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23 February 2008

William Wordsworth and Robert Browning

Introduction

Literature is characterized by having various genres which are created by different poets and . Poets do not just use certain pre-determined poetic methods in expressing their thoughts and ideas Poetry is a mere expression of poet 's feelings towards the environment in which one finds himself ultimately , these feelings form a kind of poetic observation which is then turned into the work of poetic writing It is very often that the poetic

method used by a poet signifies the period during which this poet lived . Robert Browning and William Wordsworth lived at almost the same era , but their works were very different from each other . It is not hard to distinguish Browning 's work from that of Wordsworth by the methods they employed in their poems . It is important to analyze what makes their works identifiable and different from each other . Wordsworth is considered to be a romantic poet while Browning is a social realist . Thesis statement : although Browning and Wordsworth were contemporaries , their poetic works are very different through the prism of genres they used in their creative writing

Many poetic critics and experts consider Wordsworth to have initiated the era of Romanticism in the English literature . Wordsworth has created new definitions and new insights into poetry , and has actually changed the traditional structure of attitudes towards poetry (Bristow 115 . In terms of its origin and influence on poetry , Romanticism was extremely widespread . It has become one of the two major artistic philosophies of the Western culture (Wilson 19 . The Romantic Movement actually started in about 1770 , and it has ultimately transformed all literary approaches within and beyond poetry (Bristow 116 . Its origins can be found in the social changes of the 18th century , in a new awareness of nature as it was researched by scientists and in a reaction against industrialization and in intellectual support for radical political ideas (Wilson 38 . Romanticism called for creating opposition towards everything that existed during the time in which Wordsworth was living Though emotions like terror and rage could also be found in the Romantic literary works , the most popular emotion was love . The inspiration for this emotion stemmed from the relationship of a loving couple . In this context , Wordsworth was completely different from Browning , as he pursued the romantic ideals in his poetry in distinction from social realistic images created by Browning

In distinction from Wordsworth , in his poetry Robert Browning was employing the principles and instruments of social realism . Social realism defined a truthful and historically concrete representation of reality in the process of its revolutionary development (Hassett 29 . It was aimed at illustrating and explaining the unpleasant side of human life through poverty , immorality and war . The poets of social realism did not pay much attention to their style , but emphasized the importance of the message conveyed through a literary work (Rose 10 . The majority of works of that period were actually the reflection of the legacy of revolution and of the hard work of people . Scholars were trying to create a list of distinguishing features between Romanticism and Social Realism , but the differences between these two styles become excellently visible when the works of Wordsworth and Browning are being compared

William Wordsworth is known as a prominent romantic poet . Wordsworth and his poems have later been marked as the end of neoclassical poetry (Wilson 56 . He began the Romantic Movement with his collection of Lyrical Ballads in collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge . He has made himself famous by his ability to revoke human feelings towards the beauty of nature . Wordsworth was mainly describing the emotional flame feelings , and insights which generated the beauty of nature and of a person (Rose 10 . His works were focused on the nature , children , the poor , common people , and Wordsworth was trying to use simple lexicon in expressing his feelings towards the nature around him . Wordsworth 's style is completely different from that of Browning in that Wordsworth was viewing the life through the prism of more pleasant emotions than those expressed by Browning . It may seem surprising that the two contemporary poets have generated the two completely different approaches towards their surroundings , but this is how the choice of the writing style creates significant differences in the works of the two talented poets

The Prelude is a long autobiographical poem , and it describes the poet 's love of nature and the world around him . It is an excellent example of the poet 's style , and makes it possible to distinguish Wordsworth 's stylistic approaches from the style which Browning used in his poetry

"Dust as we are , the immortal spirit grows

Like harmony in music there is a dark

Inscrutable workmanship that reconciles

Discordant elements , makes them cling together

In one society (Wordsworth

The Prelude had a great influence on poetry in general . Wordsworth wrote it in the form of lyrical monologue , which was actually a challenge to traditional poetic monologue and produced new poetic impressions among readers (Wilson 64 . In distinction from Browning , Wordsworth was trying to step away from mournful colors in poetic expression , and has actually become the creator of the prose poem . Moreover , The Prelude is actually the call against misery and unhappiness in poetry : The calm existence is mine when I / Am worthy of myself (Wordsworth . The uniqueness of Browning 's and Wordsworth 's genres remains the critical element which differentiates the two poets and their creative works

In distinction from , and probably even as opposed to Wordsworth , Robert Browning has won the reputation of a dramatic poet and has been able to produce the dramatic monologues . Lyrical dialogues exercised by Wordsworth were not suitable for him to express his thoughts and ideas Poetic dramatic monologue could be characteristic of modern criticism but as modern criticism was stressing the dramatic part of writing , the dramatic monologue used by Browning stressed the lyrical characteristics of poetic environment . His works evidently represented the mixture of romantic and dramatic elements (Hassett 40 . It seems that Browning saw the dramatic principle in employing the fictional characters who would take the speaking role in his poems . However , as Wordsworth was emphasizing the lyrical , Browning obviously tended towards the dramatic Both poets could describe similar events , but the use of different poetic emphases and different poetic genres (styles ) made their poetry completely different from each other

The Confessional is the revelation of the church 's sins , but as we have already noted , it certainly combines the lyrical and the dramatic moments

You think Priests just and holy men

Before they put me in this den

I was a human creature too

With flesh and blood like one of you

A girl that laughed in beauty 's pride

Like lilies in your world outside (Browning

The girl , about which Browning writes in his poetic expression , is a critical lyrical element of his poem simultaneously , the poet has introduced a dramatic moment , speaking of priests as human beings with their sins , negative thoughts and earthy desires . Dust as we are (Wordsworth ) - this message is also conveyed in Browning 's The Confessional , but the implementation of different literary genres makes these works so different , that an unfamiliar reader would never believe these two poets lived during at the same era

Conclusion

Wordsworth and Browning were striving to deliver similar ideas and messages to their contemporary readers , but the difference of their poetic styles has created significant poetic distance between them . The use of different genres is the distinguishing feature in the works of Browning and Wordsworth . Wordsworth was a romantic poet , and has introduced the notion of lyrical dialogue in poetry . The idea of prose poems also belongs to him . Browning , on the contrary , was mostly relying on the elements of drama in poetry , and was keeping to the principles of dramatic monologue . However , even in the light of the described differences , the works of both poets have significantly contributed into the world poetic heritage

Works Cited

Bristow , J . Whether `Victorian ' Poetry : A Genre and Its Period Victorian Poetry 42 (2004

114-24

Browning , R . The Confessional ' 1845 . Dramatic Lyrics . February 23 2008

HYPERLINK "http /browning .classicauthors .net /DramaticLyrics /DramaticLyrics12 .html br http /browning .classicauthors .net /DramaticLyrics /DramaticLyrics12 .htmlHassett , Constance W . The Elusive Self in the Poetry of Robert Browning Ohio University Press , 1982

Rose ,

. Getting and Spending : Nostalgia for the Old Way of Reading Poetry ' American

Scholar 70 (2001 : 10-11

Wilson , D . The Romantic Dream : Wordsworth and the Poetics of the Unconscious . University of Nebraska Press , 1993

Wordsworth , W . Dust As We Are , the Immortal Spirit Grows . 1805 Poetry Chaikhana . February 23 , 2008 . HYPERLINK "http /www .poetry-chaikhana .com /W /WordsworthWi /Dustaswearei .htm http /www .poetry-chaikhana .com /W /WordsworthWi /Dustaswearei .htm

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