History Creator / WilliamWordsworth

Hawkshead School is also where Wordsworth began writing poetry, and he wrote "The Summer Vacation", his first poem, as part of a school assignment. He was once called upon to write a poem to celebrate the second centenary of the foundation of the school in 1585. Though the poem was much admired, Wordsworth himself thought it was a mere imitation of Creator/AlexanderPope, but it inspired him to write from the impulse of his mind.

-->--'''William Wordsworth''', Preface to ''Lyrical Ballads''

* OverlyLongTitle: The aforementioned "Tintern Abbey." Its full title is "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798."

In 1787 he went to St John's College in Cambridge, where he took his degree in 1791. He seemed to have profited little during his time there, and his primary consolation was the thought that he was walking where the great poets before had walked and mused. As an undergraduate, he also travelled and wrote poetry, even experiencing the French Revolution first-hand. He spent his twenties as a wanderer, in France, Switzerland, Wales, London, the Lakes, Dorset, and Germany. In 1794 he reunited with Dorothy and met Coleridge, with whom he published the ''Lyrical Ballads'' and to whom he addressed ''The Prelude'', his semi-autobiographical poem.

Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, on 7 April 1770, the second son of John Wordsworth, attorney-at-law for a Sir James Lowther; and Anne Cookson, daughter of William Cookson, a mercer. His siblings were Richard, Dorothy, to whom throughout his life he was especially close; John, and Christopher. His parents died prematurely, his mother when he was eight, his father when he was thirteen. At the age of eight Wordsworth was sent to school at Hawkshead. He recalled his days in the school very fondly, as he was allowed at school and in vacations to read what he pleased, reading the works of Creator/HenryFielding, Creator/JonathanSwift, Gil Blas, and Don Quixote.

Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, on 7 April 1770, the second son of John Wordsworth, attorney-at-law for a Sir James Lowther; and Anne Cookson, daughter of William Cookson, a mercer. His siblings were Richard, Dorothy, to whom throughout his life he was especially close; John, and Christopher. His parents died prematurely, his mother when he was eight, his father when he was thirteen. At the age of eight Wordsworth was sent to school at Hawkshead. He recalled his days in the school very fondly, as he was allowed at school and in vacations to read what he pleased, reading the works of Creator/HenryFielding, Jonathan Swift, Gil Blas, and Don Quixote.

Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, on 7 April 1770, the second son of John Wordsworth, attorney-at-law for a Sir James Lowther; and Anne Cookson, daughter of William Cookson, a mercer. His siblings were Richard, Dorothy, to whom throughout his life he was especially close; John, and Christopher. His parents died prematurely, his mother when he was eight, his father when he was thirteen. At the age of eight Wordsworth was sent to school at Hawkshead. He recalled his days in the school very fondly, as he was allowed at school and in vacations to read what he pleased, reading the works of Henry Fielding, Jonathan Swift, Gil Blas, and Don Quixote.

->''"I have said that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction, the tranquillity gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind."''

** ''Preface to the Lyrical Ballads'' (1802): A lengthy essay Wordsworth wrote in the Lyrical Ballads, considered to be the de facto manifesto of the Romantic movement. One of the main points in the preface was that everyday language is best suited for poetry, and that poetry itself is "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction, the tranquillity gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind."

You may have also heard of poems like [[OverlyLongTitle ''Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798'']] or "Tintern Abbey" for short. And "I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud" or simply "Daffodils".

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grmdc_a10_00001a.jpg]]

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was an English {{Romantic|ism}} poet, most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with Creator/SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a lengthy preface). He also wrote a [[DoorStopper 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

He and Coleridge were very close, up until Coleridge's continuing angst over Wordsworth's popularity drove a wedge between them. Coleridge's drug abuse may have also been a mitigating factor in the strain that their relationship went through. They lost contact for several years, but eventually made up; however, they were never really on good terms ever again.

Wordsworth's work is pretty much standard for any college-level English literature course.

** In "The Thorn," when the villagers try to dig up what may or may not be a dead baby, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs the earth shakes and prevents them from going any closer]].

You may have also heard of poems like [[OverlyLongTitle ''Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798'']] or "Tintern Abbey" for short.

* HumansAreBastards: In "The Thorn"

* NatureLover: Like most romantics

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For further study into the life and works of William Wordsworth, see this free online course "William Wordsworth: Poetry, People and Place" from Lancaster University: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/william-wordsworth

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was an English {{Romantic|ism}} poet, most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with Creator/SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a big-ass preface). He also wrote a [[DoorStopper 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

He and Coleridge were [[HeterosexualLifePartners very close,]] up until Coleridge's continuing angst over Wordsworth's popularity drove a wedge between them. Coleridge's drug abuse may have also been a mitigating factor in the strain that their relationship went through. They lost contact for several years, but eventually made up; however, they were never really on good terms ever again.

* GaiasRevenge:

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was an English {{Romantic|ism}} poet, most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with Creator/SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a big-ass preface). He also wrote a [[DoorStopper 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported the French Revolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a {{Romantic|ism}} poet most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with Creator/SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a big-ass preface). He also wrote a [[DoorStopper 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported the French Revolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

He and Samuel Taylor Coleridge were [[HeterosexualLifePartners very close,]] up until Coleridge's continuing angst over Wordsworth's popularity drove a wedge between them. Coleridge's drug abuse may have also been a mitigating factor in the strain that their relationship went through. They lost contact for several years, but eventually made up; however, they were never really on good terms ever again.

* TakeThat: Some mild ones to Coleridge, especially in "Resolution and Independence." Notable in that they generally weren't done because he hated the guy, but because he was distraught that Coleridge's life was gradually spiraling out of control due to the latter's drug abuse and depression.

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* AuthorAvatar: In "Resolution and Independence," the protagonist may or may not be a representation of a young Wordsworth.
** He also pointedly averts this in "The Thorn," where he makes sure the reader knows that he isn't the narrator.

* GaiasRevenge: Subtly done in several of his poems, especially "Tintern Abbey," which details how nature has taken back the destitute abbey.
** And in "The Thorn," when the villagers try to dig up what may or may not be a dead baby, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs the earth shakes and prevents them from going any closer]].

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a {{Romantic|ism}} poet most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a big-ass preface). He also wrote a [[DoorStopper 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported the French Revolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a {{Romantic|ism}} poet most famous for his anthology ''Lyrical Ballads'' (which he published with SamuelTaylorColeridge in 1798 and which Wordsworth later revised with a big-ass preface). He also wrote a [[BeyondTheImpossible 14-volume poem]] entitled ''The Prelude'' which is his autobiography. Like most Romantics, he supported the French Revolution, but he became notably more conservative as he aged.

* BrotherSisterTeam: He and his sister Dorothy were very close, and he would get inspiration for his poetry from her journals. In all, he seemed to rely on her as a muse.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Coleridge.

* PunnyName: Kind of. With a name like that, could you imagine him going into anything but writing?
** And his sister Dorothy was a writer, too.