WORDSWORTH:

A Brief Biography
William Wordsworth is, perhaps, the most famous English poet of the Romantic Period. What follows
is a brief account of his life and career.
Childhood
William Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, Cumberland County, England, April 7, 77!, and he
died on April "#, #$!. %is father was lawyer to &ir 'ames (uther, afterward Earl of (onsdale, but he
died when William was in his se)enth year.
*he poet attended school first at %awkshead &chool, then at Cambridge +ni)ersity. William was
also entered at &t. 'ohns in 7#7. %a)ing finished his academic course, Wordsworth, in 7,!, in
company with -r. Robert 'ames, a fellow.student, toured the continent. With this friend in tow,
Wordsworth toured /orth Wales the following year, after taking his degree in college. %e was again in
0rance toward the close of the year 7,, and remained in that country for a year. %e had hailed the
0rench Re)olution with feelings of enthusiastic admiration1
2liss was it in that dawn to be ali)e
2ut to be young was )ery hea)en.
3n 7,4, in his twenty.third year, he appeared before the world as an author, in 56escripti)e
&ketches5 and 5*he E)ening Walk.5 *he sketches were made from his tour in &wit7erland with his
friend, and the 8Walk9 was among the mountains of Westmoreland.
Early Career
A young friend, Raisley Cal)ert, dying in 7,$, left him a sum. A further sum came to him as a part of
the estate of his father, who died intestate: and with this small competence Wordsworth de)oted
himself to study and seclusion.
3n 7,$ Wordsworth and his sister were li)ing at Racedown (odge, in &omersetshire, where, in
7,7, they were )isited by Coleridge. *he meeting was mutually pleasant, and a life.long friendship
was the result. *he intimate relations thus established induced Wordsworth and his sister to change
their home for a residence near Coleridge, at Alfo;en, near /either &towey. 3n this new home the poet
composed many of his lighter poems, as well as the 52orderers,5 a tragedy, which was re<ected by the
Co)ent =arden *heatre. 3n 7,7 appeared his 5(yrical 2allads,5 which also contained Coleridge>s
5Ancient -ariner.5
3n 7,#, accompanied by his sister and Coleridge, he tra)elled to =ermany, spending time in
%amburg, Rat7eburg and =oslar. Returning to England, he took up residence at =rasmere, in
Westmoreland. 3n #!!, he reprinted his 5(yrical 2allads5 with some additions, making two )olumes.
Alongside his literary career, his personal life also so changes, with his marriage two years later to
-ary %utchinson. 3t was to her he addressed the beautiful lines, 5&he was a Phantom of 6elight.5
#!" was the year of Wordsworth )isit to &cotland. *his )isit formed one of the most important
periods of his literary life, as it led to the composition of some of his finest lighter poems. 3n #!$ he
completed the 5Prelude, or =rowth of my own -ind,5 a poem written in blank )erse, but not
published till after the author>s death. 3n the same year he also wrote 5Waggoner,5 but did not publish
it till in #,. At this time, he purchased a cottage and small estate at the head of +lleswater, (ord
(onsdale generously assisting him. 3n #!7 he published two )olumes simply titled 5Poems.5
Later Career
3n the spring of #4 he remo)ed from =rasmere to Royal -ount, where he remained for the rest of
his life, a period of thirty.se)en years. %ere were passed his brightest days. %e en<oyed retirement and
almost perfect happiness, as seen in his lines1
(ong ha)e 3 lo)ed what 3 behold,
*he night that calms, the day that cheers:
*he common growth of mother.earth
&uffices me..her tears, her mirth,
%er humblest mirth and tears.
*he dragon>s wing, the magic ring,
3 shall not co)et for my dower,
3f 3 along that lowly way
With sympathetic heart may stray,
And with a soul of power.
At the same time he commenced to write poems of a higher order, thus greatly e;tending the circle
of his admirers. 3n #? he published 5*he E;cursion,5 a philosophical poem in blank )erse. 2y
)iewing man in connection with e;ternal nature, the poet blends his metaphysical philosophies with
the scenery of life. *o build up and strengthen the powers of the mind, in contrast to the operations of
sense, was e)er his ob<ect. (ike 2acon, Wordsworth would rather ha)e belie)ed all the fables in the
world, than that this uni)ersal frame is without a mind..or that mind does not, by its e;ternal symbols,
speak to the human heart. %e li)ed under the habitual way of nature1
*o me the meanest flower that blows can, gi)e
*houghts that do often lie too deep for tears.
*he remo)al of the poet to Rydal was marked by an incident of considerable importance in his
personal history. *hrough the influence of the Earl of (onsdale, he was appointed distributor of
stamps in the county of Westmoreland, which added greatly to his income without engrossing all of
his time. %e was now placed beyond 8the frowns of 0ortune9, completely independent in regard to
monetary funding. *he subse@uent works of the poet were numerous..5*he White 6oe of Rylstone5,
5&onnets on the Ri)er 6uddon5, 5*he Waggoner:5 5Peter 2ell5, 5Ecclesiastical &ketches5, 5Aarrow
Re)isited5 and others. %is fame was e;tending rapidly.
Death and Burial
3n recognition of his literary genius, the uni)ersities of 6urham and B;ford conferred him with
academic honours. +pon the death of his friend &outhey in #?4, he was made Poet (aureate of
England, and the crown ga)e him a pension of per annum. *hus his income was increased and
honours were showered upon him, making glad the closing years of his life. 2ut sadness found its
way into his household in #?7, caused by the death of his only daughter, 6ora. Wordsworth sur)i)ed
the shock but three years, ha)ing reached the ad)anced age of eighty, always en<oying robust health
and writing his poems in the open air.
%e died in #$!, on the anni)ersary of &t. =eorge, the patron saint of England. %e was buried
beside his daughter in the beautiful churchyard of =rasmere.