Why did Robert Southey criticize Lyrical Ballads?

Robert Southey, a former collaborator of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, became one of the harshest critics of Lyrical Ballads following the collapse of their shared utopian project. In the October 1798 issue of The Critical Review, Southey characterized the subjects of the poems as "uninteresting".1

His specific criticisms included:

• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Southey dismissed the poem as "absurd or unintelligible" and argued that it was a work of "little merit," despite acknowledging that some stanzas were "laboriously beautiful".1
• The Idiot Boy: Southey offered a backhanded critique, suggesting the poem was a waste of effort and comparing it to a Flemish picture that possessed excellent execution but a worthless design.1

William Wordsworth, stung by these remarks, suspected that Southey was aware the collection had been published partly for financial gain and was intentionally attempting to damage its sales. Wordsworth later expressed that if Southey could not provide a conscientious review, he should have declined the task entirely.1