How does Wordsworth appear as a poet of the common man in his “Preface to Lyrical Ballads?”

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How does Wordsworth appear as a poet of the common man in his Preface to Lyrical Ballads Or How does Wordsworth appear as a mouthpiece of the plebeian in his Lyrical Ballads William Wordsworth - wrote the Preface to Lyrical Ballads to share his ideas about poetry In this preface he did not speak only for the rich or the educated He spoke for the simple village people He believed poetry should be for everyone It should not be just for high-class people He wanted to show the real life of common men in his poems That is why Wordsworth is called the poet of the common man and the voice of the plebeian Simple Language Wordsworth says poetry must use everyday language Unlike old poets who used fancy words he writes as common people speak This makes poetry easy to understand He believes deep emotions are best expressed in

simple words When a shepherd or farmer reads his poems they should feel connected His goal is to remove the gap between poets and ordinary readers The poet says My purpose was to imitate and as far as possible to adopt the very language of men Rural Life and Ordinary People Wordsworth chooses the village people and nature as his main topics He thinks city life is artificial but rural life is pure and honest Farmers beggars and children appear in his poems Their struggles and joys reflect real human emotions Unlike earlier poets who wrote about kings he finds beauty in ordinary lives This makes him a true poet of the poor and working class Close to Nature Wordsworth thought that common people in the countryside were close to nature Their life was simple and pure Nature taught them many lessons They lived with rivers trees and hills That is why their emotions were deep and true Wordsworth loved this life He believed that poetry should reflect this natural way of living His poems showed this connection In this way he gave importance to rural life and became the voice of nature and its people Defending the New Style Wordsworth knows his simple style may seem dull to some Many readers at that time were used to grand decorative poetry But he argues that true poetry must be natural He asks readers to give his poems time Slowly they will see the beauty in simplicity His defense shows his strong belief in common people s tastes He refuses to change his style to please the elite The poet says The poet thinks and feels in the spirit of human passions How then can his language differ in any material degree from that of all other men who feel vividly and see clearly In summary Wordsworth gave a new life to English poetry through his writing He made poetry simple real and full of human emotion He gave the common people a voice in literature He showed that they also have deep thoughts and feelings His poems spoke for the poor the unknown and the village people That is why he is called the poet of the common man These also make him the mouthpiece of the plebeian in English poetry

Preface to Lyrical Ballads

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How does Wordsworth appear as a poet of the common man in his “Preface to Lyrical Ballads?”

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William Wordsworth

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