantic vision of poetry.

References :-

-Preface to the Lyrical Ballads https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374166117

- short learning videos on Wordsworth 's Preface to lyrical ballads https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2014/09/short-learning-video-on-wordsworths.html?m=1