The key to understanding why the correct answer is option 3 lies in recognizing how S.T. Coleridge critiqued some of Wordsworth's poems in the Lyrical Ballads that did not align with the principles laid out in the Preface.
In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads (1800), Wordsworth advocated for poetry that drew from humble, rustic life because he believed that simple, everyday people and their experiences allow for an authentic, natural expression of emotions. The "essential passions of the heart" are more easily found in these individuals, and their language is closer to nature, which is why he argued that poetry should reflect this simplicity.
However, Coleridge, in his famous critique, pointed out that some of Wordsworth’s poems didn’t adhere to the principles he set out in the Preface. Specifically, Coleridge took issue with poems where the language or experiences depicted were too elevated or dramatic to be representative of humble, rustic life.
Why the Answer is Option 3:
The poems “Michael”, “Ruth”, and “The Brothers” are narratives about characters from rural backgrounds, but the emotions and situations depicted in these poems are highly intense, complex, and dramatic. Coleridge felt that these poems, while being about rustic life, did not maintain the simplicity or everyday passions that Wordsworth advocated for in his Preface. The language and emotional depth in these works go beyond what would naturally occur in the speech and lives of "humble and rustic" people. This contradiction is what Coleridge pointed out.
Year-wise PYQs
