Project on Wordsworth Biography
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was an English poet who is considered to be one of the most influential poets in the history of English literature. He is known for his work that emphasized the beauty of nature and the importance of individual experiences.
In this project on Wordsworth biography, we will explore his life, works, and legacy and major works.
Early Life and Education:
William Wordsworth was born on April 7, 1770, in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. His father, John Wordsworth, was an attorney, and his mother, Ann Cookson Wordsworth, died when he was just eight years old. William was the second of five children, and he had an older brother named Richard, and three younger siblings: Dorothy, John, and Christopher.He was an English poet who is considered to be one of the most influential poets in the history of English literature. He is known for his work that emphasized the beauty of nature and the importance of individual experiences. In this project on Wordsworth biography, we will explore his life, works, and legacy.
Wordsworth was educated at the Hawkshead Grammar School in the Lake District, where he developed a love of nature and literature. He also showed an early interest in poetry, writing his first sonnet at the age of 14.
University Years and Early Career:
In 1787, Wordsworth went to St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he studied English literature and became friends with other poets and writers, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He left Cambridge in 1791 without completing his degree.
In the years following his departure from Cambridge, Wordsworth traveled extensively throughout Europe, spending time in France, Italy, and Germany. During this time, he became increasingly interested in political and social issues and wrote several political poems.
Career as a Poet:
Wordsworth’s first published work was a collection of poems called “Lyrical Ballads,” which he co-authored with Coleridge and published in 1798. This collection is considered to be one of the most important works in the history of English literature and marked the beginning of the Romantic movement.
Wordsworth’s poetry focused on nature, childhood, and individual experience, and he is known for his use of simple language and natural imagery. Some of his most famous works include “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” “The Prelude,” and “Tintern Abbey.”
Later Life and Legacy:
In his later years, Wordsworth continued to write poetry and became an important figure in the literary world. He was appointed Poet Laureate of England in 1843 and received numerous honors throughout his life.
Wordsworth died on April 23, 1850, in Rydal Mount, Westmorland, England. He is buried in the St. Oswald’s Churchyard in Grasmere, Cumbria, where he lived for many years.
Wordsworth’s legacy as a poet has endured for centuries, and his influence can be seen in the work of many other poets and writers. He is known for his emphasis on the importance of individual experience, the beauty of nature, and the power of the imagination, and his work continues to be studied and admired today.
Famous Works
Some of his most famous works include:
“Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”: This poem is considered one of Wordsworth’s most famous works. It describes the beauty of the natural world and its ability to inspire feelings of peace and tranquility.
“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (also known as “Daffodils”): This poem is one of Wordsworth’s most famous works, and is often studied in schools. It describes a field of daffodils and the feelings of joy and inspiration they evoke.
The Prelude: This is Wordsworth’s most famous long poem, and is often considered one of the greatest works of English literature. It is an autobiographical work that explores the poet’s own experiences and emotions, with a particular focus on his relationship with nature.
“Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood”: This poem explores the idea of the loss of innocence and the way in which our perceptions of the world change as we grow older. It is considered one of Wordsworth’s most complex and profound works.
“The World Is Too Much with Us”: This sonnet laments the way in which people have become disconnected from nature and instead focus on material possessions and worldly pursuits.
“She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”: This poem is a tribute to a woman who lived a quiet life in the countryside, and explores the theme of unrequited love.
“London, 1802”: This sonnet is a tribute to John Milton, and reflects Wordsworth’s belief in the power of great literature to inspire and elevate the human spirit.
Other works
• Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems (1798)
• “Simon Lee”
• “We are Seven”
• “Lines Written in Early Spring”
• “Expostulation and Reply”
• “The Tables Turned”
• “The Thorn”
• “Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”
• Lyrical Ballads, with Other Poems (1800)
Preface to the Lyrical Ballads
• “Strange fits of passion have I knownTable
• “She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways”
References
1.M.H.Abrams, editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period, writes of these five poems:
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