Others view Wordsworth’s timely departure before the war as a form of escapism. Those who praise his actions claim that Wordsworth showed himself to be a morally sound individual, who, sympathetic to the plight of a people, was moved into action. Wordsworth’s actions during the French Revolution have been alternatively praised and criticised by critics. In 1793 he returned to England where the excitement of the revolution quickly descended into disillusionment with the beginning of the Reign of Terror in September 1793. Because of this influence, he developed strong republican sympathies and became absorbed in the revolution out of genuine concern and sympathy for the French people. His reunion with his daughter is beautifully depicted in his sonnet, “It is a beauteous evening, calm and free.”On this visit to France, Wordsworth became engrossed in the literary work and philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He revisited France where he came into brief contact with a Frenchwoman, Annette Vallon, by whom he had a child. The Revolutionary YearsIn 1791, Wordsworth’s poetic life began in earnest. His deep appreciation of nature developed into a more sublime, spiritual communion. It was on these excursions that many of the ideas expressed in Wordsworth’s poetry began to take shape. Vacations were spent in walking tours around England and on the continent with friends. There his life was simple and unencumbered.
Then at the age of seventeen, after the deaths of his parents in 17, Wordsworth was separated from his five siblings and sent away to school at St. Indeed nature’s influence on the spirit is the underlying theme of his poems in Lyrical Ballads. His childhood follows along a similar theme of communion with nature. In the Prelude book I he describes life as a baby in his nurse’s arms, hearing and being drawn to the music of the river Derwent. For Wordsworth’s childhood, described at length in his epic poem the Prelude, was idyllic. If we are to return to the line, “The Child is the Father of the Man,” then Wordsworth’s poetry becomes as pure and as clear to us as the Cuckoo’s song was to him. Thomas in his introduction to “A Choice of Wordsworth’s Verse.” His poetry is very reflective of his disposition and throughout his life the main constant in his poetry is its reverent response to and appreciation of nature. He symbolizes the yeoman of England with its sturdy constitution and independence of mind” (11). In fact, the differences in content only serve to highlight Romanticism as a poetic style applicable to all genres of verse.Ĭhildhood”William Wordsworth is north of England. However while these poems may differ in content, they reflect the same elements of Romanticism seen in Wordsworth’s poetry. For these reasons, the poems have been separated into three distinct groupings to be explored separately. It follows naturally that if the subject matter and ambiance are affected by Wordsworth’s life then so would the themes and images of the poems. This is because Wordsworth suffers a period of political disillusionment with the defeat of the French Revolution which is heavily reflected in his poetry of the time. For example, the poetry of the Lyrical Ballads is light and carefree in tone and ambiance while that of the Sonnets is somber and reflective. There is, undoubtedly, a direct correlation between his life and his poetical works and a thorough knowledge of his background is necessary to understand his poetry and the stages that it undergoes.
This poetical development occurs because of Wordsworth’s own personal growth through his life experiences, many of which are recounted in his poetry. Hence the separation of this paper into the three stages of his development. However it is in his Ecclesiastical Sketches that Wordsworth the poet reaches the pinnacle of his development: his manhood in the world of poetry. The publication of Lyrical Ballads marked Wordsworth’s birth and early childhood while the Sonnets of 1802 and beyond definitely reflect a wiser, worldlier Wordsworth. Indeed these stages can be likened to Wordsworth’s poetical development.
In the poem “Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth discerns that there are three main stages of development: childhood, youth and manhood.
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