Which kinds of ordinary people did Wordsworth and Coleridge portray in Lyrical Ballads?

In Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge sought to democratize poetry by focusing on the experiences and vernacular of middle- and working-class people, intentionally moving away from the formal artistic conventions associated with the upper classes.12

Rather than centering their work on traditional epic figures like kings, queens, or knights, the poets focused on humble, rustic individuals who lived close to nature. The types of people portrayed in the collection include:1

• Laborers and rural workers: Such as shepherds, farmers, village barbers, and hunters.1
• Marginalized figures: Including pedlars, sailors, and apprentices.1
• Vulnerable individuals: Such as mothers, "mad mothers," female vagrants, and children with intellectual disabilities.1
• Outcasts: Including gipsies and convicts.1

By choosing these "lowly" subjects and using common, colloquial language, the authors aimed to illustrate basic truths of human nature. This approach was considered controversial at the time, as some critics viewed their focus on the "commonest of the people" as lacking sufficient dignity.31