Evaluate the ways in which poets manage to create profound significance beneath an apparently simple form of poetry

The principles of Lyrical Ballads, as found in Wordsworth’s ‘The Preface’, suggest that poetry should imitate ‘language used by men’ and represent ‘incidents and situations from common life’. Therefore, while the poems of Lyrical Ballads are superficially simple, the sheer significance comes from the message the poets put forth rather than the structure and language used. Another intention of Lyrical Ballads was to discuss ‘feelings rather than intellect’; proposing the importance of the meaning over form. 
It is clear that poems of Lyrical Ballads following the rules proposed in The Preface will more than likely have a ABAB rhyme scheme and accessible language, while also R S Thomas’ 1963 poem ‘Evans’ has an equally simple two stanza, free verse structure with neither rhyme nor rhythm. Principles of Lyrical Ballads can be found in Thomas’ work - perhaps suggesting he was inspired by the Romantic era - such as monosyllabic lines such as “I came down his bare flight”. This gives the impression that Thomas is making his work accessible to all men rather than just the elite - although poetry is more accessible now than it was in the late 18th century. Wordsworth similarly in his poem ‘Old Man Travelling’ uses the monosyllabic line “a man who does not move with pain” which creates a somewhat perfunctory and dark attitude. ‘Old Man Travelling’ has a simplistic and generic Romantic structure of blank verse and iambic pentameter - the language is subtle, portrayed in the sibilance of ‘insensibly subdued / to settled quiet’, and the rhythm seemingly rolls onwards. Iambic pentameter is a repeated occurrence throughout Lyrical Ballads, perhaps because the constant rhythm makes the poem more flowing and understandable for the everyman. It is also found in another of Wordsworth’s poems ‘The Tables Turned’ which also has the ABAB rhyme scheme, which seemingly epitomises simplistic structure. The rhyme scheme is likely to make the piece more memorable and flowing, which is perfect being as the moment was potentially Wordsworth’s comment on society. While the structures of all poems are apparently simplistic, with the iambic pentameter, ABAB rhyme and free verse occurring, both Wordsworth and Thomas manage to create profound significance and leave a lasting impact on the audience: this is down to the fact that poetry is much more than the structure and language - it is the feelings and emotions conveyed, as Wordsworth himself said that poetry is the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”: the structure is merely there to aid the readers understanding and gaining of a message. An alternative viewpoint could be that the simple structure could juxtapose with the meaning to make more impact: the so called ‘simplicity’ makes the poem more accessible.
The fact is, each poem conveys a hugely strong and powerful message. ‘Evan’s’ possesses a storytelling quality as the story is told in 1st person narrative, allowing the reader to become more involved and empathetic. The language throughout is dark and somewhat gothic, words such as “gaunt / whine / blood / tortured / slitting” perhaps foreshadow a negative and dark end to the piece. Not only is the structure of Evans simple, the metaphors Thomas uses such as that of a river coming to its end (“stranded on the vast and lonely shore”) and the simple simile of “rain like blood”. However, this doesn’t make the impact of the poem any less significant: the reader can tell instantly that the poem is poignantly addressing the concept of death, and how the character of Evans in sat in solitude merely waiting to die. ‘Tables Turned’ is a deeply Pantheistic poem where the speaker (perhaps Wordsworth himself) is urging the reader to put down his books and instead learn from nature. The language Wordsworth uses is visual and beautiful when discussing nature, which makes it all the more appealing to the reader to follow his instructions, “sun / lustre / mellow / health / beauteous”. The rhyme scheme and rhythm reinforces the simplistic beauty and raw power of nature and the line “let nature be your teacher” proposes Wordsworth’s pantheistic beliefs to his reader. While even the language used is as simplistic as the structure and rhyme, it is an incredibly deep poem, questioning morality and humanity as well as including themes of nature, religion and transience. Similarly Old Man Travelling’s simplistic blank verse and quiet, subtle language seemingly represents the protagonist in the story. The character of the old man is surprising to the audience - he is quiet and reserved when his “son, a mariner...is dying in an hospital” - so in spite of the seemingly simplistic blank verse this poem also addresses the universal and timeless theme of death that is accessible and relatable to every reader.