Wordsworth's Views of Poetry and the Poet
From William Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads, enlarged edition, 1802.
This extract express some of Wordsworth's views about four very important points which the reader can understands what a Manifesto is: a text of litteraly criticism where the writer makes a declaration of his intenctions.
First of all the content or the subject of poetry: this is the point of view about the poetry has to be; Poet has to choose incidents ( something happened randomly ) and situations from common life and describes them in a selection of language used by man.
Second point is the poetic diction or the language of poetry: what kind of language should use the poet? The writer does a selection about what sentences of ordinary life can he uses and what he cannot. Poet has to use his imagination whereby every day things should be presented to the mind in a unusual way because he has to make these incidents and situations intresting to exciting the state of mind of the reader.
Low and rustic life is generally chosen, because in that condition of life our elementary feelings coexist in a state of greater simplicity and they are unrestrain ( non condizionati ). Furthermore actions of farmers are very simple , more easily comprehended and more durable.; and last but not least in that condition the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature.
Third point is the poet, the identity of the poet; What is a poet? He is a man speaking to men: a man with more lively sensibility, who has greater knowledge of human nature and more comprehensive soul; a man pleased with his own passions and wishes. To this qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present.
Lastly there is the creative act : how the poetry was born. Poetry is the spontaneous overflow ( dilagamento ) of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.

Liprandi Giovanni CL:5b