The document discusses different theories of poetry from classical philosophers like Plato and Aristotle and poets like Wordsworth. It traces concepts of poetry from its banishment by Plato as morally corrupting to Aristotle's view of it as using fictional examples to purify emotions. Wordsworth's definition of poetry as the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" is also examined, along with his view of the poetic process. The document concludes that Wordsworth redefined poetry by going back to its origins while building on concepts from Coleridge and classical philosophers.

1. Poets and Poetry
Tracing different concepts and
definitions up to
Wordsworth

2. What is Poetry?
Who are Poets?

3. Classical theories
• Plato: • Aristotle :
Banishes poets. Calls Moral purpose.
it a copy of a copy. Purified emotions with
Morally corrupts the fictional examples.
readers and presents Gods Poetry elevated
in immoral fashion. compared to history,
Believes that poetry’s purified morals and
purpose is to instruct and provides pleasure.
not entertain. “The poet’s function
“dangerous for this is to describe, not the
reason because they thing that has happened,
aroused the appetitive but a kind of thing that
part instead of the might happen.”
rational.”

4. Other Famous Poets
• Sidney– best among other disciplines, not poetry but some poets are to
blame, maker and enchanter.
• Shelly—awakens and enlarges mind, legislators of the world.
―Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is
distorted.‖
• Samuel Johnson—‖Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with
truth.‖
• Byron— ―(Poetry) is the lava of the imagination whose eruption
prevents an earthquake.‖
All agree that a poet searches truth, elevated art form, end result
pleasure with purpose of morality.

5. Wordsworth’s definition of Poet
• man speaking to men.
• more lively sensibility.
• greater imagination. (―affected by absent things as if
they were present‖ )
• greater knowledge of the human soul.
• Greater knowledge of human nature.
• more comprehensive soul.
• greater zest for life.
• greater power of expression and
communication.

6. Wordsworth’s definition of
Poetry
• ―Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings: it takes its origins
from emotion recollected in tranquility.‖
• ―Poetry sheds no tears, such as angels
weep, but natural and human tears.‖

7. Poetic • To achieve spontaneous
over flow of emotions!
Process Poet meditates, Poetic moments
connecting occur
thoughts and (spontaneous over
i. Observation feelings flow of emotions)
ii. Recollection
iii.Contemplation Network of
Poem gets past thoughts
iv. Imaginative written and feelings
element of activated.
emotions
experienced Reader is i)enlightened, ii)
earlier affections strengthened
iii)purified ,iv) gets
understanding.

8. Plato vs. Wordsworth
• Plato • Wordsworth
i. Mere copy. i. Imitative and
ii. Twice removed creative.
from ideal. ii. Primary law of
iii. Leads away from nature.
truth. iii. Brings closer.
iv. Immediate. iv. Meditation.
v. Worthless. v. Moral purpose.
vi. Corrupts. vi. Saves.

9. Influence of Aristotle
mimesis, impact, accessibility in terms of the language,
concreteness and catharsis are the elements evident in
Wordsworth’s poems which were professed by Aristotle.
 Aristotle  Wordsworth
i. mimesis is the act of i. reflecting upon his
creating. memories to create.
ii. past experiences. ii. Re-called his experience.
iii. significant impact. iii. Emotions and feeling
highlighted.
iv. Relatable artistic
representation. iv. incidents and situations
from common life.
v. Simple language.
v. Rustic and real language.
vi. Catharsis.
vi. Pleasure as end product.

10. We stood together; and that I, so long
A worshipper of Nature, hither came
Unwearied in that service: rather say
With warmer love--oh! with far deeper
zeal
Of holier love. Nor wilt thou then forget,
That after many wanderings, many years
Of absence, these steep woods and lofty
cliffs,
And this green pastoral landscape, were
to me

11. Conclusion
• If I may dare say so Wordsworth went
back to the very origins of starting a new
form of art that he re-defined and re-
established with some further
explanations and alterations to his
concepts from Coleridge. He gave his
concepts a vent that one, like myself would
say that he gave the terms new meaning as
he though should have been given or
conceived when this art form originated
centuries ago.