William Wordsworth
Explore the life and legacy of William Wordsworth (1770–1850), the key English Romantic poet behind Lyrical Ballads and The Prelude. Learn about his early years, poetic vision, major works, and why he still matters today.
Introduction
William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850) was a foundational figure in English Romantic poetry.
He, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, launched a new poetic movement through Lyrical Ballads (1798), advocating for a poetry rooted in nature, emotion, and everyday speech.
Wordsworth’s most celebrated work is The Prelude, a semi-autobiographical epic tracing his inner life and development as a poet.
He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1843 until his death in 1850.
Early Life & Family
William Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland (in the Lake District, northwestern England) on April 7, 1770.
He was the second of five children. His sister Dorothy Wordsworth, to whom he remained very close, became an important companion and literary influence.
When he was eight years old, his mother died. This loss and themes of separation and grief often appear in his poetry.
He attended Hawkshead Grammar School in the Lake District, where his love of nature and poetic sensibility deepened.
Later, he went to St John’s College, Cambridge, graduating in 1791.
Poetic Beginnings & Partnership with Coleridge
In the mid-1790s, Wordsworth met Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and their friendship and collaboration became central to Romantic poetry.
In 1798, they published Lyrical Ballads (anon.), a landmark collection that included Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and other poems. The second edition (1800) included Wordsworth’s Preface, in which he set out his poetic principles.
In that Preface, Wordsworth argued for poetry built from the “real language of men,” shaped by emotion “recollected in tranquility.”
He also meant to compose a larger philosophical poem, The Recluse, of which The Prelude was to be the prologue. The Prelude was, however, published posthumously.
Major Works & Thematic Focus
Lyrical Ballads & Early Poems
Key poems include:
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Tintern Abbey
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“We Are Seven”
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“Expostulation and Reply”
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“The Tables Turned”
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“Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”
The Prelude
The Prelude is his magnum opus, a long, introspective poem that traces the poet’s spiritual and imaginative growth. He revised it multiple times.
Later Works & Long Poems
Other major works include Poems, in Two Volumes (1807), Ode: Intimations of Immortality, Michael, The Excursion (1814), Ecclesiastical Sonnets, and many shorter lyric poems.
In 1813 he moved to Rydal Mount (in the Lake District), which remained his home until his death.
Poetic Philosophy & Style
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Nature & the Sublime: Wordsworth believed nature provided spiritual nourishment and moral insight. Many of his poems regard nature as a living teacher.
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Emotion and Memory: His idea of emotion recollected in tranquility suggests that the poet reflects upon feelings afterward, allowing deeper meaning.
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Common Speech & Accessibility: He sought a poetic diction which was nearer to ordinary speech while still poetic, rejecting overly ornate poetry.
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The Poet’s Mind: He viewed the poet’s inner life—memory, imagination, perception—as central in bridging nature and human understanding. The Prelude embodies this.
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Spiritual & Moral Tone: Wordsworth’s later works grow more conservative and religious, but still seek a moral dimension in poetry and life.
Later Years, Honors & Death
In 1843, after the death of Robert Southey, Wordsworth became Poet Laureate, though he accepted the post only under assurances that he would have no obligations to write official poems.
He experienced personal tragedies—his daughter Dora died in 1847, which deeply affected him and contributed to his ceasing new verse.
Wordsworth died at Rydal Mount on 23 April 1850 (from pleurisy) and was buried in St Oswald’s Church, Grasmere.
Notable Quotes & Lines
Some famous lines:
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“The child is father of the man.”
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“I wandered lonely as a cloud” (opening of Daffodils)
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“Nature never did betray / The heart that loved her.”
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“With tranquil restoration: — feelings too / Of unremembered pleasure.”
Legacy & Influence
William Wordsworth is one of the principal architects of Romantic poetry in English.
His insistence on nature, memory, emotion, and the everyday as sources of poetic insight influenced generations of poets.
The homes associated with him—Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount—are preserved as museums and literary heritage sites.
In 2025, a new walking route, the Wordsworth Way, was inaugurated in the Lake District to connect key places in his life and honor his connection to landscape.
Lessons from Wordsworth
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Find meaning in nature. Wordsworth shows how observing the natural world can be a pathway to insight and solace.
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Memory transforms experience. Reflection allows emotion to mature, deepen, and inspire.
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Simplicity need not lack depth. Using accessible language doesn’t mean sacrificing poetic power.
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Poetry is a lifelong craft. The Prelude was revised over decades—true art evolves.
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Sense of place matters. Wordsworth’s deep attachment to the Lake District shaped his identity and work.