Question

Wordsworth’s famous Preface to the Lyrical Ballads was:

(A) The Preface to the first edition of the Lyrical Ballads

(B) A rejoinder to Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria

(C) A separate supplement to the Lyrical Ballads

(D) The Preface to the second edition of the Lyrical Ballad
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Answer 1

(D) The Preface to the second edition of the Lyrical Ballad

Step-by-step explanation:

Wordsworth's famous Preface to the Lyrical Ballads was the Preface to the second edition of the Lyrical Ballads, published in 1800.

It was a long essay in which Wordsworth outlined his poetic theory, arguing that poetry should be written in the language of common people and should focus on ordinary, everyday experiences.

The Preface was controversial at the time, but it has since become one of the most influential documents in the history of English literature.

So, the answer is (D).

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• Option (A) is incorrect because the Preface was written for the second edition of the Lyrical Ballads, not the first edition.
• Option (B) is incorrect because the Preface was not a rejoinder to Coleridge's Biographia Literaria. The Biographia Literaria was not published until 1817, seven years after the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads.
• Option (C) is incorrect because the Preface was not a separate supplement to the Lyrical Ballads. It was an integral part of the book.