British Literature II

p Wordsworth , Shelley , and Mill

A Theoretical Comparative and Contrastive Analysis

In the arena of literature , texts are almost always subject to criteria which would or might determine whether they are prose or poetry . In primitive and rather simplistic definitions , prose is simply defined as dull ' or ordinary , day-to-day discourse whereas poetry is defined as a composition which adheres to metrical standards (Simpson , 1989 However , considering comparative and contrastive readings or analyses of William Wordsworth 's Preface to the Lyrical Ballads ' Percy Bysshe Shelley 's A Defence of Poetry , and John

Stuart Mill 's What Is Poetry ' poetry becomes a more complicated concept . In the process prose becomes a sort of aid to define poetry and to expound the corresponding explanations as it takes a backseat

For Wordsworth , The only strict antithesis to Prose is Metre ' in that the lines or passages in poetry can just as easily be written in prose and that such would be too difficult to avoid . But there have been issues regarding the distinction between prose and poetry , thus Wordsworth used the word poetry as synonymous with metrical composition ' despite his reluctance . In his Preface to the Lyrical Ballads ' the question what is poetry ' was answered best through his characterization of a poet . A poet , according to Wordsworth , is a man of greater sensibilities , one who is more attuned to his passions and more knowledgeable in terms of human nature than an individual usually is . A poet is someone who takes pleasure in his feelings and...