The phrase "inane gaudiness" is used by William Wordsworth in connection with Neo-classicism, specifically referring to his critique of the artificiality and excessive ornamentation of 18th-century poetry. Wordsworth, as part of the Romantic movement, opposed the Neoclassical emphasis on formality, decorum, and rigid structures, which he found lacking in emotional depth and natural simplicity.
In his Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800), Wordsworth criticized the conventional poetic diction and stylistic excesses that were common in Neoclassical poetry. He sought to return poetry to its roots in natural expression and sincere emotion, which he believed had been lost in the "inane gaudiness" of earlier poetic traditions.
The correct answer is William Wordsworth because he was one of the leading figures who reacted against the Neoclassical style, viewing it as excessively ornate and detached from real human experience.
Year-wise PYQs
