The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition

Abrams begins his exploration of Romantic theory with Wordsworth and his seven elements of poetry: Poetry expresses emotion; is the opposite of science; began in humanity with “utterances of passion” (101); uses rhythm and figurative language to fully express emotion; is spontaneous in both feeling and language; is written by a poet who is naturally inclined to that calling; and causes a reader to experience emotions in response to the poem. Abrams emphasizes that Wordsworth and the other Romantic poets and thinkers are diverse in their theories and interpretations of past thought. Even so, these key elements of poetry, as codified by Wordsworth, are a common thread among Romantic poets and theorists.

Abrams places Wordsworth in a dual role as foundational critic and poet who shapes the form and function of Romantic poetry. While Wordsworth is clearly a product of the 18th century in many ways, his focus on nature and the common man as both the subject and ideal audience of poetry is a distinct departure. Wordsworth considered poetry to represent and communicate “human nature as it has been [and ever] will be” (106), which means he sees the poetic process in a fairly novel way for his time.