A Subjective Art Form
Poetry has been used to convey feelings and stories since ancient times. To some it is a medium to express emotion and ideas; such as love, sorrow and joy. But for Wordsworth, poetry was one of the most essential forms of literary expression and he believed it had a much greater purpose than merely reflecting personal thoughts and feelings. To him, it had the ability to speak to the soul of the reader and evoke empathy.
Throughout his writings, Wordsworth proclaimed that its main function was to both capture and convey the universal emotions and passions of mankind. He argued that because of its unique combination of music and words, it was better suited than prose to convey emotion in its rawest form. Moreover, he wrote that its purpose was to educate, inspire, and motivate – to serve as a moral force to challenge and uplift readers. He believed that universal themes such as beauty, truth, innocence and virtue can be explored through poetry and be used to encourage readers to think more deeply about their lives.
Wordsworth’s Principles of Poetry
To Wordsworth, poetry was an act of imagination – a means of recording personal impressions, thoughts and feelings. He preached a “Realistic Passional” approach to writing poetry, which focused on the importance of expressing subjective thoughts and the emotions associated with them in an authentic and sincere manner. He discouraged aesthetically perfect poems, championing instead beautiful, emotionally evoking works of creative expression.
Wordsworth was also a great advocate of simplicity in his works. He believed that poetry should be written in such a way that it can be comprehended by all types of readers, regardless of their level of education and understanding. He proclaimed that to be successful, poetry should focus less on the technical and more on the emotional, with imagery and language used to evoke reactions and feelings. He argued that poetic beauty is not found in its mechanics, but rather in its power to arouse emotion.
Wordsworth and Nature
To Wordsworth, nature was a source of healing and enlightenment. He believed that through it, readers could identify with primitive feelings, and that this understanding could lead to an awakening of the mind, body and soul. He wrote extensively about the power of nature, its ability to heal, and its essential role in forming a meaningful life. He composed several poems about its relationship to emotion and the inner self, such as “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal” and “The World Is Too Much With Us”.
To Wordsworth, poetry existed as a medium to express this relationship to nature. He argued that through nature writing, readers can gain a deeper understanding of their own emotional nature, as well as ideas and feelings associated with the natural environment. He believed that this emotional connection has the power to soothe and absorb readers, allowing them to appreciate its unique beauty and understand their own place in the world.
The Poet as the “Man of Feeling”
Wordsworth championed the idea that poetry must be consistent with the mental and emotional lives of its readers. For him, the best poetry is one that speaks not only to the reader’s intellect but also to their heart and soul. He argued that poetry should be honest, sincere, and charged with emotion, its words and images used as a vessel to express authentic and vivid experiences. Through this, the poet can provide readers with a sense of security and sustenance, with its rhymes and rhythms serving as powerful tools to convey messages of hope and solace.
In his poem “On the Power of Sound”, he wrote the lines “With music loud and long/ I would build that dome in air/ That sunny dome! Those caves of ice!/ And all who heard should see them there.” Here, he echoes a humanistic view of poetry, in which not only words but also music can be a powerful medium to convey emotion and feeling. He believed that poetry had the potential to heal and transform, and that it can touch readers’ hearts and lead them to a new understanding of the world around them and their relationships with it.
The Power of Poetry and Imagination
Wordsworth argued that poetic expression can allow readers to explore and better understand their own sensations and experience. He believed that through it, readers can develop a greater understanding of their emotions and the world around them, making for a more enlightened society. To him, poetry had the power to spark powerful emotions, to bring ideas to life, and to evoke powerful reflections about life, death and the human condition.
Wordsworth situated poetry as an ideal form of expression, claiming that its music and words can carry a message and transport readers to powerful and personal moments. His poetry was successful not only because of its musicality and symbolism but also because it touched upon universal themes in an emotional way, its words speaking directly to readers’ hearts.
The Role of Poetry in Society
Wordsworth recognised the importance of poetry in society, believing that its combination of music and language can help to bridge the gap between differing ideologies. He felt that poetry could be used to bring awareness to social issues, calling for change and progress across the world. He acknowledged the power of the pen, writing in his poem “The World is Too Much With Us”: “And […] we are out of tune;/ It moves us not.” In this passage, he emphasises the importance of poetry as a medium of communication, its words serving as a powerful tool to move readers, inspire empathy and spur action.
Further, Wordsworth recognized the potential of poetry to shape human thought and behaviour and to shape the societies we live in. He wrote that through it, readers can discover themselves and gain a better understanding of how to use their knowledge and skills to create a better world. Wordsworth’s writings place great emphasis on the power of poetic expression, arguing that it can transform the individual, the relationship between individuals and the societies they live in.
The Evolving Function of Poetry
Throughout his career, Wordsworth explored the idea that poetry can provide an insight into the human condition — its potential to connect with truth, beauty and virtue. He argued that poetry should be dynamic and ever-changing, its form used to reflect the times and address social issues. He believed that as society evolves, so too should the function of poetry, its words used to communicate and address the problems that matter most to its readers.
Wordsworth’s writings suggest that the function of poetry is to challenge readers and evoke powerful reflections. He argued that its words should be used to move readers, to educate and inspire them, to help them to find the balance between navigating the world and bettering their own lives. He recognised that poetry has the power to inform, enlighten and transform, making it one of the most important forms of literary expression.
