Why is William Wordsworth regarded as a central figure of English Romanticism?

William Wordsworth is regarded as a central figure of English Romanticism because he revolutionized English-language poetry and fundamentally shifted the focus of literature. His significance is defined by three primary contributions:12

• Revolutionary Poetic Principles: In the preface to the second edition of Lyrical Ballads (1800), co-authored with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Wordsworth rejected the formal decorum of 18th-century verse. He advocated for using the language of common men to describe situations from everyday life, defining poetry as the "spontaneous overflow of feelings...recollected in tranquility".12
• New Perspective on Nature: He introduced a fresh, organic view of the relationship between humanity and the natural world, often portraying nature as emblematic of the human mind or the mind of God.3
• Psychological Depth: Through works like The Prelude, the first long autobiographical poem, he explored the "growth of a poet’s mind," contributing to a modern psychological understanding of human nature.3

By placing poetry at the center of human experience, Wordsworth transformed the literary landscape, earning a critical standing alongside masters like John Milton.3