William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth

"Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge; it is as immortal as the heart of man"

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith

Life and works

The Lyrical Ballads

Man and nature

"I wandered alone as a cloud"

Themes

Lyrical Ballads

Lyrical Ballads is a collection of poems, first published in 1798 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, the appearance of which is often designated by scholars as a signal of the beginning of English Romanticism. The work included Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey,” as well as many controversial common-language poems by Wordsworth, such as “The Idiot Boy.” The “Preface” to the second edition (1800) contains Wordsworth’s famous definition of poetry as the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” and his theory that poetry should be written in “the language really used by men.”

Man and Nature

MAN AND NATURE Wordsworth was defined as a "poet of English nature", but he was not interested in the natural world and the observation of its phenomena but rather the relationship between the natural world and human consciousness, with the influences, sensations and emotions that derive from this interaction. One of the most important concepts for him is the idea that man and nature are inseparable, that man does not exist outside the natural world but is part of it. Men learn love, happiness and beauty when they look at the natural elements.

First published in 1815, 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' is one of William Wordsworth's best known poems. The poem begins with the speaker walking solitarily among the landscape. Whilst walking besides a lake, the speaker notices a row of daffodils dancing. True to Romantic poetry, this poem is pastoral, illustrating the beauty and magnificence of nature. The speaker in the poem is referred to as cloud-like, detached from this landscape, yet still able to witness its beauty.

The image of the clouds floating also contrasts with the daffodils that are anchored into the landscape, and the speaker admires the way in which they are, literally, down to earth. Towards the end of the poem, we come to see that the speaker no longer feels lonely, but instead, feels the peace and tranquillity of solitude.

Main themes in Wordsworth's poetry

Nature In many of his poems, Wordsworth describes nature as beautiful, and powerful enough to move and alter one's experiences.However, in some of his poetry, Wordsworth also describes nature as being intimidating and illustrates how it at times comes into conflict with humanity.

Solitude At times, Wordsworth appears to be alone with his thoughts, observing his surroundings, whilst in other moments, we see peace and contentment in Wordsworth, in his being able to experience the world alone, through the lens of a poet.

Power We see the power of memory in Wordsworth's poetry, especially in poems in which he recalls his childhood experiences. We see the power of memory, particularly in the poem 'Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tinter"Individual Experience This theme is present thdroughout Wordsworth's poetry. In particular, Wordsworth muses on his experiences growing as an individual, from childhood until adulthood. Innocence We see the theme of innocence in a variety of ways in Wordsworth's poetry. This innocence contrasts with the maturity of nature, which Wordsworth feels is judging his childish act of theft.

Life and works

William Wordsworth was born on the 7th of April 1770 in Cumberland (England), to parents John and Ann. William Wordsworth attended Hawkshead Grammar School, and it was around this time that Wordsworth began to write his first poems. Following this, Wordsworth attended and graduated from St John's College, a constituent for Cambridge University. In 1790, whilst the French Revolution was ongoing, William Wordsworth visited France. Wordsworth considered himself to be a democrat, and he sympathised with and supported the ideals of the French revolutionaries. Wordsworth had a daughter with a woman named Annette Vallon in France, but Wordsworth left shortly before she was born. In 1798, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge published a collection of poems, entitled Lyrical Ballads. This collection of poems played an enormous role in establishing the Romantic literary movement, as well as Wordsworth's role as one of the classic Romantic poets. In 1802, William Wordsworth married Mary Hutchinson, who was a close childhood friend of his, and together she and Wordsworth had five children. Sadly, two of their children died at a young age. Wordsworth returned to France on numerous occasions, and even built a relationship with the daughter he had with Annette. William Wordsworth died on the 23rd of April 1850 of lung condition, pleurisy. Wordsworth is buried in the village of Grasmere in Cumbria (England), at St Oswald's Church.