The first volume of William Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads (1798) was published, as Wordsworth states in the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads (1802), ".. . as an experiment” (482). The introduction to The Lyrical Ballads of William Richey and Daniel Robinson suggests that the experiment challenged the popular literature of the time in such a way that it sought to "eliminate the pleasurable illusions of late 18th-century art in order to reveal things as they were. were)." (1). Thus, lyric ballads became one of the earliest examples of literature of the Romantic era, with William Wordsworth leading the way as one of the authentic Romantic poets. The emphasis on the poor and the excluded, written in the true "language of men", characterizes the literature of the Romantic era, which contrasts with the literature of the neoclassical era. This literature emphasized the life of the aristocracy and was written. in a sophisticated manner (2 Although Lyrical Ballads did not seek to provoke a strong reaction against neoclassicism, evidence of such a movement is evident in the content of its poems, namely "Expostulation and Response". no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The poem presents an interesting conflict in itself regarding the transition from neoclassical to romantic ideas and would therefore be better. addressed by such criticism. The poem's ultimate message favors romanticism, but a romantic criticism approach alone will not provide a reasonably valid judgment on the work's strengths and weaknesses; a secondary analysis of the poem with respect to neoclassicism is also necessary. The reasons for this judgment are based on a comparison of the preface to the second edition of William Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads with Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism. William Wordsworth's essay represents the medium of romantic criticism and Pope's essay represents neoclassical criticism. “Expostulation and Reply” was written in the style of a poetic dialogue that takes place between two gentlemen, on the theme of scholarship. The poem is composed of 4 line stanzas with an abab rhyme scheme. The first gentleman, Matthew, asks his companion William why he sits idly: "Why does William sit like this alone,/And dream in your spare time?" Then Matthew reproaches him for not spending his time among the books and knowledge of the scholars of the past: "Arise! Arise! And drink the spirit breathed/Of the dead to their fellows." William responds that his actions are not vain in nature, that he senses nature without even trying to do so: "Our bodies feel, wherever they are, / Against or with our will." He says that the mind can be passively nourished and can thus be used to teach itself, "...we can nourish our minds, / In wise passivity." He asks his companion why one should seek knowledge when it comes automatically from nature: "Do you think...that nothing of itself will come,/But we must seek all the same?" William finally responds that man can learn all he needs to know from nature and that is why he sits and dreams: "I sit on this old gray stone/And I dream in my time." » (103-4). The poem summarizes the neoclassical values ​​of Matthew, who reasons with William in an attempt to dissuade him from his romantic values. William responds, as the title suggests, with strong support for his values, creating a sense of conviction in the reader. In just 8 stanzas, the poem presents the logical transition between neoclassicism andromanticism that probably took place on a societal level. It is likely that the poem reflects a conversation that may have taken place in the life of William Wordsworth and which therefore inspired such a poem. Elements of neoclassicism are indeed present in the poem, despite its beginnings as a romantic piece. Matthew presents an argument to his companion, Williamthat is supported by neoclassical beliefs. Matthew suggests that William pick up a book and learn from the spirits of the dead through their rhetoric. The idea of ​​learning ancient truths is an element of neoclassicism found specifically in Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism, which followed in the tradition of Horace and gave advice to literary critics and poets ( 297): “You therefore, whose judgment is good the direction would be, / Know well the specific character of each elder; / His fable, his subject, his significance in each page; / The religion, the country, the genius of his time” (301). Pope suggests in this passage, in lines 118-121 of his essay, that to follow the best path, one must choose the path most traveled. To proclaim general truths, the writer must draw inspiration from the thinkers of the past. So this truth must be communicated to others and other scholars will recognize the truth, because they have already heard it. "Some, by old words, have pretended, / Ancient in praise, simple modern in their meaning; / Things so laborious, in such a strange style, / Astonish the ignorant and make the learned smile." (301). Matthew would like William to understand that there is no other way to learn than from the knowledge and wisdom of books. Make it original! We will create a custom essay on "The Expostulation and Response of William Wordsworth: A Neoclassical and Romantic Analysis" written to your specifications. Order a Custom Essay In the poem, Matthew proposes that without books, the common man would be nothing: “Where are your books?” This light bequeathed/To other desperate and blind beings! (103). This reflects the neoclassical notion that without the knowledge of the great thinkers of the past, the common man is blind; without it, he is hopeless and aimless. This also presents the neoclassical distinction of classes within society, provided that the common man lacks intellect and ability to construct knowledge on his own. Matthew also accuses William of having no common sense or rationality because he reflects on nature as if aimlessly and as if he was the first man to understand nature, "You look around at your mother the earth,/ As if it had given birth to you without a purpose;/ As if you were its firstborn,/ And no one had lived before you!” (103). To the neoclassicist, the scenario of William sitting idly on a stone would make him look like a fool, and his justification would seem absurd. The voice of neoclassicism is strongly heard in the poem as Matthew echoes the beliefs of Alexander Pope and other neoclassicists. Having thus revealed the presence of neoclassicism in the poem, it is important that we discover the fundamental romantic message of Wordsworth's work. Its message appears not only through the content of the poem, but also through its style. William's response to Matthew asserts that he senses and learns from nature without even trying to do so. This reflects Wordsworth's assertion that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, which only come to a man possessing organic sensibility (484). In the poem, William is writing a poem, but perhaps he is gaining the emotional experience necessary to do so. William suggests that man can nourish his mind through passivity. This passivity described by Wordsworthreflects his statement: “For the human mind is capable of being excited without the application of gross and violent stimulants. » (484). Ultimately, William suggests that things come by themselves. Wordsworth here implies that poetry comes from the emotions that man draws from his personal experiences in nature (490). Therefore, the romantic justification behind William's actions is complemented by his response and personal defense. The experimental value of the lyric ballads, as well as the romantic style in which they were written, contradict the neoclassical style. Pope condemns writing with such experimental intentions in his essay by stating "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance." (302). Although Wordsworth's ideas were experimental in literature, he did not become a writer by chance. His ideas were new and his way of conveying them was something of an experiment. Wordsworth believed that poetry should be adopted from the language of men, thought that poets who used the most philosophical language "separated themselves from the sympathies of men" and therefore "indulged in arbitrary and capricious habits of expression, in order to provide food for fickle whims.” fickle tastes and appetites, or their own creation” (483). Wordsworth would suggest that because he wrote this poem in the language of the common man, it could be read and enjoyed by the common man as well as the aristocracy, thus creating enjoyment for all. And pleasure, Wordsworth asserts, is the end of poetry, its ultimate goal (489). The poem resembles a work of romanticism in its style. As mentioned earlier, the work was written in the language of the common man. The choice of words in the poem, while in the language of the common man, refers to the experiences of the common man. For example, the poem is likely set in a rural setting as William sits on an old gray stone and then converses with his friend by Lake Esthwaite. This use of the rural environment is a predominant feature of romanticism: “The humble and rustic life was generally chosen because, in this state, the essential passions of the heart, which find a better soil where they can reach their maturity, are less constrained. , and speak clearer and more emphatic language” (483). The action that takes place in the poem also resembles the experience of ordinary men and therefore can be perceived by them. Wordsworth states that it is necessary for the poet to give immediate pleasure to the reader: "The end of poetry is to produce excitement in coexistence with an excess of pleasure..." (487-9). The poem gives the reader a sense of pleasure as he learns that he can create things on his own, without the help of intellectuals of the past. Wordsworth also refers to the distinct purpose of a poem: "(a) the description of objects such as strongly excite these feelings will be found to carry with them a purpose2E" (484). The aim of “Expostulation and Response” is clear: to enlighten readers about the value of nature for knowledge and to dissuade the reader from relying solely on books; more bluntly, to direct readers towards romantic values ​​and ideas and away from neoclassicism. In order to perceive these forces in the poem, it is necessary to resort to romantic criticism. Although it is also useful to use this review to analyze the poem's weaknesses, this is difficult to do because the piece was written in accordance with the values ​​of Romanticism. A weakness of the poem, however, is Wordsworth's assertion of the importance of feeling in his preface, "that the feeling developed there gives importance to., 2005: (481-492).