Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a landmark collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge published in 1798 that marked the beginning of the Romantic Movement in English literature. The authors sought to find a voice rooted in the simple, everyday language and experience of the common man and by doing so upend the stilted, studied and highly structured forms of 18^th century English poetry. Their intent is reflected in the title: “lyrical” refers to the tradition of the rustic bard, and “ballads” is the term for folk songs that convey stories in the oral tradition. The departure from tradition is reflected in the subject matter as well, with its focus on simple, unlettered country people closer to the original state of nature and, by implication, a more pure and innocent existence as propounded by Rousseau. The initial 1798 edition contained 24 poems, 4 by Coleridge and 20 by Wordsworth, and an “Advertisement” setting out the poetical concept. A second edition in 1800 contained a preface and assembled the original poems less “The Convict” in Volume I and added a Volume II consisting of an additional 38 poems by Wordsworth.

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