Interpretation And Reinterpretation

William Wordsworth is considered as one of the most influential poets in the British literary history. As a poet, he is remembered mainly for his short lyrics, epics and sonnets. He is also outstanding in literary theory. His theoretical writings are more substantial than their number suggests. His preface to Lyrical Ballads serves as the manifesto of the English Romantic Movement in poetry.This dissertation is for the purpose of combing my random thoughts as the result of my three years' study on Wordsworth. It consists of five parts. In the first part, the author makes his own evaluation of the former studies done on the poet. The second part is a biographical study not for background information but for my own pondering on the influence of the poet's experience upon his poetic practice and theory. The following three parts are thinking and rethinking respectively over the three main aspects of Wordsworthian poetics: Nature, language and revisionary aesthetics.