Matthew Arnold wrote a famous essay. It was about a poet named Wordsworth. Arnold loved his work. He said Wordsworth was very important. He ranked him very high. He said his poems help us live. They heal our minds. Arnold picked the best poems for us. This writing changed how we see poetry. It is a key text for students. These essays are written for classes 1 to 12.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 100 Words
Matthew Arnold was a smart critic. He wrote about William Wordsworth in 1879. He wanted people to know the truth. He said Wordsworth is a great poet. He is one of the very best. Arnold put him in third place. First is Shakespeare. Second is Milton. Third is Wordsworth.
This is very high praise. Arnold said Wordsworth helps us. His poems make us feel joy. They show us nature. They help us when we are sad. Arnold picked the best poems. He made a small book. He wanted us to read the best parts. He showed us his true power.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 150 Words
Matthew Arnold wrote a preface. It was for a book of poems by Wordsworth. Arnold had a strong view. He said Wordsworth was a giant of poetry. He looked at all the poets of England. He said only two were better. Shakespeare was the first. Milton was the second. Wordsworth was the third.
Arnold said Wordsworth had a special gift. He could heal our hearts. Life can be hard and loud. But these poems bring peace. They bring the calm of nature. Arnold called this “healing power.” But he also saw a problem. Wordsworth wrote too much. Some of it was boring. It was not good art.
So, Arnold fixed it. He cut out the bad poems. He kept only the good ones. He made a collection of gems. He did this to save the poet’s fame. He wanted us to see the beauty. He wanted us to feel the joy.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 200 Words
Matthew Arnold was a critic in the Victorian age. He judged books and poems. He looked closely at William Wordsworth. In 1879, he wrote a famous essay. He claimed Wordsworth is a top poet. He placed him after Shakespeare and Milton. He said no other poet comes close.
Arnold had a reason for this. He said poetry is a “criticism of life.” It helps us understand how to live. It gives us strength. Wordsworth does this well. He deals with real feelings. He uses simple words. He connects us to nature. He makes us feel happy and calm.
However, Arnold was honest. He knew the poet had flaws. Wordsworth wrote for a long time. Many of his poems were dull. They were heavy and flat. Arnold called this “baggage.” He wanted to clear it away. He selected the best works. He put them in one book.
He hid the bad parts. He showed only the gold. He said when Wordsworth is good, nature writes for him. The words flow with ease. Arnold’s essay teaches us to value this. It shows us the healing power of his art. It keeps the poet’s name alive and bright.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 250 Words
Matthew Arnold loved great poetry. He wanted everyone to love it too. He focused on William Wordsworth. Wordsworth was a nature poet. Arnold wrote an essay about him. It was an intro to a new book. Arnold wanted to show the poet’s true worth. He said fame can be false.
But true fame lasts forever. Wordsworth has true fame. Arnold ranked him third best. He is right after Shakespeare and Milton. This is a very high honor. Arnold had a main idea. He said poetry applies to life. It is not just for fun. It helps us survive.
It gives us comfort. Wordsworth does this the best. He shows us the joy in the world. He shows us the life in things. He makes us feel connected. However, not all his work is good. Arnold was fair. He said Wordsworth wrote too much.
Some poems are not fun. They are dry and long. Arnold wanted to fix this. He cut out the dull parts. He made a collection of the best. He did this to help the poet. He wanted the world to see the best. He said nature seems to write for him.
In the good poems, there is no effort. The words are simple and deep. Arnold’s essay is very famous now. It teaches us how to read. It teaches us what makes a poem good. It shows us the value of joy. It shows us the power of truth.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 300 Words
Matthew Arnold was a wise writer. He lived in the Victorian age. He looked back at older poets. He looked at William Wordsworth. He saw something special. He decided to write about it. He wrote a preface for a book. The book had selected poems. Arnold argued for Wordsworth’s glory.
He said he is a top poet. He is in the top three of all time. This includes all English poets. Arnold listed Shakespeare first. He listed Milton second. Then he put Wordsworth. This was a bold move. Why did he do this? He said poetry is serious.
It is a “criticism of life.” This means it helps us think. It helps us act. Wordsworth has a “healing power.” Life can be hard. Cities are loud. People get tired. Wordsworth offers a cure. He takes us back to nature. He shows us simple joy.
He makes us feel fresh again. Arnold said this is vital. We need this to survive. But Arnold also saw faults. He did not like all the poems. He said Wordsworth lacked humor. He said he could be dull. Wordsworth wrote for a long time.
Not every poem was a hit. Arnold compared his work to luggage. He said we must drop the heavy bags. We must keep only the gems. So, Arnold picked the gems. He made a small, perfect book. He said in these poems, nature speaks.
There is no fake style. It is just pure truth. Arnold believed this firmly. He thought Wordsworth would last forever. As long as we read English, we will read him. Arnold’s essay helps us see why. It guides us to the beauty. It tells us to look for the joy in nature.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 500 Words
Who Was Matthew Arnold?
Matthew Arnold was a critic. He lived in England long ago. He read many books. He told people which ones were good. He had a strong voice. People listened to him. He liked a poet named William Wordsworth. [Image of Matthew Arnold portrait] Wordsworth wrote about trees and hills. Arnold thought he was a hero.
The High Rank
Arnold wrote a famous paper. It was about Wordsworth. He made a big list. He listed the best poets ever. Shakespeare was at the top. Milton was next. Then came Wordsworth. Arnold said no one else was close. Not even the other famous ones. He said Wordsworth was the best of his time.
He said this glory was real. It was not just a fad. It would last for all time. Arnold wanted to prove this. He wanted everyone to agree. He used his essay to show why. He said Wordsworth is great because he is true.
Poetry and Life
Arnold had a theory. He said poetry is a “criticism of life.” This sounds hard. But it is simple. It means poems help us live. They teach us how to be. They give us comfort. They help us stay happy. Wordsworth does this very well.
When we read his work, we feel peace. We feel the joy of the world. Arnold called this “healing power.” He said modern life is fast. It is full of noise. It makes us sad. Wordsworth is the cure. He brings the calm of nature to us. He heals our tired minds.
The Problem with Quantity
But Arnold was not blind. He saw problems too. He said Wordsworth wrote too much. He wrote for many years. Some poems were very long. Some were very boring. Arnold said they were “prosaic.” This means they were plain. They were not like songs.
Arnold said this was bad. It hid the good work. It was like weeds in a garden. The weeds hide the flowers. A new reader might get lost. They might read the bad parts. Then they would stop reading. Arnold did not want that.
The Solution
Arnold had a plan. He wanted to clear the weeds. He made a new book. He picked only the best poems. He left out the boring ones. He focused on the shorter ones. He said these were the best. In these, nature took the pen.
He said it seemed like nature wrote them. The words were simple. The style was pure. There was no effort. It was just beauty. Arnold said we must focus on these. We must ignore the rest.
Conclusion
Arnold’s essay is very important. It saved Wordsworth’s fame. It showed us what to read. It showed us what to skip. It taught us to value joy. It taught us to value truth. Arnold loved the poet. He wanted us to love him too. He showed us the way.
Essay on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold in 1000 Words
Introduction
Matthew Arnold was a famous man. He lived in the Victorian era. This was a time of big change. He was a poet himself. He was also a critic. A critic judges art. He judges books. Arnold had strong views. He cared about culture. He cared about truth.
He wrote a very famous essay. It was about William Wordsworth. Wordsworth was an older poet. He had died years before. But Arnold wanted to revive him. He wanted to show his true worth. This essay is a classic. It teaches us how to judge poems. It teaches us about life.
The Great Ranking
Arnold starts with a bold claim. He talks about fame. He says fame can be tricky. But true fame lasts. He looks at all English poets. He looks at the history. He picks the top ones. Everyone agrees on the first one. It is Shakespeare. He is the king.
Everyone agrees on the second one. It is Milton. He is also a giant. But who is third? Arnold says it is Wordsworth. This was a big surprise. There were many other poets. There was Spenser. There was Shelley. There was Keats. But Arnold picked Wordsworth.
He said Wordsworth is above them all. He said his work is great. It has ample power. It has deep truth. Arnold was sure of this. He said Europe would agree one day. He placed Wordsworth on a high pedestal. He wanted us to look up to him.
Criticism of Life
Why did Arnold think this? He had a rule for poetry. He said poetry is vital. It is not just a game. It is “a criticism of life.” This is a famous phrase. It means poetry connects to us. It connects to our souls. It helps us face the world.
We need ideas to live by. We need beauty to rest in. Poetry gives us these. If a poem does not help, it is weak. Arnold said Wordsworth helps the most. His poems deal with real life. They deal with simple feelings. They are not fake. They are not just fancy words.
They have a moral force. They make us want to be good. They make us feel kind. Arnold loved this. He thought the world was losing faith. He thought people were lost. He saw Wordsworth as a guide. A guide back to what matters.
Nature and Healing
Wordsworth is the poet of nature. Arnold stressed this. But it is not just about trees. It is about how nature feels. It is about the joy in it. Arnold spoke of a “healing power.” This is a key idea. Think of a sad day. Think of a loud city.
You feel tired and worn out. Then you read Wordsworth. You read about a cloud. You read about a flower. Suddenly, you feel better. The cloud lifts. You feel cool air. You feel peace. Arnold said this is magic. It is a rare gift.
Wordsworth opens our hearts. He makes us feel like children again. He makes us happy to be alive. Arnold said few poets can do this. This power makes him great. It makes him useful to us. We need him in our busy lives.
The Good and The Bad
Arnold was a fan. But he was honest. He was a strict critic. He did not praise everything. He said Wordsworth had a flaw. The flaw was his output. He wrote way too much. He kept writing when he was old. The inspiration was gone.
But he kept writing. The result was dull. It was boring. Arnold used a word for it. He called it “prosaic.” This means it was like a textbook. It had no music. It had no spirit. Arnold said this was a problem. It hurt the poet’s fame.
A new reader picks up a book. It is a big book. They read a bad poem. They get bored. They put the book down. They think Wordsworth is dull. Arnold wanted to stop this. He wanted to save the poet from himself.
The Selection Process
Arnold took action. He decided to edit the work. He took the big book. He cut out the bad parts. He cut out the long, dull parts. He kept only the best. He kept the “golden” poems. He made a small volume. It was a book of gems.
He said this was kind. It was not mean. It helped the poet shine. In the best poems, magic happens. Arnold said nature takes the pen. It writes for the poet. The words flow like a river. They are simple and right. There is no struggle.
This is the true Wordsworth. This is the one we must read. Arnold told us to ignore the rest. We should focus on the years 1798 to 1808. This was his best time. The rest is not as good. Arnold’s choice shaped how we read today.
Style and Truth
Arnold talked about style. He compared poets. He talked about Burns. He talked about Keats. He said they had style. But Wordsworth was different. He had “poetic truth.” His words were plain. He did not use big, fancy words.
He used the words of men. But he gave them power. He made them glow. This is “poetic beauty.” It comes from the heart. It is not a trick. It is real emotion. Arnold admired this. He said it was a unique style. It was a style of “no style.”
Conclusion
Matthew Arnold did a great job. He brought Wordsworth back. He gave him his proper place. He taught us to see the good. He taught us to feel the joy. His essay is a gift. It is a guide for all students.
It tells us why we read. We read to feel. We read to live better. Wordsworth helps us do that. Thanks to Arnold, we know this. We know where to look. We look for the healing power. We look for the joy in nature.
FAQ
Who is Matthew Arnold?
Matthew Arnold was a famous writer. He lived in England. He wrote poems and essays. He was a critic who judged books.
What did Arnold say about Wordsworth?
He said Wordsworth was a great poet. He ranked him third best. He said only Shakespeare and Milton were better. He praised his healing power.
What does “healing power” mean?
It means the poems make us feel better. They bring us peace. They take away our sadness. They help us find joy in nature.
Why did Arnold edit Wordsworth’s poems?
Wordsworth wrote too many poems. Some were boring. Arnold cut the bad ones out. He made a book of only the best ones.
