1. Emphasis on the Ordinary and the Everyday: Wordsworth's focus on the simple, the rural, and the everyday experience challenged the traditional focus on elevated subjects and classical forms. This emphasis on the ordinary opened up new areas of inquiry for literary critics, leading to the development of theories focused on the "real" and the "authentic" in literature.
2. The Importance of Emotion and Subjectivity: Coleridge's exploration of the power of imagination and the role of the unconscious in shaping experience provided a foundation for the later development of psychoanalytic literary criticism. Critics like Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan would draw upon Coleridge's ideas to understand the psychological depths of literary texts.
3. The Power of Nature: Both Wordsworth and Coleridge emphasized the importance of nature as a source of inspiration and spiritual renewal. This focus on nature influenced the development of ecocriticism, which examines the relationship between literature and the environment.
4. The Role of the Poet: *Lyrical Ballads* established a new model for the poet as a sensitive observer and interpreter of the world. This Romantic ideal of the poet continues to be relevant in contemporary literary criticism, particularly in the study of "voice" and "persona" in literature.
5. The Use of Language: Wordsworth's emphasis on "common language" and Coleridge's focus on the power of metaphor and symbol have influenced modern theories of language and rhetoric. Critics continue to explore the ways in which language constructs meaning and shapes our understanding of the world.
Specific Examples of Influence:
* New Criticism: This influential movement in the 20th century, with its focus on the close reading of texts, was partly shaped by Wordsworth and Coleridge's emphasis on the importance of language and form.
* Post-Structuralism: The work of critics like Roland Barthes and Jacques Derrida, which challenged traditional notions of authorial intention and meaning, drew inspiration from Coleridge's ideas about the power of the imagination and the unconscious.
* Ecocriticism: Critics like Lawrence Buell and Greg Garrard have drawn upon Wordsworth and Coleridge's concept of nature as a source of spiritual renewal to understand the relationship between literature and the environment.
In conclusion, Wordsworth and Coleridge's poetry has provided a rich and enduring source of inspiration for literary critics across generations. Their exploration of the ordinary, the emotional, and the natural world continues to shape contemporary discussions of literature, language, and the human experience.