incidents were to be, in part at least, supernatural; and the excellence
aimed at was to consist in the interesting of the affections by the
dramatic truth of such emotions, as would naturally accompany such
situations, supposing them real. And real in this sense they have been
to every human being who, from whatever source of delusion, has at any
time believed himself under supernatural agency. For the second class,
subjects were to be chosen from ordinary life; the characters and
incidents were to be such as will be found in every village and its
vicinity, where there is a meditative and feeling mind to seek after
them, or to notice them, when they present themselves.

"In this idea originated the plan of the LYRICAL BALLADS; in which it
was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and
characters supernatural, or at least romantic; yet so as to transfer
from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth
sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing
suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith.
Mr. Wordsworth, on the other hand, was to propose to himself as his
object, to give the charm of novelty to things of everyday and to excite
a feeling ANALOGOUS TO THE SUPERNATURAL, {103} by awakening the mind's
attention to the lethargy of custom, and directing it to the loveliness
and the wonders of the world before us; an inexhaustible treasure, but
for which, in consequence of the film of familiarity and selfish
solicitude we have eyes, yet see not, ears that hear not, and hearts
that neither feel nor understand.

"With this view I wrote THE ANCIENT MARINER, and was preparing, among
other poems, THE DARK LADIE and the CHRISTABEL, in which I should have
more nearly have realised my ideal, than I had done in my first
attempt."