Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798 and generally considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature.[1] The immediate effect on critics was modest, but it became and remains a landmark, changing the course of English literature and poetry.
Title page of the first edition.
Most of the poems in the 1798 edition were written by Wordsworth, with Coleridge contributing only four poems to the collection (although these made about a third of the book in length), including one of his most famous works, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
A second edition was published in 1800, in which Wordsworth included additional poems and a preface detailing the pair's avowed poetical principles.[2] For another edition, published in 1802, Wordsworth added an appendix titled Poetic Diction in which he expanded the ideas set forth in the preface.[3] A third edition was published in 1802,[4] with substantial additions made to its "Preface," and a fourth edition was published in 1805.[5]
Wordsworth and Coleridge set out to overturn what they considered the priggish, learned, and highly sculpted forms of 18th-century English poetry and to make poetry accessible to the average person via verse written in common, everyday language. These two major poets emphasize the vitality of the living voice used by the poor to express their reality. This language also helps assert the universality of human emotions. Even the title of the collection recalls rustic forms of art – the word "lyrical" links the poems with the ancient rustic bards and lends an air of spontaneity, while "ballads" are an oral mode of storytelling used by the common people.
In the 'Advertisement' included in the 1798 edition, Wordsworth explained his poetical concept:
The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purpose of poetic pleasure.[6]
If the experiment with vernacular language was not enough of a departure from the norm, the focus on simple, uneducated country people as the subject of poetry was a signal shift to modern literature. One of the main themes of "Lyrical Ballads" is the return to the original state of nature, in which people led a purer and more innocent existence. Wordsworth subscribed to Rousseau's belief that humanity was essentially good but was corrupted by the influence of society. This may be linked with the sentiments spreading through Europe just prior to the French Revolution.
Poems in the first edition (1798)
Poems marked "(Coleridge)" were written by Coleridge; all the other poems were written by Wordsworth. In the first edition (1798) there were nineteen poems written by Wordsworth and four poems by Coleridge.
For the 1800 edition Wordsworth added the poems that make up Volume II. The poem The Convict (Wordsworth) was in the 1798 edition, but Wordsworth omitted it from the 1800 edition, replacing it with Coleridge's "Love". Lewti or the Circassian Love-chaunt (Coleridge) exists in some 1798 editions in place of The Convict. In the 1798 edition the poems later printed as "Lines Written When Sailing in a Boat at Evening" and "Lines Written Near Richmond, Upon the Thames" form a single poem, "Lines Written Near Richmond, Upon the Thames, at Evening".
References
^See Lyrical Ballads (1 ed.). London: J. & A. Arch. 1798. Retrieved 13 November 2014. via archive.org
^Wordsworth, William (1800). Lyrical Ballads with Other Poems. Vol. I (2 ed.). London: Printed for T.N. Longman and O. Rees. Retrieved 13 November 2014.; Wordsworth, William (1800). Lyrical Ballads with Other Poems. Vol. II (2 ed.). London: Printed for T.N. Longman and O. Rees. Retrieved 15 November 2014. via archive.org
^Wordsworth, William (1802). Lyrical Ballads with Pastoral and other Poems. Vol. I (3 ed.). London: Printed for T.N. Longman and O. Rees. Retrieved 15 November 2014. via archive.org
Lyrical Ballads: A Scholarly Electronic Edition by Bruce Graver and Ron Tetreault
February 13, 2023
lyrical, ballads, with, other, poems, collection, poems, william, wordsworth, samuel, taylor, coleridge, first, published, 1798, generally, considered, have, marked, beginning, english, romantic, movement, literature, immediate, effect, critics, modest, became. Lyrical Ballads with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge first published in 1798 and generally considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature 1 The immediate effect on critics was modest but it became and remains a landmark changing the course of English literature and poetry Title page of the first edition Most of the poems in the 1798 edition were written by Wordsworth with Coleridge contributing only four poems to the collection although these made about a third of the book in length including one of his most famous works The Rime of the Ancient Mariner A second edition was published in 1800 in which Wordsworth included additional poems and a preface detailing the pair s avowed poetical principles 2 For another edition published in 1802 Wordsworth added an appendix titled Poetic Diction in which he expanded the ideas set forth in the preface 3 A third edition was published in 1802 4 with substantial additions made to its Preface and a fourth edition was published in 1805 5 Contents 1 Content 2 Poems in the first edition 1798 3 Poems in the second edition 1800 3 1 Volume I 3 2 Volume II 4 References 5 External linksContent EditWordsworth and Coleridge set out to overturn what they considered the priggish learned and highly sculpted forms of 18th century English poetry and to make poetry accessible to the average person via verse written in common everyday language These two major poets emphasize the vitality of the living voice used by the poor to express their reality This language also helps assert the universality of human emotions Even the title of the collection recalls rustic forms of art the word lyrical links the poems with the ancient rustic bards and lends an air of spontaneity while ballads are an oral mode of storytelling used by the common people In the Advertisement included in the 1798 edition Wordsworth explained his poetical concept The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purpose of poetic pleasure 6 If the experiment with vernacular language was not enough of a departure from the norm the focus on simple uneducated country people as the subject of poetry was a signal shift to modern literature One of the main themes of Lyrical Ballads is the return to the original state of nature in which people led a purer and more innocent existence Wordsworth subscribed to Rousseau s belief that humanity was essentially good but was corrupted by the influence of society This may be linked with the sentiments spreading through Europe just prior to the French Revolution Poems in the first edition 1798 EditPoems marked Coleridge were written by Coleridge all the other poems were written by Wordsworth In the first edition 1798 there were nineteen poems written by Wordsworth and four poems by Coleridge The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere Coleridge The Foster Mother s Tale Coleridge Lines left upon a Seat in a Yew tree which stands near the Lake of Esthwaite The Nightingale a Conversational Poem Coleridge The Female Vagrant Goody Blake and Harry Gill Lines written at a small distance from my House and sent by my little Boy to the Person to whom they are addressed Simon Lee the old Huntsman Anecdote for Fathers We are seven Lines written in early spring The Thorn The last of the Flock The Dungeon Coleridge The Mad Mother The Idiot Boy Lines written near Richmond upon the Thames at Evening Expostulation and Reply The Tables turned an Evening Scene on the same subject Old Man travelling The Complaint of a forsaken Indian Woman The Convict Lines written a few miles above Tintern AbbeyPoems in the second edition 1800 Edit Poems marked Coleridge were written by Coleridge all the other poems were written by Wordsworth Volume I Edit Expostulation and Reply The Tables Turned an Evening Scene on the Same Subject Old Man Travelling Animal Tranquillity and Decay a Sketch The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman The Last of the Flock Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew tree which Stands Near the Lake of Esthwaite The Foster Mother s Tale Coleridge Goody Blake and Harry Gill The Thorn We are Seven Anecdote for Fathers Lines Written at a Small Distance from My House and Sent Me by My little Boy to the Person to whom They Are Addressed The Female Vagrant The Dungeon Coleridge Simon Lee the Old Huntsman Lines Written in Early Spring The Nightingale written in April 1798 Coleridge Lines Written When Sailing in a Boat at Evening written Near Richmond Upon the Thames The Idiot Boy The Mad Mother The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge Lines Written Above Tintern Abbey Volume II Edit Hart Leap Well There Was a Boy amp c The Brothers a Pastoral Poem Ellen Irwin or the Braes of Kirtle Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known amp c Song She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal amp c The Waterfall and the Eglantine The Oak and the Broom a Pastoral Lucy Gray The Idle Shepherd Boys or Dungeon Gill Force a Pastoral Tis said that some have died for love amp c Poor Susan Inscription for the Spot where the Hermitage Stood on St Herbert s Island Derwent Water Inscription for the House an Out house on the Island at Grasmere To a Sexton Andrew Jones The Two Thieves or the Last Stage of Avarice A Whirl blast from Behind the Hill amp c Song for the Wandering Jew Ruth Lines Written with a Slate Pencil upon a Stone amp c Lines Written on a Tablet in a School The Two April Mornings The Fountain a Conversation Nutting Three Years She Grew in Sun and Shower amp c The Pet Lamb a Pastoral Written in Germany on One of the Coldest Days of the Century The Childless Father The Old Cumberland Beggar a Description Rural Architecture A Poet s Epitaph A Character A Fragment Poems on the Naming of Places Michael a Pastoral For the 1800 edition Wordsworth added the poems that make up Volume II The poem The Convict Wordsworth was in the 1798 edition but Wordsworth omitted it from the 1800 edition replacing it with Coleridge s Love Lewti or the Circassian Love chaunt Coleridge exists in some 1798 editions in place of The Convict In the 1798 edition the poems later printed as Lines Written When Sailing in a Boat at Evening and Lines Written Near Richmond Upon the Thames form a single poem Lines Written Near Richmond Upon the Thames at Evening References Edit See Lyrical Ballads 1 ed London J amp A Arch 1798 Retrieved 13 November 2014 via archive org Wordsworth William 1800 Lyrical Ballads with Other Poems Vol I 2 ed London Printed for T N Longman and O Rees Retrieved 13 November 2014 Wordsworth William 1800 Lyrical Ballads with Other Poems Vol II 2 ed London Printed for T N Longman and O Rees Retrieved 15 November 2014 via archive org Wordsworth William 1802 Lyrical Ballads with Pastoral and other Poems Vol I 3 ed London Printed for T N Longman and O Rees Retrieved 15 November 2014 via archive org 3rd edition 4th edition Lyrical Ballads The Wordsworth Trust 2005 Archived from the original on 10 December 2007 Retrieved 18 March 2006 External links Edit Wikisource has original text related to this article Lyrical Ballads Lyrical Ballads at Standard Ebooks Lyrical Ballads 1798 at Project Gutenberg Lyrical Ballads 1800 vol 1 at Project Gutenberg Lyrical Ballads 1800 vol 2 at Project Gutenberg Lyrical Ballads 1798 public domain audiobook at LibriVox Lyrical Ballads curated by Michigan State University professor Lyrical Ballads available at Internet Archive Preface to Lyrical Ballads 1802 Lyrical Ballads A Scholarly Electronic Edition by Bruce Graver and Ron Tetreault Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lyrical Ballads amp oldid 1109713559, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
