Shelley's definition of poetry

Answer 1

S.T.Coleridge's Definition of Poetry

Poetry is the activity of the imagination, idealizing the real and realizing the ideal-what Wordsworth and Coleridge did in the lyrical ballads. A poem naturally partakes this general object of poetry but it has a form, too, which distinguishes it from other kinds of compositions. Coleridge asks what this form is, how it comes to be there, and what relation it bears to its content. A poem he says uses the same medium as a prose compositon, namely words.

Let's examine a piece of poorly constructed but meter supported part of a poem:

"Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November, etc"

Here, the metrical form would not be appropriate to its language and content and, in the next, owing to its length all its parts, not requiring an equal attention, would not equally conduce the total pleasure. So the metrical form of a poem is closely related to its language and content. So this correct relation of meter with the language and content of a poem excites 'a more continuous and equal attention than the language of prose aims at'. 'A poem(therfore) is the species of composition, which is opposed to works of science, by proposing for its immediateobject pleasure, not truth; and from all other species (having this object in commen with it) it is discriminated by proposing to itself such delight from thewhole, as is compatible with a distinct gratification from each componentpart'

Another definiton: "prose-words in their best order, poetry-the best words in their best order."-S.T. Coleridge.

Thanks to B.Prasad, An Introduction to English Criticism.

Anjoe Paul, Kerala, India.

Answer 2

Percy Bysshe Shelley: "Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar." Here, Shelley points out an important aspect of poetry, which is to find fresh ways of looking at things we think we know well."

Answer 3

the spontaneous overflow of powerful

feelings."