A Brief Overview of English Poet William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was an English poet, who is widely credited for launching the Romantic Age of English literature. Born in 1770 in what is now Cumbria, England, Wordsworth had a long, illustrious writing career spanning more than six decades. Wordsworths work was a major influence on the Romantic Literary Movement, which began to gain prominence around the start of the 19th century. Even after his passing in 1850, Wordsworths works continue to be celebrated and explored by literary enthusiasts around the world.
Much of Wordsworths early life was spent in Cumberland, England, where he was born. He lived in the rural countryside between Hawkshead and London, where he was born. His mother moved to Jamaica in search for a better life when Wordsworth was still young, leaving him behind in the care of her parents. His grandparents home provided ample comfort to the young poet and he spent much of his time reading and writing poetry.
In 1787, Wordsworth entered Cambridge University, where he received a classical education. He soon became familiar with the works of notable authors such as Homer, Shakespeare, and Milton. He was particularly fond of Miltons Paradise Lost, which provided him with much inspiration during his college years. Wordsworth eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1791.
At the age of 21, Wordsworth moved to France with his friend Robert Jones. The pair had seen the ideals of the French Revolution firsthand, and Wordsworth was forever changed by his experience. During a stay in Paris, Wordsworth began to contemplate the political climate of the day and the idea of revolution. He also began to form his own poetic style, which was characterized by an emphasis on nature and imagination.
Wordsworth returned to London in 1794, and began to still form his mature poetic style. In 1797 he published his first work, An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches, which contained some of his most celebrated works, including “The Solitary Reaper”, “Lines Written in Early Spring”, and “Expostulation and Reply”.
Wordsworth released his first collection of poetry in 1807, titled Lyrical Ballads, alongside friend and collaborator Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The anthology contained many of his most distinguished works, and it is largely credited with giving rise to the Romantic Literary Movement. Wordsworth continued to publish more poetry throughout his career, including The Prelude (1850), which serves as a narrative of his own life and includes some of his most renowned works, such as “Tintern Abbey.”
William Wordsworth was one of the most important figures of the Romantic Literary Movement and one of the greatest poets of all time. His works, which often contained themes of nature, imagination, and revolution, have given birth to generations of writers. He inspired some of the most celebrated poets of all time, and his influence continues to this day.
