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How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold?
Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root,
and in that freedom bold.
~William Wordsworth~

William Wordsworth, pronounced "wurdz-wurth," was a great English poet. In his lifetime, Wordsworth wrote some 70,000 lines of poetry....more than twice as many lines as any other known poetic author. Wordsworth wrote in language more easily understood by all readers. Wordsworth believed that poetry originates from "emotion recollected in tranquility." He felt that poetry should be written to depict the life of ordinary people, describing the events of everyday life. His work Lyrical Ballads published in 1798 marked the beginning of the English Romantic Movement. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was co-author of the ballads. Many consider Wordsworth the most important English Romantic poet. Whether this is true or not, in English literature Wordsworth did write one of the most well known poems, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality." 

William Wordsworth was born on April 17, 1770 in the lake district of Great Britain. His home located in Cockermouth, Cumberland is now called Wordsworth House. It is a beautiful Georgian home on the banks of the Derwent River. Wordsworth House is landscaped with beautiful gardens. Wordsworth spent much of his early childhood on his own and developed a deep love for the natural beauty of the lake district. This natural beauty of Wordsworth's birthplace became a great inspiration for Wordsworth's writings. "To Wordsworth, God was everywhere manifest in the harmony of nature, and he felt deeply the kinship between nature and the soul of mankind."

William Wordsworth lost his mother at the age of eight and his father five years later. Wordsworth was one of five siblings. He had an older brother, Richard, two younger brothers, John and Christopher, and a younger sister, Dorothy. 

William Wordsworth first attended school at Anne Birkett's school in Penrith. After his mother's death, Wordsworth was sent to school at Hawkshead in 1779. Hawkshead was an excellent school for elementary basics. Wordsworth received wonderful instruction in Classics, mathematics, and science. During this time Wordsworth boarded with Ann Tyson at Colthouse. Later his brothers came to the school and William and his brothers were all able to room together at Colthouse. Ann Tyson provided Wordsworth with much more than a room. Ann Tyson provided a structured family atmosphere for him and also allowed him freedom to explore the countryside. During his time at Hawkshead, Wordsworth did very well. The schoolmaster encouraged him in his poetic writing. During this time Wordsworth would often visit the country for inspiration from nature. 

In 1787, Wordsworth entered Cambridge University and also published his first article. The article was a sonnet published in The European Magazine. Although his grades were average, Wordsworth graduated from Cambridge with a B.A. in 1791. 

In 1790, just before his last year of school, Wordsworth toured France on foot. Upon graduation in 1791, Wordsworth traveled back to France. His intentions were to master the French language enough to aid him in his quest to become a traveling tutor. While there he became a staunch supporter of the French Revolution. He also fell in love with Annette Vallon, a Catholic and daughter of a royal family. Finances prohibited Wordsworth from staying in France. He returned to England in December of 1792. War broke out between France and England, keeping Wordsworth from returning to France until 1802. During this time Annette Vallon, residing in France, gave birth to his daughter, Anne Caroline in late 1792. Wordsworth did not see Caroline until she was nine. At that meeting, Wordsworth made arrangements to financially support her education. Wordsworth's poem, "Vaudracour and Julia" is based on the liaison between William Wordsworth and Annette Vallon.

In 1795 Wordsworth received an inheritance from a young boy he had nursed, Raisley Calvert. Calvert died of tuberculosis leaving Wordsworth enough to settle at Racedown, Dorset. His sister, Dorothy came to live with him. Having received the inheritance and living at Dorset with his sister, Wordsworth was more relaxed. His friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whom Wordsworth had met in August of this same year, encouraged him to tackle his writing more earnestly. 

Wordsworth's relationship with Samuel Coleridge strengthened over the next two years. Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy moved to Alfoxden House, only a short distance from where Coleridge lived at Nether Stowey. This time became known as "annus mirabilis" for Wordsworth and Coleridge. They worked closely together. And even though they didn't write well together, they inspired each other. Their "talks" would give each of them words to write. Wordsworth described his relationship with his sister and Coleridge at this point like this "we were three persons with one soul." It was said that "the thoughts of one would inevitably find their way into the verse of the other." As a result of this time together Lyrical Ballads was published on October 4, 1798. About this time, Wordsworth began writing an autobiograhical poem which was completed in 1805, but published after his death in 1850. This work was The Prelude.

In the winter of 1798 Wordsworth, Dorothy, and Coleridge traveled to Germany. They stayed until the spring of 1799. The bitter cold kept them inside, and the language barrier prevented them from making friends. They returned to England and lived in Dove Cottage, located in the lake district. During the time in Germany, Wordsworth wrote his "Lucy" poems. These poems were about the letting go of a loved one. Some think Wordsworth wrote the poems about his "inappropriate feelings" for his sister Dorothy. 

In 1802 Wordsworth finally received his family inheritance. This enabled him to travel back to France and meet his daughter, Caroline. This provided closure on his relationship with Annette Vallon. On October 4, 1802, Wordsworth back in England, married, Mary Hutchinson, his childhood friend from Anne Birkett's school in Penrith. "Interestingly, Dorothy did not attend the ceremony; she was crying on her bed." Eventually, Dorothy and Mary became friends and Dorothy lived with Mary and William until her death some 20 years later. In 1803 Wordsworth's first child was born with Mary. They had five children together. 

Wordsworth's brother John drowned in February of 1805. This greatly affected Wordsworth. But he still managed to write. In May The Prelude was finished. In December of 1806, Poems, in Two Volumes was sent to the printer. This book showed a different side to Wordsworth's poetry than the side in Lyrical Ballads. One of the most well known English literature poems by Wordsworth, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" was included in the edition Poems, in Two Volumes. In 1807 Wordsworth and his family moved to Allan Bank. In 1810 Wordsworth and Coleridge had a falling out. Even though the two later talked in 1812, their friendship was never the same.

In June of 1812, Wordsworth's daughter Catherine died, and in December his son Thomas died. In May of 1813 the family moved to Rydal Mount at Ambleside. This was Wordsworth's home until he died. This is the time when Wordsworth accepted the post of Distributor of Stamps for Westmorland. This was a good thing for the Wordsworth family, financially. However, some accused Wordsworth of "turncoat politics" because he had accepted a job in the government. Years later, Robert Browning wrote that Wordsworth "had abandoned the good fight just for a handful of silver." 

Wordsworth's continued writing poetry, and in 1814 part of "The Recluse" was published. This book was a sort of long philosophical poem which received some positive reviews, but was a failure financially. Politics were much in the news at this time. Several poets began to criticize Wordsworth in their poems. Wordsworth and others like his friend Coleridge were criticized for giving up their "youthful ideals." Coleridge himself made Wordsworth uncomfortable with the publication of Biographia Literaria, which was a detailed account of the "old days" which included several escapades with Wordsworth. 

In the 1818 and 1820 elections, Wordsworth actually campaigned for Tory politicians, which caused the younger generation to separate from him and his writings. This marks the beginning of Wordsworth's more extensive travels. In 1820 Wordsworth, Mary, and Dorothy traveled back to France taking the same path Wordsworth had taken thirty years earlier when he had first met Annette Vallon. This time his wife Mary met Annette. 

Wordsworth's writings were never a financial success. However, Wordsworth grew in fame during this time he was traveling, even though he didn't write much new material. In the 1830's many of Wordsworth's friends died. He was fortunate to make many new friends in the literary field. Among these were John Stuart Mill, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Carlyle, Robert Browning, and Elizabeth Barrett, who later became Robert Browning's wife. Although Wordsworth wasn't writing much during this time, he revised several of his earlier works. 

Wordsworth continued to grow in popularity. He was named an honorary Doctor of Civil Law at Oxford, and Poet Laureate. Wordsworth caught a cold on a walk in the country, and died April 13, 1850 at Grasmere Vale, Great Britain. This was the anniversary of Shakespeare's death. At that time, Wordsworth was "considered the greatest poet in the world, and a national institution; Matthew Arnold solemnly announced that 'the last poetic voice is dumb.'" William Wordsworth and his wife Mary have simple tombstones in the church yard at St. Oswald's Church in Grasmere. This resting place has become one of the most visited literary shrines in the world. 

The best portion of a good man's life is his little, 
nameless unremembered acts of kindness and of love. 
~William Wordsworth~ 

William Wordsworth Quotes

By the Sea....William Wordsworth

The Daffodils....William Wordsworth

The Green Linnet....William Wordsworth

Ode: Intimations of Immortality....William Wordsworth

She Was a Phantom of Delight....William Wordsworth

The Solitary Reaper....William Wordsworth

The Table Turned....William Wordsworth

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