William Wordsworthby Gergely Papp,Year II

Early life & Education

was born1770 in Cockermouth in Cumberland (Lake District)

> 1783: father died, WW was left under the guardianship of their uncles

began attending St John's College, Cambridge in 1787

> 1790: visited RevolutionaryFrance and supported the Republican movement

> 1791: graduated from Cambridge without distinction

relationship with the french Annette Vallon

In November 1791, W returned to France and took a walking tour of Europe

returned alone to England

war between France and Britain prevented him from seeing Annette and Caroline, his daughter

may have been depressed and emotionally unsettled in the mid 1790s

…

Tintern Abbey

true message of revolution and dark

deeds from the mentioned anniversary date

blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)

> though Wordsworth wrote this poem in 1798,

the subject is of what he remembers from 1793

represents a decline in religion during the romantic era

the Abbey is a healer, it makes him feel better

W is ecstatic that he is able to share his

experiences with Dorothy, his sister

…

Autobiographical workThe Recluse, The ExcursionPoems in Two Volumes

plans to write a long philosophical poem in three parts, The Recluse

appendix to The Recluse, "poem to Coleridge"

began expanding this autobiographical work

1805:he had completed it( AKA "Poem to

Coleridge"), butrefused to publish such a

personal work until he had completed

the whole of The Recluse

1814 he published The Excursion as the

second part of the three-part The Recluse.

Wordsworth hadnot completed the first and

third parts,and never would complete them at all

did write a poetic Prospectus to "The Recluse" in

whichhe lays out the structure and intent of the poem

Wordsworth's most famous lines on the relation between the human mind and nature

1807:Poems in Two Volumes were published

he hoped this collection would cement his reputation

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

  • was inspired by an April 15, 1802 event in which Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy came across a "long belt" of daffodils
  • experience of suddenly chancing upon "a host" of daffodils during a lonely walk
  • daffodils delight him with their abundance and beauty

The Prospectus, The Prelude and The Poet Laureate with oter honors

1814 he published The Excursion as the second part of the three-part The Recluse. He had not completed the first and third parts, and never would complete them

did write a poetic Prospectus to "The Recluse" in which he lays out the structure and intent of the poem

Wordsworth's most famous lines on the relation between the human mind and nature

received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1838 from Durham and from Oxford University

death in 1843 of Robert Southey, Wordsworth became the Poet Laureate

Wordsworth died in Rydal Mount in 1850 and was buried at St. Oswald's church in Grasmere

His widow, Mary, published his lengthy autobiographical "poem to Coleridge" as The Prelude - recognised as his masterpiece

Sources:

○ Carter, Ronald and McRae, John. The Penguin Guide to Literature in English

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