Definition of Poetry in Wordsworth’s Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

An author bold enough to set forth his own definition of a literary form should obviously pursue perfection in that particular field. Few achieve their objectives as completely as the esteemed romantic poet William Wordsworth did. Introducing a collaborative effort by Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, the preface to the poem anthology Lyrical Ballads contains Wordsworth’s ultimate definition of poetry. Emotion, common life, and passion for nature are all components of this definition, and an emphasis on each was placed in Wordsworth’s culmination of romantic elements: the poem Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey. This romantic piece exhibits many widely accepted elements of the Romantic Age, but specifically fulfills the qualifications set forth by Wordsworth’s own definition of romantic poetry.

Initiating the definition is Wordsworth’s belief that poetry should flow from one’s emotions experienced while in a peaceful state of mind. Clearly, this criterion eliminates much of today’s poetry in which emotions of a darker nature (anger, aggression, and fear) are explored. Nevertheless, Wordsworth himself fits the mold perfectly, as demonstrated by the type and amount of emotion expressed in Tintern Abbey. Barely a state of mind more peaceful exists than one brought about by a resurgence of pleasant memories. Thus, the speaker’s second visitation to the abbey, invoking serene thoughts of the first, provides a perfect canvas to which emotions may be applied. These emotions take the form of wonder, awe, renewed excitement, peace, and ecstasy. Words such as "sweet," "beauteous," "tranquil," and "pleasing" reinforce the saturation of emotion in the poem. The first criterion, peaceful emotion, is met and perfected by Wordsworth throughout Tintern Abbey.

Following emotion close behind is the aspect of common life colored with a vibrant, unusual imagination and equally brilliant diction. Amazingly, although many romantic poets pursued this idea of glorifying the common, few, if any, went so far as to accidentally breach the border into mock-heroic style. Thoughts, feelings, and experiences common to all were described by romantic poets with flourishing detail, yet luckily never seemed to reach that point of wit, comic, and exaggeration. Wordsworth chose his subject matter and manner of conveying it carefully, so as to avoid such a tragedy and ultimately produce a poem that simply glorified common experiences rather than "poke fun" at them. Déjà vu and nostalgia are two very common aspects of everyone’s life, yet despite their familiarity they remain critically important on a personal level. Wordsworth recognized this when creating Tintern Abbey, and dedicated the entire poem’s subject and theme to these two common yet miraculous occurrences in life. Diction further underscores this theme in Wordsworth’s poem. "Past," "again," "unremembered," and "restoration" are all part of his word choice which successfully highlights the poem’s purpose: to vividly convey the common experience of revisiting a favorable location.

Enclosed in the second criterion is the third: the inclusion of a passion for nature. Wordsworth realized this final aspect through molding the common re-visitation experience (the second aspect) around a natural location. In the case of Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth chose his setting to be the ruins of an abbey in the countryside. Virtually the entire poem revolves around this natural vantage point, so that the majority of the lines glorify nature’s beauty. To remain parallel with the romantic view of nature, Wordsworth retained a human passion for it and the fact that it is wild and untamed. A quick glance at the poem reveals its focus on nature, the final qualification of Wordsworth’s poetry definition.

While seemingly arrogant of Wordsworth to blatantly define such a broad-based and practiced art (poetry), his redemption lies in the fact that his definition was composed in order to widen the acceptance of his own poetic forms and ideals. Thus, by defining, pursuing, and fulfilling his own views on poetry, he gained and has retained the respect of poetry readers throughout the centuries.