Lyrical Ballads

"The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purposes of poetic pleasure." -- William Wordsworth, from the Advertisment prefacing the original 1798 edition. When it was first published, Lyrical Ballads enraged the critics of the day: Wordsworth and Coleridge had given poetry a voice, one decidedly different to what had been voiced before.

For Wordsworth, as he so clearly stated in his celebrated preface to the 1800 edition (also reproduced here), the important thing was the emotion aroused by the poem, and not the poem itself. This acclaimed Routledge Classics edition offers the reader the opportunity to study the poems in their original contexts as they appeared to Coleridge's and Wordsworth's contemporaries, and includes some of their most famous poems, including Coleridge's Rime of the Ancyent Marinere.

Finding high-quality digital editions shouldn't be a challenge. With instant access to our curated library, you can start your journey with Aftermath immediately. Whether on your phone, tablet, or e-reader, the story of Raleigh's life is presented in a format designed for modern readers.

To get started finding Lyrical Ballads, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of titles listed. Our library is one of the most comprehensive resources for free digital reading materials, providing verified and safe content for book lovers worldwide.