MkR

British Studies on Wordsworth [Ed. Mohit K.Ray]. New Delhi : Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2003.

Preface:

We are happy to place in the hands of our readers-- mainly the teachers and students and lovers of English literature-- a bunch of very valuable and some rare essays by British critics on William Wordsworth, the great romantic poet of England . It is common knowledge now that Wordsworth and Coleridge together brought about a revolution in English poetry with the publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798). In the first edition which contained an "Advertisement" their views on poetry were briefly stated, and Coleridge admitted it as "half a child of my brain". In the second edition the Advertisement was enlarged into a long Preface mainly written by Wordsworth where Wordsworth's views on different aspects of poetry-- subject, language, meter, etc.-- were discussed in detail. In every subsequent Preface Wordsworth went on elaborating and modifying his views so that a time came-- with the publication of the 1815 edition -- that Coleridge felt he could no longer agree with the views of Wordsworth and decided to "declare once for all in what respect I coincide with his opinions and in what points I altogether differ". The three chapters of Biographia Literaria (1817) included in this volume are entirely devoted to criticism of Wordsworth's views.Coming from Coleridge, the most important critic of the Romantic Period the criticism is as sharp and penetrating as it is illuminating.

The next essay is by William Hazlitt. One of Hazlitt's mature writings , the essay which is taken from The Spirit of the Age (1825) combines fine physical sketch, a sketch of the character of Wordsworth and a critical summary assessment of his writings.

De Quincey's essay which constitutes the concluding part of his essay "On Wordsworth's Poetry" discusses the changes in popular attitude to Wordsworth's poetry, examines his strengths and weaknesses and De Quincey concludes that meditative poetry is Wordsworth's forte where he is second only to Shakespeare.

If Coleridge, Hazlitt and De quincey were Wordsworth's contemporaries Matthew Arnold belongs to the Victorian period. Arnold, the most important critic of the Victorian period , discovers in Wordsworth's poetry "criticism of life" and considers Wordsworth as "one of the chief glories of English poetry". The essay focuses on the timeless qualities of Wordsworth's poetry.

John Morley's essay offers an interesting counterpoint to Arnold 's . Balanced in his approach and never blind to Wordsworth's qualities as a poet Morley, however, does not hesitate to point out that whatever definition of poetry we accept there are large chunks of Wordsworth's poetry which cannot be called poetry, and quotes Keats approvingly:"Wwe hate poetry that has a palpable design on us". When Wordsworth tells us that"One impulse from a vernal wood/ May teach you more of man,/ Of moral evil and of good,/ Than all the sages can" Morley's reaction is that "such a proposition cannot be seriously taken as more than a half-playful sally for the benefit of some too bookish friend", and he firmly declares: "No impulse from a vernal wood can teach us anything at all of moral evil and of good". Combined with a biographical sketch and references to incidents in Wordsworth's life Morley's criticism of Wordsworth is both informative and evaluative., and makes a delightful reading..

The supreme advantage of Herford 's study which is taken from his classic study , The Age of Wordsworth is that with his fine critical insight he is able to place Wordsworth in the brader perspective of European Romanticismand at the same time make illuminating comments on various aspects of his poetry.

Oliver Elton's essay on Wordsworth which concludes the studies included in this volume not only defines the place of Wordsworth in the history of English poetry but also examines the influence that he exerted on his successors and how his influence shaped their poetry. It is a very useful study for a critical understanding of the essential Wordsworth.

I thank my colleague Professor Rama Kundu for her valuable assistance in various ways. My special thanks go to Dr K.R.Gupta, Managing Director, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, for giving me ample freedom in preparing this anthology and for seeing the book through the press.

The students and teachers of English literature will find these historically valuable essays very useful and thought-provoking.

Mohit K.Ray