How did the preface to the 1800 edition of Lyrical Ballads become a manifesto for Romantic poetry?

The preface to the 1800 edition of Lyrical Ballads became a manifesto for Romanticism by articulating a revolutionary shift in the purpose, subject matter, and language of poetry.41

In this text, William Wordsworth challenged the prevailing 18th-century poetic conventions, which he viewed as stale and artificial. Instead, he proposed that poetry should focus on "incidents and situations from common life" and be written in "the language really used by men," thereby seeking to democratize the art form.2345

Central to this manifesto was Wordsworth’s famous definition of poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings," which shifted the focus of literature from the imitation of classical models to the expression of individual, subjective experience. By emphasizing sincerity, the importance of personal emotion, and the role of the imagination, the preface provided a theoretical framework that defined the core tenets of the English Romantic movement.4215