Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads

嚴文燁

【Abstract】Platonism has exerted great influence on Romanticism. Wordsworth， as the leading figure of English Romanticism， was inevitably influenced by Plato. Preface to Lyrical Ballads is Wordsworths declaration of Romanticism. In this essay， the inheritance and innovation of Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads is analyzed from three aspects： mimetic theories， pragmatism and expressive theories.

【Key words】Platonism； Romanticism； Wordsworth； Preface to Lyrical Ballads

In 1800， Wordsworth broke the domineering rules of Neoclassicism which has brought the rationality into full play. He published the declaration of Romanticism： Preface to Lyrical Ballads. “For all the good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” This essence of the whole preface has opened the new page of literature.

Romanticism changed the analogue of the mirror into the lamp. By saying that I mean the Romanticists do not regard creations as merely an imitation any more. Creations， from their perspectives， are lights of the soul which brighten up the world inspired by imagination.

It seems that Platonism and Romanticism are incompatible. But one can never deny the influence of Platonism on Romanticism. Wordsworth， as one of greatest Romantic poets， was inevitably influenced by Plato. As a matter of fact， we can find some shadow of Platonism in Wordsworths Preface to Lyrical Ballads even though the complexity of Platos attitude towards poets and poems has confused the readers from generation to generation. This paper will probe into the Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads from three aspects.

1. Mimetic Theories

Discussing poetic conceptions of Plato， we should have the “mimesis” to start with. Plato defined art as the imitation （mimesis）. The tenth book of the Republic makes this point clear. For Plato， artists are inferior because they just represent the phenomena which are imitations of the Ideal Forms. The appearance is away from truth， let alone the creations of artists who can only imitate the appearance.

Wordsworth conceives of the artist as an imitator of reality， not appearance. To achieve this goal， firstly， he donates his best effort in purifying his language in poems. He “adopts the very language of men” to narrow the gap between the world of Idea and the world of art. Secondly， he defines all good poetry as “spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling”. To some degree， this definition is the variant of Platos mimesis. Poetry is not just about imitation. It is more reproductive than mimetic. Thirdly， “the principal object， then， proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life”. Here the definition of art as mimetic is viewed as an affirmative tool for the poets to fulfill their ultimate worthy purpose which will be discussed in the next part.

2. Pragmatism

As we all know， Plato banishes the poets from his ideal republic. But he recognizes the importance of poetry in the education of its citizens. When it comes to moral significance， there is an indirect defense of poetry in the tenth book of the Republic：

“Since weve been conditioned by our wonderful societies until we have a deep-seated love for this kind of poetry， well be delighted if there proves to be nothing better and closer to the truth than it （Plato 820-822）.”

The defense of poetry and the banishment are mixed in the Republic. It seems to be paradoxical， but in fact it is more like complexity than contradiction. Besides， this complexity can be simplified under the only one requirement： poetry should be in conformity with the principle of morality and religion.

We can easily find the similar conceptions in Preface to Lyrical Ballads. At the beginning of Preface to Lyrical Ballads， Wordsworth declares his purpose of “prefix（ing） a systematic defense of the theory upon which the Poems were written” is to “give a full account of the present state of the public taste in this country， and to determine how far this taste is healthy or depraved （1）”. Later in the preface， he criticizes the current situation of literature works and comments：“The invaluable works of our elder writers， I had almost said the works of Shakespeare and Milton are driven into neglect by frantic novel， sickly and stupid German Tragedies， and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse （5）.” He also believes that each of poems should have “a worthy purpose”. “Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge.” says Wordsworth. Moral significance， in Wordsworths eyes， gives poetry a valuable dignity. He praises the philosophical character of poetry and believes that value gives poetry an importance greater than science.

Plato and Wordsworth offer us similar conceptions about the moral effects of poetry. Both of them agree that poetry should have a beneficial effect on all our intellectual and moral life. Wordsworth himself admits that “Aristotle， I have been told， has said， that Poetry is the most philosophic of all writing： it is so： its object is truth， not individual and local， but general， and operative… truth which is it own testimony （9）.”

3. Expressive Theories

Feeling becomes the third topic this essay will discuss. Here feeling includes imagination， inspiration and so on. The single strongest influence of Romanticism on later generation is the exposition of imagination and inspiration. And this exposition is totally influenced by Platonism. In the Ion， the conception of poetic inspiration is described as the divine ability of poets which enable them to interpret the things of God to us （12）. The strongest voice of Preface to Lyrical Ballads goes like “all the good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings： it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility （Wordsworth 13）.” Whats more， these powerful feelings is “intermingled with powerful descriptions of the deeper passion” or inspirations. This is the essential point of agreement between Platonism and Romanticism.

Common people can own passion， too. So what distinguishes the poets and common people？ For Plato， poets should be divinely inspired. Nevertheless， Wordsworth put it in straightforward description.

He is a man speaking to men： a man， it is true， endowed with more lively sensibility. More enthusiasm and tenderness， who has a greater knowledge of human nature， and a more comprehensive soul […] an ability of conjuring up in himself passions （8）.

The above passage has made an insight into all the problems. Under this one restriction， the gap between the poet and the image is narrowed down. So the problem of imitation solved. The pleasure is given， so the purpose of poetry is achieved.

Since the key body of poetry is affirmed， we can shift our focus to imagination and inspiration. Wordsworth interpreted imagination as more than recollection or the ability to describe things which are not present right before our eyes. It is a process of writing confined by some specific restrictions. He believes that imagination is the core of creations （Nowell 30-35）.

Wordsworth states in the last book of The Prelude，

Imagination having been our theme，

So also hath that intellectual Love，

For they are each in each， and cannot stand

Dividually （521）.

Love and imagination never go alone. Plato defines love as intermediate between the divine and the mortal. This definition builds a bridge which leads to the ultimate integration of all the elements. The main body is man. Poets are divinely inspired and then donate love and imagination to poems which finally become the intermediate between the divine and the man.

There is one more concept to be mentioned. Plato describes an internalization of art. He claims that every one of us is made pretty much what he is by the bent of his desires and the nature of his soul. This kind of internalization， from my perspective， has something to do with the internal imagination and inspiration. People in real life are “under the actual pressure of those passions， certain shadows of which the Poet thus produces， or feels to be produced， in himself （Wordsworth 9）.”

Romanticism is not only the inheritance but also the innovation of Platonism. Wordsworth and Preface to Lyrical Ballads is one of the typical representatives. The definition of poetry， the theory of inspiration and the moral effects of poetry are all the new elaboration and sublimation of Platonism. Even though Wordsworth differs from Plato in radical ways， one can never neglect the a thousand and one links between them two. And both of them lead the development of poetry into a new age and make a great influence on all the posterity.

References：

[1]Plato.Republic.Trans.Pang Xichun.Beijing：Jiuzhou Press，2007.

[2]Smith，Nowell，C.Wordsworths Literary Criticism.London：Bristol Classical Press，1905.

[3]Wordsworth，William.The Prelude：A Parallel Text，Ed.J.C.Maxwell.Harmondsworth：Penguin Books.

[4]Wordsworth，William.Harvard Classics，Vol.39.New York：P.F.Collier & Son Company，1909–14.13 Jan.< http：//www.bartleby.com/39/36.html >.

[5]Ware，Tracy.“Shelley's Platonism in A Defence of Poetry.” Studies in English Literature 23.4（1983）：549-567.