History
repeats itself. Features of past literature become parts of the present.
Writers proudly use these traits in their writings. Romantic and Neoclassical
poets do the same things. Romantic poets take some characteristics from English
Renaissance Poetry. They publish The Lyrical Ballad and its preface,
which starts the period of Romantic Poetry. On the other hand, Neoclassical
poets follow the styles of Classical Poetry.
Neoclassical
poets staunchly follow Greco-Roman’s rules, styles, and
structures in their works and stand against the Renaissance Styles of
Poetry. Neoclassical Poetry is quite different from both
Renaissance and Romantic Poetry. It strictly adapts classical notions and
traits.
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The first trait of Neoclassical Poetry is Rationalism, which
maintains reason and intellect in poetry.
● The second trait is Realism, which is against Imagination. There is no place for lyricism, fantasy, feeling, and emotion in Neoclassical Poetry. Without these elements, Neoclassical Poetry seems fabricated and stereotypical.
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The third trait is Scholarly Allusions, which take away the poetry
from the understandability of the common masses. Neoclassical Poetry is full of
religious, historical, philosophical, and Greco-Roman allusions.
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The fourth trait is Didacticism, which supports philosophy and
morality to emphasize instructional and informative qualities in poetry.
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The fifth trait is Heroic Couplets. It is a traditional form
consisting of a rhyming pair of lines in Iambic pentameter.
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The sixth trait is Poetic Diction. It is for a high-ranking
vocabulary in poetry.
●
The seventh trait is the preference for Objectivity over
subjectivity. It is because Neoclassical poets never shape their poetry along
with their judgments and sentiments.
Romantic poetry is free from the traditional rules and mechanical structure. It encourages freedom by which poets freely express their dreams, thoughts, imagination, and passion. Poets are not bound to write just about a specific group of people, their lifestyle, and nature. They are free to paint the natural world and their imaginary world through their colors of feeling and emotion such as pain, happiness, sadness, lament, restlessness, and peace. Romantic Poetry is a source of wandering into the imaginary world of the poet in which readers stay with all the same senses and sensations.
Romantic Poetry,
found in the common language, does not mean that it is only for selected lower-class faculties like peasants and shepherds. It is for those who always feel
nature around themselves, who can see gold in the sunlight, silver in the
moonlight, pearls in dews, and new life in the spring views. These people may
belong to any walk of life, but they enjoy Romantic Poetry. While reading it,
they breathe romantic verses with their breath, listen with their heartbeats,
and drink through their souls and spirits.
William
Wordsworth and S.T. Coleridge did a well-organized
experiment by presenting the Lyrical Ballad. Their purpose is to
estimate the reactions to a new style of poetry. The Lyrical Ballad consists of
romantic poems. It is also the movement to support those who want to express
their feeling, emotion, and thought through poetry. In the initial stages,
romantic poets have to go through criticisms, but finally, their revolutionary
change in poetry is accepted and welcomed.
After
Lyrical Ballad, William Wordsworth gives its preface. He neither wants to
convince people to like and accept his work nor prove his genius. He wants to
bring before the reasons and very purpose of his works. He believed that
Neoclassical Poetry needed change, so he started poetry on nature. He says that
the language in Neoclassical Poetry is not adequate to reach a large circle of
people. It is insensitive and uncommon in its expression, so simple language is
required here. It should be pure and expressive. William Wordsworth had
confidence that his poetry had a purpose and plan. The Neoclassical poets
feel proud of using their language. Maybe, they do not know that they cannot
meet the common masses through their poetry.
According
to William Wordsworth, a poet is fundamentally a man speaking to a man. He is
different but has a common nature. Wordsworth is a man of immense receptivity,
observation, reflection, and imagination. He has the power of communication. He
can understand reality and facts to which others remain blind. He can see into
the heart of things. He can communicate his understanding of the soul of things
to his readers. Wordsworth follows a poetic process through which poetic
composition takes place. The first is observation, the second is recollection,
the third is contemplation, and the fourth is imaginative excitements of the
emotion. It is the process of creation. It grants him a joy that he wants to
communicate to his readers.
William
Wordsworth suggests that before writing good poetry, a poet should develop deep
feelings and understand them through his deep thought process. Further, he says
just feelings and emotions are not enough to produce a masterpiece. A great
notion is also required. Both are significant parts of his works, but the
feeling is noticeable. He puts feelings into actions and situations.
Wordsworth
chooses the diverse aspects of humble and rustic life for several reasons. In a Humble life, feelings are freely and frankly expressed.
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In rustic life, feelings are simple, and so are expressed accurately and
forcefully,
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The manners of this life are not sophisticated. They are simple and so more
conducive to an understanding of human nature, and
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In this life, human passions are with the grand and noble objects of nature,
and so they are more noble and permanent.
According
to him, poetry is not very different from prose. But why does he choose poetry
to express his feelings? Does he not have the option of prose? He answers that
poetry has rhymes and meters with controlling power to increase or decrease
feelings and emotions. He always wants his readers to judge poetry with deep
sense. The judgment made early often produces a rough result. Criticism ought
to come but along with a composed attitude.
Romantic
and Neoclassical poems are different from each other. They have different
characteristics, perspectives, structures, and objectives, but both affect lives,
values, and literature.
This
article is written by Shajar Ali, one of the contributors at the School of
Literature.
