What is the point of poetry? In 1798, William Wordsworth attempted to answer this question, in a preface written for his collection of poetry 'the Lyrical Ballads'. This revolutionary set of poems heralded the arrival of the Romantic movement, with Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge as its leaders. In this essay, Wordsworth tries to prepare his readers for this new poetry. Aware that people may not like what they hear, Wordsworth articulates his philosophy, answering the question of what it means to be a poet, and what the purpose of poetry should be.