The Lyrical Ballads Is Published
"The Lyrical Ballads," published on October 4, 1798, is a pivotal collection of poems that marked the beginning of the Romantic era in English literature. Authored anonymously by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the collection aimed to challenge the prevailing poetic conventions of the 18th century, which favored a more polished and formal style. Wordsworth, who primarily authored the poems, focused on themes of nature, emotion, and the lives of common people, while Coleridge contributed iconic pieces such as "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Initially, the collection faced harsh criticism for its deviation from established norms, which Wordsworth later defended in a preface to the 1801 edition, advocating for a poetry rooted in everyday language and genuine emotional expression. Despite early backlash, the innovative approach of the poets resonated with readers, leading to a growing appreciation and recognition of the work as a cornerstone of English literature. Today, many poems from "The Lyrical Ballads" are celebrated as masterpieces, reflecting the transformative power of poetry in capturing the human experience.
The Lyrical Ballads Is Published
The Lyrical Ballads Is Published
On October 4, 1798, a small collection of poems, The Lyrical Ballads, was published in London, England, inaugurating the Romantic era in English literature.
The anonymous authors were William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, two young poets who had become friends and who shared an impatience with the polished public style of verse favored during most of the 18th century. Wordsworth, the older of the two, was 28; Coleridge was 26. Both had been orphaned in childhood and both had attended Cambridge University, although they did not meet until afterward, when each had embarked on a precarious literary career. Wordsworth wrote most of the poems in the book, including several story-poems about plain country folk and the innovative “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” an original meditation on nature, memory, and personal growth. Coleridge contributed the mesmerizing “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and some shorter pieces. The book was reviewed harshly because the poems did not conform to contemporary standards.
Wordsworth tried to explain his and Coleridge's approach in a preface to the second edition, published in 1801, saying that they wished to bring the language of poetry closer to that of common speech (they were at the time political radicals) and to present strong emotions and sensory experiences in a natural, unadorned manner, without the constraints of neoclassical convention. This manifesto further infuriated the critics, but the new style of poetry gained adherents and popularity. Today many of the poems from The Lyrical Ballads are considered masterpieces.