William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland on April 7, 1770 (Poets.org). He grew up in the Lake District of England where he developed his strong love of nature. Wordsworth was “a poet concerned with the human relationship to nature” (Duemer). This love of nature soon developed into Wordsworth’s passion. Being a Romantic, he believed that nature evoked deep personal emotion and therefore unlocked the human spirit. Wordsworth’s inspiration came from many mediums including his sister, Dorothy. After being separated at a young age, Dorothy and William became very close friends in their adult lives. Dorothy was the inspiration for many of Wordsworth’s ideas and poems. Wordsworth ultimately hoped to mirror Dorothy’s life with her love for nature and great emotion.

The poet had other influences in his life that shaped his poetry such as the French Revolution. Wordsworth initially praised the revolution in France, claiming that it was a much needed glorious renovation. He was convinced that “revolutionary France strengthened and developed his convictions” (Duemer). After spending a great amount of time in France during the revolution, however, Wordsworth became more and more reluctant to liberal ideas. In fact, Wordsworth met a French woman, Annette Vallon, during his time in France and even conceived a child with her. Financial troubles ultimately tore their relationship apart and Wordsworth returned to England. After gaining a significant amount of money from a friend, Wordsworth moved into a nice country home with his sister in England. During this time he became reunited with a high school love, Mary Hutchinson, and took her hand in marriage. Together, the couple had four children. Wordsworth produced many of his great poems during this time because he encountered many personal hardships. Two of his children passed away along with his brother. His sister Dorothy also developed a mental illness which greatly affected Wordsworth.

While these events were tragic to Wordsworth, they greatly sparked his imagination and inner self. Most, if not all, of Wordsworth’s poetry is centered around nature and deep personal connection. In his poetry, Wordsworth replaced a “higher power” with nature’s ability to unlock the human spirit. He believed the definition of poetry to be the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings arising from “emotion recollected in tranquility.” Wordsworth is known for pioneering the use of common language in poetry. He had great “sympathy for ordinary people” because Wordsworth could relate to the common man (Duemer). He believed that simple speech was the only way to express true emotion. Other poets greatly opposed his use of ordinary language, arguing that it was vulgar and silly. Wordsworth’s literary works began to dwindle toward the end of his life. This is a great paradox because he was at peace with the world, unlike earlier in his career. Wordsworth died in 1850, leaving his masterpiece, The Prelude, incomplete. “A careful reading of Wordsworth's prose will lead, perhaps, to a clearer understanding of the path he traveled from the eighteenth century to the Victorian age, and modern readers will recognize the origins of their own literary and political culture” (Duemer).

Works Cited

Duemer, Joseph. "William Wordsworth." DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 5 Apr. 2011.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature The Romantic Period Through the Twentieth Century and After. 8th ed. Vol. D. W W Norton & Co, 2006. Print.

"William Wordsworth." Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/296.

Picture Citation: “William Wordsworth.” Poets.org. 1997-2011. 04 Apr. 2011.

"WORDSWORTH, William." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO. Web. 5 Apr. 2011.