William Wordsworht:: "Preface to Lyrical Ballads"

          William Wordsworth sets out to explain his view of what a poet is. He says that a poet is a man who is "possessed of more than the usual organic sensibility, had also thought long and hard."  He says that poets feel things more keenly than your average person, although the nature of their feelings are the same as everybody else.  A poet is able to regurgitate these feelings in a new, interesting and exciting way. William claims that simple poems are better than complex because simple is still well thought out well while being spontaneous, powerful, and more easily comprehended.

         William Wordsworth can be connected to Aristole in that they argue against eachother. Wordsworth argues that a simple poem is better, while Aristotle explains why he thinks that complex poems are better. However I agree with William Wordsworth and his claims that poetry should be simple, and exciting. Personally I would rather read a long complex novel, and a simple poem.


Question: Do you think that he was challenging Aristotle/