William Wordsworth, Romantic Poet
William Wordsworth was an English poet who was one of the main literary figures of the Romantic era in English literature. Along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Wordsworth published the Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which was instrumental in the birth of the Romantic period.
While William Wordsworth's greatest literary achievement is generally considered to be The Prelude, this work was published only after his death and in fact was untitled while Wordsworth was still alive. An autographical poem detailing the early years of Wordsworth's life, The Prelude was for many years known simply as the "poem to Coleridge" and throughout the years has undergone many revisions and expansions. William Wordsworth also held the title of Poet Laureate of England from 1843 until his death.
William Wordsworth was born on April 7, 1770 in Cumberland in Northern England. Cumberland was part of the picturesque area known as Lake District. Wordsworth was the second child in a brood of five and the literary streak that he would display in his later years was also evident in his sister Dorothy, who would later become a poet and diarist.
Wordsworth's mother died when he was only eight years old and his father sent him to pursue his early education at Hawkshead Grammar School. His father was a lawyer by profession and worked as a solicitor for the Earl of Lonsdale. Sadly for Wordsworth his father died in 1783, leaving him an estate valued at £4500. This inheritance was however tied up in claims with the Earl of Lonsdale, who refused to honour the claims up until his death in 1802. The Earl's successor was a far more compassionate man and he settled these claims with interest.
Upon the death of their father, the care of the Wordsworth siblings was left up to various uncles who took on the task of guardianship. While Wordsworth generally experienced a good childhood, he was also often lonely and being separated from his siblings did not help matters any. He would later turn to writing in order to cope with the emotional trauma caused by his parent's death and separation from his siblings.
William Wordsworth pursued his higher education at St. John's College in Cambridge beginning in 1787. He later travelled to France in 1790 while the country was embroiled in a revolution. While in France, Wordsworth met and worked with the Republican movement. He then returned to Cambridge and graduated without honours.
Wordsworth first attracted attention in the literary world with the publication of his collection of poetry entitled An Evening Walk in 1793. The publication of another collection, Descriptive Sketches would follow soon after. In 1795, an opportune donation of £900 from an admirer of his work named Raisley Calvert helped Wordsworth pursue his poetic pursuits.
It was also in 1795 that Wordsworth would meet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who would later have a significant influence on his craft. Wordsworth along with his sister Dorothy moved to Somerset to be near Coleridge and the two men would work together on what is arguably the most significant piece of literature of the English Romantic period, the Lyrical Ballads.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 21/07/2008
