Wordsworth’s view of Poetic Diction

The term ‘diction’ signifies the choice phrasing and using of words attractively and beautifully in any work of literature. Poetic diction is such a kind of diction, which is deemed suitable to poetry alone. Since the time of Aristotle there has not been any consensus of opinion as to what constitutes proper poetic diction. The poets of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries found a style in the use of Latinism. The poet of the next century found pleasure in using archaism or obsolete words along with Latinism. Milton laid stress on both Latin words and Latin grammar. William Wordsworth was partly or wholly against all these styles or dictions of poetry followed by poets before him.

In his Preface to the Lyrical Ballads he tried to evolve out a new poetic diction. He realized that the prevalent poetic diction used by the poets was not only obscuring the meaning but also obstructing the full development of poetic excellence. The crux of his theory of diction is the seminal Romantic that the poetic style is organic and not prescriptive. Since every poet’s mode of experience is peculiar to him, it will find expression in a style appropriate to it. Consequently no general poetic diction can be prescribed for all poets to follow. But the poet’s of his preceding ages followed a set rule, a general poetic diction characterized by the known device and figures of speech. Wordsworth denounces the artificial language and avoids such rhetorical devices as periphrasis, personification, antithesis and inversion, for they are cut off from the main roots of poetic sensibility. His main purpose is to imitate, and as far as possible, to adopt the very language of man. He is strongly opposed to a prescribed poetic diction for it is not true to nature either to external native or to human nature in its responses to external. According to Wordsworth, since poetry concerns itself with grand elemental facts about man and nature, the poets should avoid the “transitory and accidental ornaments” and should use simple elemental language. To him the poet “is a man speaking to men” and “Poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”

S.T. Coleridge, T.S. Eliot and other critics vehemently criticized Wordswoth’s theory of poetic diction. T.S. Eliot said that Wordsworth was motivated by the democratic impulse to reject the language of the king and the aristocrats. The style he has followed in his poems is not in conformity with what he has said. He is not going the whole hog for the rustic language, though qualifies his enthusiasm for it. His own great poems are a product of a process like this but his attempt to dislodge the hackneyed poetic style of his day. Wordsworth has made some indiscreet remarks. His proposition to adopt the language of men is rather vague. What does the language of men exactly signify? Besides, there neither is nor can be any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition. As the meter is a charm is not quite conformity with the organic view of the style. It amounts to prescribe one style in place of the other.

The Solitary Reaper: William Wordsworth

  

The poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ written by Wordsworth was published in 1807 in “Poems, in Two Volumes”. The poem is unique because of its language, imagery and natural theme. William Wordsworth is different from other contemporary poets because he focused on emotion, imagination, nature and the common people while other contemporary poets wrote about ancient heroes. He defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling”.

'The Solitary Reaper'

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

 Meaning of some difficult words

Behold: to see

Solitary: Spending time alone

Highland Lass : a girl who lives in the highlands (mountain regions) of Scotland 

Reaping : cutting down and gathering a crop 

Melancholy strain : sad song

Vale profound : deep valley

overwhelming: Completely cover with

Chant: to sing

Weary bands; Bored for doing something for a long time

Shady haunt: shady areas enclosed by trees

Arabian Sands : the deserts of Arabia (the Middle East)

Farthest Hehrides : the most remote group of islands that lie to the north-west of Scotland 

Plaintive : numbers: sad music 

Humble lay : ordinary song

Maiden: young girl

Sickle : a tool for cutting grass and grain crops. It has a short handle and a blade shaped like a hook.

 

Poem Summary

At the outset of the poem the speaker is drawing the attention to a young girl who is singing while reaping the crops. The song is a kind of sad and plaintive one. The passersby either stops or passes gently so that she is not disturbed. She seems very melancholy and the whole valley overflows with its sound. The speaker cannot understand the words of the song. Her song is more welcome than that of a nightingale or a cuckoo bird. He speculates that her song might be about some past sorrow, pain or loss 'of old, unhappy things' or battles fought long ago. Whatever may be, perhaps the song have no ending. His heart bears the tune of the song for a long time.

Night of the Scorpion::Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel is one of the most significant poets of post independence Indian English verse. He was born of a Jewish parents. Poverty and poetry were his companions. He was a prolific writer and journalist and contributed articles to a number of reputed journals and periodicals. He was the editor of 'Quest'. His remarkable works are 'sixty poems', 'The Third', 'The Unfinished Man', 'The Exact Name', 'Hymns in Darkness', 'Latter Day Psalms'. He disapproved snobbery, vagueness and mediocrity.He believes that poetry must be the assimilation of emotion and thought. He also strongly believed that poet should work hard for technical perfection. Ezekiel was influenced by Rimbaud, Yeats and T.S. Eliot. His poetry is a personal quest for identity, commitment and harmony in life. In his poetry we see a note of cultural alienation but he is Indian at heart, of course he observes Indian life in a detached way. He identifies himself with Bombay where he spent major of his life. For him Bombay is a barbaric city with hunger and starvation in slums. His poetry presents vivid pictures of Indian life often quite sordid and dull.

There is a originality and freshness in his poetry.  'Night of Scorpion' is one of the finest poem of Ezekiel. It is a tribute to the poet's departed mother. The poem touches a simple rural scene and a common experience of superstition which are still in our blood. The poet's mother was stung by a scorpion. She was in terrible pain. Friends and neighbors crowd round her and prescribe all sorts of cures and medicines. The movements of the scorpion, says the belief moves the poison in his mother's blood. So the scorpion must be put out .But it was not to be found. Another belief says the poison burns away the sins and purifies one's flesh. So goes sympathy when she was groaned in pain. After twenty hours the poison effect wore off and she said "Thanks God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children". The last two lines are the themes and climax of the poem.

In Ezekiel's poetry we find objective treatment of love and sex. For him male female relationship is a human tradition, eternal and universal. He admits that sex is an impulse which can not be controlled or suppressed. But it must be inspired by life not merely by carnal desire. His poetry is lucid and flawless.

Wordsworth’s view about the place of feelings and emotions in poetry

William Wordsworth was not only a great poet but also a great critic. He expounded his views on poetry, its nature and function of a true poet in his  “Preface to the Lyrical Ballad”. As regards the nature of poetry he clearly states that “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”. In other words poetry comes from the internal feelings of the poet. It is a matter of feeling mood and temperament. When the mood is on him it flows naturally and without labour. True poetry cannot be written without his proper mood and temperament. In his own words “the clear springs of poetry must flow freely and spontaneously – it cannot be made to flow through artificially laid pipes”.

Secondly, poetry is a matter of feelings. Feeling is generated in the heart and not in the mind. Wordsworth’s own words, explained his ideas in the lines “Poetry is born not in the mind but in the heart, overflowing with feelings.”

            Wordsworth also believes that good poetry is never an immediate expression of such powerful emotions. A good poet must ponder over them long and deeply. In the words of Wordsworth, “poetry has its origin in emotions recollected in tranquility.” According to him there are at least four stages through which a successful piece of poetry can be composed.

            First of all there is the observation on perception of some object, character or incident, which set up powerful emotion in the mind of the poet. 

        Secondly, there is recollection or contemplating on the emotion in tranquility. At this stage, memory plays a very important part. An interval of time may be quite long and may elapse, but during that period, the experience seems deep into the poets’ consciousness and becomes a part and parcel of his being. As during the interval the mind contemplates in tranquility, the impression received by it.

            Thirdly, the interrogation of memory, the poet sets up or revives the emotions in the mind itself. But it does not mean that the creative process in tranquil one. The poet is disturbed by his own thought by selection, omission and arrangement of composition.

             Fourthly, it is the last stage of composition. The poet must convey that over balanced of his pleasure, his own state of enjoyment to others.

            This theory of poetry expounded by Wordsworth has been criticized by many even his friend and great poet – Coleridge. T.S. Eliot is another critic of his theory. However Wordsworth himself followed his theory of poetry, many subsequent poets were influenced by this theory. Of course Coleridge and Eliot confined their criticism not so much to the theory of poetry as to the diction and language of poetry. 

The ant and the cricket poem summary

The ant and the cricket poem summary

The poem is based on a fable of a diligent ant and a silly cricket. The cricket rejoiced all the day in singing and dancing. He didn’t care to save for the future. During the summer neither he stored food nor he built shelter. On the onset of winter he discovered his cupboard was empty. He also did not have shelter to save him from trembling cold. To survive, the cricket knocked at the door of the ant for help.

The ant became annoyed with the cricket and said that the cricket must be suffered for wrongdoing. Ants are industrious and never borrow or lend. The ant also asked the cricket to try merrymaking during the adverse times.

Moral: The poem conveys a significant moral. One should not be negligent about future while enjoy happy moments.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever : Summary

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: 

Its loveliness increases; it will never 

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep 

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep 

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.          

Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing 

A flowery band to bind us to the earth, 

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth 

Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, 

Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways           

Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, 

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall 

From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, 

Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon 

For simple sheep; and such are daffodils           

With the green world they live in; and clear rills 

That for themselves a cooling covert make 

‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake, 

Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms: 

And such too is the grandeur of the dooms           

We have imagined for the mighty dead; 

All lovely tales that we have heard or read: 

An endless fountain of immortal drink, 

Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink. 

A thing of beauty is an excerpt of “Endymion : A Poetic Romance’. Here the poet wants to make this world worth living for mankind  free from suffering and gloomy. A thing of beauty is a ceaseless source of joy. It never fades and passes into nothingness, rather it always gives us a pleasant feeling which causes a sound sleep with full of sweet dreams and a smooth breathing.

There are so many disappointment and dejection around us. We suffer from gloomy sadness and dearth of human qualities. In the midst of all these evil and unhealthy ways some shape of beauty bring joy and uncover the darkness of sufferings.

The sun, the moon, old and young trees, reel with transparent water, blooming daffodils  - all that are constant source of joy and happiness provide the humanity a sweet sensation. This loveliness surpasses grandeur of the dooms that we have imagined. The beauty of endless fountain pours our heart with heavenly bliss like immortal secret drink.