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William Wordsworth’s "Preface to Lyrical Ballads" (1435-1448)
For each question, write a brief and concise response (just a sentence or two). You should use short quotations to show that you have found the relevant passages in the text, but you should also put parts of your responses into your own words to show that you understand what Wordsworth is saying.

1. Why did Wordsworth choose "low and rustic life" for the subject of his poems in Lyrical Ballads?

2. At one point, Wordsworth complains about "great national events," "the increasing accumulation of men in cities," and "the uniformity of their occupations." What effect does Wordsworth claim this "multitude of causes" has on people? (There is a key phrase in the text that sums it up well!)

3. Look at your response to the question above. Now, according to Wordsworth, how have "literature and theatrical  exhibitions . . . conformed themselves" "to this tendency of life and manners [the answer to the question above]"?

4. What is Wordsworth referring to when he says, "I have taken as much pains to avoid it as others ordinarily take to produce it"? (What is "it"?)

5. How does Wordsworth define a "poet"? (You need just a short phrase here: the poet is someone doing something.)