ES. 1-2, pag. 205-206

Subject matter of poetry (The principal... permanent forms of nature.):
Poetry should deal with incidents and situations from common life. Poetry has to describe them with the language used by men, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination and to make these incidents and situations interesting by racing in them. The type of life chosen is the rural life, because in that condition the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity and our elementary feelings coexist in a state of greater simplicity. Last but not least, in that condition the passion of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature.

The language of poetry ( The language... their own creation.):
Poetry should use familiar language because such men communicate with the best objects from which the best part of language is derived and because being less under the influence of social vanity helps to convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. That language, used in the repeated experience and regular feelings, is more permanent.

The poet's identity (Taking up... he thinks and feels.):
The poet is a man speaking to other men who has a greater knowledge of human nature and a more comprehensive soul than other men. He is endued with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness. To these qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present and he has acquired a greater readiness and power in expressing what he thinks and feels.

The creative act of the poet (I have said... state of enjoyment.):
The creative process starts from an emotion which is recollected in tranquillity. It is contemplated by a species of reaction the tranquillity disappears and it does itself actually exist in the mind. A successful composition generally begins in this case and
the mind, in describing any passions whatsoever, will upon the whole be in state of enjoyment.