Critique of Wordsworth on Excitement and Pleasure

Before Wordsworth made bodily senses and sensations, more critical few poets used

these elements as central in their practices and poetic theory. Wordsworth's renowned 'explore' in

artistic language, as explained at the start of the Preface to Lyrical Ballads, is considered as a

dare to grant pleasure. “by fitting to a metrical arrangement, a selection of the real language of

men in a state of vivid sensation” (LB, 741). According to Wordsworth, the evocation of sense

and representation is central in his poetic work in three yet related ways. Wordsworth

emphasizes that poetry is much concerned with elevated expression of excitement what he refers

to as vivid sensation. That can either be in the lyrics speaker or of the character used or even

both. Secondly, he posits that the representation of poetic is designed in a way to produce

pleasure. Lastly, Wordsworth designates poetic description as a privileged medium that

communicates vivid sensations by either lowering or raising as per the poet’s purpose.

I dispute Wordsworth's belief that poetry should produce excitement as well as an

overbalance of pleasure on the following basis. Such a suggestion is not entirely correct or true

based on my school of thought. This is because upholding such believe Wordsworth denies that

poetry does not have meaning or theme that it communicates to the audience other than pleasure

and excitement. Yes, it is true poems are pleasurable and entertaining. Poetry is more complex

and intricate than merely entertaining. To posits that poetry is just a medium to entertain and

convey pleasure is biased and unfair to poets. This denies the meaning and purpose of the poet.

Poetry is not about syntax. It more than language and caries meaning and themes. Human brains

are distinct; thus, they differ from one person to another, and hence, the neurons responsible for

excitement and pleasure varies from one person to another; besides, these neurons are separate

from those that generate sensation. Thus, poetry does not have a universal objective as
Wordsworth posits to some people; poetry is life. For instance, a teacher teaching poetry to

students don’t get entertainment from the poems such a teacher reads poems to find meaning and

themes. I believe pleasure and excitements are second class sensations and are an afterthought to

the real motivator. In other words, excitement and pleasure are behavioral rewards, and hence,

poetry can be said to be pleasurable and exciting to the poet, not to the audience.
 Work cited

Lionel Trilling, “The Fate of Pleasure,” in The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent: Selected

Essays, ed. Leon Wieseltier (New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2000), 427-449.