“There is scarcely one of my poems which does not aim to direct the attention to some moral sentiment, or to some general principle, or law of thought.”

Explaining the reflective and moral purpose underlying his poems · Letter to Lady Beaumont, 21 May 1807

• Poetry
• Truth

“The earliest poets of all nations generally wrote from passion excited by real events; they wrote naturally, and as men.”

Valuing natural expression rooted in genuine experience · Preface to Lyrical Ballads, 1802

• Poetry
• Truth

“Poems, however humble in their kind, if they be good in that kind, cannot read themselves.”

Emphasising the active role of the reader or reciter in bringing poetry alive · Essay, Of Poetry as Observation and Description, 1815

• Music
• Poetry