Published in 1798, "Lyrical Ballads" is a dazzling collaboration containing twenty-three poems by close friends, William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) - two major figures of English Romanticism. The volume heralded a new approach to poetry and expresses the poets' reflections on mankind's relationship with the forces of the world. Coleridge's contribution includes the nightmarish vision of "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere", one of the works for which he became best known, as well as the fantastical conversational poem "The Foster-Mother's Tale" and the melancholic "The Nightingale".Wordsworth's "We are Seven" depicts a child's naive optimism in the face of the cruel mortality, while "Goody Blake and Harry Gill" and "Simon Lee" celebrate the simplicity and strength he perceived in country people, and "Tintern Abbey" explores the healing powers of nature. Published as part of the "Penguin Poetry First Editions" series in which the greatest collections of poetry in English will be published in their original form. All texts have been completely reset and some minor changes made to punctuation.

2008-05-14 Not totally inspired, but, something other than Shakespeare

For my English Lit A level I am currently studying this text. When reading this (if you decide to) the first thing to remember is that the poetic style were purely experimental and thus meant to be taken lightly. That is important to bare in mind because you might be reading it and thinking what is this.

The collection is written predominately by Wordsworth (only 4 Coleridge poems are in it) and definitely display's boldness and flare in execution and deliverance. You may find it interesting to read because Wordsworth draws upon the characteristics of many Seventeenth century vagrants, it is amazing to think that even than there were marginal members of society. However, his poetry does not only involve itself with solitary characters but also themes such as the supernatural, the sacred nature of children, loss, isolation and of course the sublime.

One of the collections greatest poems is Tintern Abbey which deals exclusively with the sublime, it is a great account of Wordsworth's relationship with nature as a young boy and man. It may challenge you to look at your own attitude towards nature.

Lyrical ballads is an oxymoron, which obviously suggests that the poetry will inhabit some kind of paradoxical elements. These aspects allow the reader to think and engage with the subjects and themes connected. Do not expect to read some fluently written masterpiece, he is not Shakespeare if anything he draws away from that.

I wont say it is the best poetry I ever read but it is influential and most importantly authentic and this really is depicted throughout the poetry.