Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 3

Assignment on;

"W i l l i a m W o r d s w o r t h ’ s P o e t i c
Process""

Submitted to:

Prof. Asif Ali Suhag

Submitted by:

Al t a f A hme d She i kh
M.A (Hons.) English Literature
Roll No. ENG/2K6/10
Institute of English Language & Literature,
University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

Dated;
November 2nd; 2009
Introduction
William Wordsworth, pioneer of romanticism, was fundamentally a poet but laid
his hands on criticism also. He was concerned not only about defining poetry and
composing it, but he also peeped inside the other elements which are included in
the genre of criticism as to know the nature and function of poetry. His thoughts
constitute few theories which although controversial and least acceptable, still
have got some significance when it comes discussing Wordsworth’s contribution
as a critic. His important contribution was that of describing the process which
leads a poet to the production of poetry.

Process of Production of Poetry as described by Wordsworth


Wordsworth’s poetic process is based on his following statement;

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes origin from


emotion recollected in tranquility; the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of
reactions, the tranquility disappears, and an emotion kindred to that which before
the subject of contemplation is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist
in the mind. In this mood successful composition begins and in a similar mood it is
carried out.”

When we analyze above statement by Wordsworth, it can easily be put into five
stages which leads to the production of poetry, which is actually the poetic process
in the eyes of Wordsworth. These five stages in order of process, are; Observation;
Perception of the sense; Reflection; Imagination; Judgment. In simple terms, these
stages are also named as; Sensation, Contemplation, Recollection, Recreation, &
Composition. In the first stage, there is the emotion set up by an experience or by
an object. Then there is an interval of time which the non-essential elements in the
experience are unconsciously purged off. In the second stage, memory plays an
important part. It throws off the dross of unmeaning fact, controls what is to be
retained and shapes into beautiful forms what it retains. Wordsworth believed that
if habitually consulted, memory will supply poet with his most valuable materials.
This idea of an interval between experiences or observations and composition is an
important part of Wordsworth’s theory of poetry. He believed that the method of
composing poetry sometimes after the experience or incident reproduced with
deeper truth the original impression. The third stage is recollection, when the
experiences, thus purged, are recalled. At the fourth stage the emotion is gradually
set up in the mind again. And then, composition is the last stage where the thought
or emotion of the poet is before the world in a concrete form.
Wordsworth is often misconceived to have disregarded importance of thought and
over valued emotion in poetic process. However, this charge is mislaid upon him.
He himself stated;

“Poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety
of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic
sensibility, had also thought long and deeply. For our continued influxes of feeling
are modified and directed by our thoughts.”

It is worth mentioning here that the poetic process does not only rely on giving
way to one’s emotion, rather it is built on a particular emotional and intellectual
development. An experience triggers a transcendent moment, an instance of the
sublime and the senses are overwhelmed by it. Then the spontaneous overflow
leaves an individual incapable of articulating the true nature and beauty of that
experience. Then, when the same experience is recollected, recreated, in
tranquility, one finds a way out towards expressing it in words which is the final
stage of poetic process i-e composition.

Conclusion
Thus to sum up the poetic process as explained by Wordsworth, one need not open
encyclopedia of poetry or criticism, but just bringing forth his parallel figure, a
friend and a contemporary, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, would show both the
shortcomings and the eccentricities in his poetic process. Coleridge had an edge
over Wordsworth and very justly evaluated Wordsworth’s thoughts concerning
poetry.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi