Did Wordsworth or Coleridge Have Greater Influence on Modern Criticism?
Did Wordsworth or Coleridge have greater influence on modern criticism?
Answer:
Wordsworth, Coleridge, and British Romanticism
Introduction
After a brief introduction of the period that will contrast the Romantics with the century that preceded them, we shall move on to analyze the great poetic, theoretical experiment that most consider the Ur text of British Romanticism: "Lyrical Ballads". We shall explore both the unique plan of "Lyrical Ballads", and the implications of that plan for literary theory. In this elaborate introductory summary, we shall consider the contributions of the British Romantic poets. Our texts will be:
Wordsworth's Preface to the "Lyrical Ballads",
Coleridge's "Biographia Literaria",
Shelly's "Defense of Poetry",
Keats' Letters.
After this initial lecture on "Lyrical Ballads" itself, we'll then devote one talk to Wordsworth. Coleridge, and Shelly. Rather than devote an entire lecture to Keats, we'll consider Keats' theories in relation to those of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Shelly. So he will be fitted in the additional talks.
Like Pope and Dryden, all four of our theorists were poets before they were critics. Thus their theory is a reflection of their own poetic technique. Because the four Romantics were poets, when they wrote their criticism, they were doing so out of their own experience. So this gives a little more practicality or pragmatic touch to their theory.
Now the difference is that they're like Pope and Dryden in the sense that they're poets, however, there's a big difference. The Romantics treated the poet, rather than the rules of decorum, as a source and touchstone of art. When we look at Pope and Dryden, especially the former, we notice that they were theorists very interested in decorum, following those rules. Yet we'll see our poets/critics following the idea of the poet. In addition, we'll find they fashion a new social role for the poet, very different from the 18th century (mainly to delight and teach or more
Answer:
Wordsworth, Coleridge, and British Romanticism
Introduction
After a brief introduction of the period that will contrast the Romantics with the century that preceded them, we shall move on to analyze the great poetic, theoretical experiment that most consider the Ur text of British Romanticism: "Lyrical Ballads". We shall explore both the unique plan of "Lyrical Ballads", and the implications of that plan for literary theory. In this elaborate introductory summary, we shall consider the contributions of the British Romantic poets. Our texts will be:
Wordsworth's Preface to the "Lyrical Ballads",
Coleridge's "Biographia Literaria",
Shelly's "Defense of Poetry",
Keats' Letters.
After this initial lecture on "Lyrical Ballads" itself, we'll then devote one talk to Wordsworth. Coleridge, and Shelly. Rather than devote an entire lecture to Keats, we'll consider Keats' theories in relation to those of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Shelly. So he will be fitted in the additional talks.
Like Pope and Dryden, all four of our theorists were poets before they were critics. Thus their theory is a reflection of their own poetic technique. Because the four Romantics were poets, when they wrote their criticism, they were doing so out of their own experience. So this gives a little more practicality or pragmatic touch to their theory.
Now the difference is that they're like Pope and Dryden in the sense that they're poets, however, there's a big difference. The Romantics treated the poet, rather than the rules of decorum, as a source and touchstone of art. When we look at Pope and Dryden, especially the former, we notice that they were theorists very interested in decorum, following those rules. Yet we'll see our poets/critics following the idea of the poet. In addition, we'll find they fashion a new social role for the poet, very different from the 18th century (mainly to delight and teach or more