Question

According to Wordsworth, poetry is the "spontaneous overflow of ____."

• A. Knowledge
• B. Feelings
• C. Ideas
• D. Emotions

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Emotions

• Wordsworth defines poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity."

• Spontaneity and Emotion: Poetry arises from intense emotional experiences. However, it is not an uncontrolled outpouring; rather, it involves a reflective process in which the poet revisits the emotion in a calm and composed state.

• Recollection: This process of reflection allows the poet to refine raw emotion into a form that resonates with universal human experiences.

• Wordsworth’s definition emphasizes the emotional core of poetry, contrasting sharply with the intellectual focus of neoclassical poets.