“Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory by Charles Altieri first appeared in the Spring 1976 issue of Criticism (Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 122-146), published by Wayne State University Press. The essay situates Wordsworth’s “Preface to the Second Edition of the Lyrical Ballads” within a framework of philosophical empiricism and idealism, drawing on Wittgenstein’s philosophical ideas to reinterpret Wordsworth’s naturalistic poetics. Altieri explores how Wordsworth’s theories challenge the dichotomies of nature and consciousness by emphasizing shared human experiences reflected in ordinary language and recurrent natural contexts. This analysis highlights the “Preface” as a pivotal contribution to literary theory, offering insights into aesthetic pleasure, the moral resonance of language, and the enduring role of memory. Altieri’s work underscores Wordsworth’s relevance in redefining the philosophical and ethical dimensions of poetry, bridging Romantic thought and modern theoretical concerns.

Summary of “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

• Critique of the Nature-Consciousness Dichotomy: Altieri argues that Wordsworth challenges the rigid dichotomy between nature and consciousness posited by empiricist and idealist traditions. Wordsworth offers a concept of “the natural” that emphasizes human participation in linguistic and cultural activities rather than representation of external objects (Altieri, p. 123).
• Language as a Shared Activity: Drawing on Wittgenstein’s philosophy, Altieri highlights Wordsworth’s view of language as a communal activity rooted in repeated experiences and regular feelings, not merely an interpretative tool. Wordsworth’s language philosophy seeks direct engagement with ordinary speech and contexts (Altieri, p. 126).
• Poetic Language and Philosophical Grammar: Wordsworth’s poetic language is seen as more philosophical because it avoids abstract interpretations and instead depends on shared human contexts and interactions. Altieri connects this view to Wittgenstein’s idea of “philosophical grammar,” where meaning arises from shared actions rather than isolated mental acts (Altieri, p. 128).
• Pleasure and Aesthetic Experience: Wordsworth associates poetry with the generation of pleasure, aligning it with a broader sense of human harmony and community. This pleasure serves as a psychological and ontological bridge between subjective emotions and objective truths (Altieri, p. 133).
• Memory as a Constructive Force: Memory plays a central role in Wordsworth’s theory, reconciling subjective and objective dimensions of experience. It serves as a mechanism for transforming natural experiences into enduring truths and for preserving shared cultural values (Altieri, p. 137).
• Critique of Neo-Idealism: Altieri critiques critics like Geoffrey Hartman and Paul de Man for imposing a radical separation between mind and nature. He argues that Wordsworth offers a more integrative approach that avoids both sentimentalism and extreme abstraction (Altieri, p. 139).
• Relevance of Ordinary Language Philosophy: Wordsworth’s emphasis on ordinary language and shared human activities resonates with Wittgenstein’s critique of abstract philosophical systems. Poetry, in Wordsworth’s view, bridges gaps in human understanding by making ordinary experiences resonate with deeper meanings (Altieri, p. 136).
• Contrasts with Coleridge: Wordsworth’s focus on memory and recurrence differs from Coleridge’s idealization of imagination. While Coleridge seeks divine unity, Wordsworth finds coherence in human development and shared cultural practices (Altieri, p. 137).
• A Secular Vision of Grace: Wordsworth’s poetic theory culminates in a vision of secular salvation. Through the processes of loss, compensation, and recognition of life’s rhythms, humans can achieve a form of grace and shared understanding, encapsulated in autobiographical works like The Prelude (Altieri, p. 146).

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

Theoretical Term/Concept	Explanation	Reference in Altieri
The Natural	Wordsworth’s concept of “the natural” emphasizes human participation in cultural and linguistic activities over representation.	p. 123
Philosophical Grammar	Inspired by Wittgenstein, it refers to the study of language through its use in shared contexts and human activities.	p. 128
Ordinary Language	Wordsworth’s advocacy for poetic language that aligns with everyday speech to reveal shared human experiences.	p. 126
Pleasure in Aesthetic Experience	The psychological and ontological harmony derived from poetry that connects subjective emotions to objective truths.	p. 133
Memory as Recurrence	Memory as a mechanism for connecting past experiences to present understanding, reconciling the subjective and objective.	p. 137
Rejection of Interpretation	Wordsworth’s critique of “interpretation” as overly abstract, favoring immediate recognition and engagement with language.	p. 129
Empiricism vs. Idealism	A critique of these traditional frameworks; Wordsworth offers a naturalistic alternative that integrates human activity and nature.	p. 123
Forms of Life	Wittgenstein’s concept used to illustrate how shared cultural practices form the basis for meaning in Wordsworth’s poetics.	p. 127
Aesthetic and Moral Language	The interplay between Wordsworth’s poetic language and its capacity to sustain human sympathy and communal understanding.	p. 136
Secular Grace	Wordsworth’s idea of finding fulfillment and coherence in life’s rhythms and shared human experiences without religious abstraction.	p. 146
Critique of Gothic Literature	Wordsworth’s opposition to extreme emotionality in Gothic literature for failing to connect with ordinary human experiences.	p. 136
Descriptive vs. Explanatory Language	Poetry as a form of description that elicits immediate understanding rather than abstract, systematic explanation.	p. 145

Contribution of “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri to Literary Theory/Theories

Theory/Field	Contribution	Reference in Article
Romantic Literary Theory	Altieri positions Wordsworth’s Preface as a bridge between empiricism and idealism, emphasizing poetry as a natural activity that reveals shared human experiences.	p. 123: “Wordsworth invites us to rethink our familiar dichotomies.”
Ordinary Language Philosophy	Draws parallels between Wordsworth and Wittgenstein, arguing that language’s meaning arises from its use in shared human activities rather than abstract representation.	p. 128: “Wordsworth, at least in the theory of the ‘Preface,’ may be considered less a poet of nature than the poet of philosophical grammar.”
Phenomenology and Hermeneutics	Challenges interpretative approaches by emphasizing Wordsworth’s focus on immediate recognition and the lived experience of poetic language.	p. 129: “Interpretation is a second-order process which requires some first-order awareness.”
Ethics of Poetry	Proposes that poetry fosters communal values by deepening sympathies and promoting shared human experiences, rejecting the solipsism of subjective interpretation.	p. 136: “The essential test of good poetry…making them aware of what they share with others and thus deepening their sympathies.”
Memory Studies	Explores Wordsworth’s use of memory as a naturalistic alternative to idealist imagination, enabling reconciliation of subjective experience with communal significance.	p. 137: “Memory reconciles subjective and objective and balances intense participation with lawful reflection.”
Post-Romantic Criticism	Critiques idealist readings (e.g., Geoffrey Hartman, Paul de Man), advocating for Wordsworth’s naturalist epistemology and rejection of nature-mind dichotomies.	p. 138: “De Man’s world, like Sartre’s, is Nietzsche’s without Nietzsche’s superman.”
Aesthetics of Pleasure	Links Wordsworth’s poetic theory to Kant’s Critique of Judgment, arguing that aesthetic pleasure ties subjective experiences to universal human agreements.	p. 133: “Pleasure serves primarily as a psychological correlate…measuring the success of poetry as significant immediate knowledge.”
Cultural Role of Poetry	Redefines the poet as a “culture hero” who preserves latent moral forms within ordinary life, contrasting with Promethean notions of creativity.	p. 135: “The poet can be a culture hero precisely because he understands that there are latent in his culture…moral forms worth recognizing.”
Epistemology and Literary Studies	Frames Wordsworth’s poetics as a form of epistemological inquiry into how shared meanings and values emerge in cultural and natural contexts.	p. 128: “Meaning depends not on individual acts of mind but on the actions we learn to perform in language.”
Rejection of Gothicism	Critiques the Gothic tradition’s extreme emotionality and disconnect from ordinary life, advocating for a poetry grounded in shared human feelings and experiences.	p. 136: “Gothic literature…fails to provide real connections with people’s lives.”

Examples of Critiques Through “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

Literary Work	Critique Through Altieri’s Reading of Wordsworth’s “Preface”	Key Reference in Article
Wordsworth’s The Prelude	The Prelude exemplifies Wordsworth’s naturalist poetics by integrating memory, loss, and shared human experience, avoiding idealist abstractions while grounding itself in natural patterns.	p. 136: “The Prelude reconciles subjective and objective… while eschewing interpretation.”
Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria	Critiqued for its idealist emphasis on imagination as transcendent; Altieri contrasts this with Wordsworth’s focus on memory as a bridge between associationism and idealism.	p. 137: “Where Coleridge used memory to refute associationism… Wordsworth used it to construct a bridge.”
Scott’s Waverley	Criticized for focusing on descriptive inventories rather than meaningful engagement with memory and natural patterns, leading to superficial representation rather than deeper poetic insight.	p. 137: “Scott’s method… fails to evoke the ideal and essential truth of the scene.”
Mallarmé’s Poetry	Altieri contrasts Mallarmé’s self-conscious linguistic complexity with Wordsworth’s pursuit of shared, immediate recognition of human experience through natural and cultural forms.	p. 145: “Mallarmé opens the realm of possibilities…but contrasts against natural procedures.”

Criticism Against “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

• Overemphasis on Naturalism: Critics argue that Altieri’s emphasis on Wordsworth’s naturalism risks oversimplifying the tension between nature and imagination in Wordsworth’s work. The poetic imagination often transcends the naturalistic framework Altieri advocates.
  • Reference: Altieri’s critique of Coleridge’s idealism as less relevant overlooks the philosophical depth of imagination’s role in Romanticism (p. 137).
• Reduction of Philosophical Complexity: Altieri aligns Wordsworth with Wittgenstein and Whitehead, but some critics suggest this alignment oversimplifies Wordsworth’s epistemological and metaphysical frameworks, reducing them to mere practical philosophy.
  • Reference: The interpretation of “repeated experience and regular feelings” as philosophical grammar ignores broader metaphysical implications (p. 126).
• Neglect of Romantic Subjectivism: By focusing on shared cultural and natural patterns, Altieri minimizes the Romantic movement’s intrinsic focus on individual subjectivity and its complex role in shaping poetic meaning.
  • Reference: Altieri contrasts Wordsworth’s memory-focused poetics with Mallarmé’s self-reflective style but underestimates the value of individualism in Romantic poetry (p. 145).
• Limited Treatment of Coleridgean Thought: Altieri’s criticism of Coleridge’s idealism as overly abstract disregards the nuanced interaction between Wordsworth and Coleridge’s complementary theories, particularly on imagination and memory.
  • Reference: Altieri’s claim that Coleridge’s abstraction detracts from practical application fails to engage with the productive dialogic tension between their views (p. 137).
• Inadequate Address of Poetic Diction: Altieri’s naturalist focus undervalues Wordsworth’s debates on poetic language, particularly his critiques of artificial poetic diction and its role in shaping emotional immediacy.
  • Reference: The analysis of Wordsworth’s preference for natural language overlooks its artistic innovation beyond cultural habits (p. 135).
• Selective Engagement with Contemporary Theories: Altieri critiques de Man’s deconstructionism and Hartman’s apocalyptic idealism but does not fully address their contributions to understanding Romantic irony and self-awareness in Wordsworth’s poetry.
  • Reference: Altieri’s opposition to deconstruction does not adequately consider the insights it provides into Romantic self-reflexivity (p. 139).
• Oversimplification of Memory’s Role: While Altieri emphasizes memory’s role in Wordsworth’s naturalism, he may overstate its universality, neglecting how Wordsworth also uses memory for complex, introspective purposes.
  • Reference: Memory as “the mental analogy of natural recurrence” (p. 137) is seen as reductive by some critics who highlight Wordsworth’s more intricate psychological use of memory.
• Ambiguity in Practical Implications: Altieri’s argument for Wordsworth’s naturalism as an alternative to contemporary idealism or deconstruction lacks clarity in its practical application for literary criticism beyond Wordsworth’s specific context.
  • Reference: Altieri’s concept of “poetic grammar” as a critique of representation lacks concrete methodological guidance (p. 126).

Representative Quotations from “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“Wittgenstein helps clarify Wordsworth’s thinking… to separate Wordsworth’s claim for a poetics of ‘the natural’ from his more sentimental insistence on nature as a source of meaning and value.”	Altieri aligns Wordsworth’s ideas with Wittgenstein’s philosophy to emphasize that Wordsworth’s concept of “natural” poetry is grounded in linguistic and cultural practices rather than mystical associations with nature, offering a practical framework for poetic meaning.
“Wordsworth invites us to rethink our familiar dichotomies, not to argue about which of them better fits his work.”	This highlights Wordsworth’s unique position in literary theory, where he transcends traditional debates like empiricism versus idealism, suggesting a synthesis that reflects the creative potentials of poetic imagination.
“Meaning depends not on individual acts of mind but on the actions we learn to perform in language and learn to recognize as significant when performed by others.”	Altieri echoes Wordsworth’s view of language as a communal, cultural activity, suggesting that meaning emerges from shared human practices rather than isolated intellectual constructs, reinforcing the poet’s role in reflecting collective experience.
“Memory is the mental analogy of natural recurrence.”	Altieri interprets Wordsworth’s concept of memory as a naturalistic alternative to idealist philosophy, where memory reflects the lawful patterns of nature, enabling poetry to connect subjective experience to universal rhythms and values.
“Wordsworth consciously tries to avoid the problematic of interpretation in poems like ‘Michael’ and The Prelude by dramatizing the reasons for writing the work within the poem.”	Altieri points out that Wordsworth integrates his theoretical concerns into his poetic practice, using narrative and dramatic contexts to bridge interpretation and direct experience, making the act of reading an extension of lived reality.
“The essential test of good poetry, Wordsworth argues, is the power it confers on its readers by making them aware of what they share with others and thus deepening their sympathies.”	This captures Wordsworth’s moral vision for poetry, emphasizing its role in fostering human connection and empathy, contrasting with more individualistic or abstract artistic pursuits.
“Pleasure, then, for Wordsworth serves primarily as a psychological correlate both measuring the success of poetry as significant immediate knowledge and transforming knowledge into a capacity to recognize the communal implications of that fit.”	Altieri explores Wordsworth’s integration of pleasure into poetic theory, presenting it as a sign of poetry’s truth and its ability to foster emotional and communal understanding, blending aesthetic and ethical dimensions.
“Wordsworth’s memory reconciles subjective and objective and balances intense participation with lawful reflection.”	Altieri argues that Wordsworth’s use of memory bridges individual emotional depth with universal structures, providing a grounded yet expansive framework for interpreting human experience.
“Wordsworth uses it [memory] to construct a bridge between associationism and idealism.”	Memory serves as a mediating force in Wordsworth’s theory, allowing the poet to combine the empirical grounding of experience with the transformative power of imagination, offering a balanced philosophical approach.
“To have a doctrine that explains death, he surrenders the fullness of life.”	Altieri critiques Wordsworth’s later shift towards a more conservative and explanatory poetic vision, contrasting it with the dynamic and life-affirming insights of his earlier naturalistic and communal framework as expressed in The Prelude.

Suggested Readings: “Wordsworth’s “Preface” as Literary Theory” Charles Altieri

1. Altieri, Charles. “Wordsworth’s ‘Preface’ as Literary Theory.” Criticism, vol. 18, no. 2, 1976, pp. 122–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23100083. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
2. Altieri, Charles. “Wittgenstein on Consciousness and Language: A Challenge to Derridean Literary Theory.” MLN, vol. 91, no. 6, 1976, pp. 1397–423. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2907143. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
3. Hayden, John 0. “Wordsworth and Coleridge: Shattered Mirrors, Shining Lamps?” The Wordsworth Circle, vol. 12, no. 1, 1981, pp. 71–81. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24040902. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.