William Wordsworth Biography
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| William Wordsworth |
William
Wordsworth was born in 1770 at Cockermouth in the North of the Lake Country. He
was the second child of a fairly prosperous attorney-at-law. He lost his
parents rather early. His mother died, when he was only 8 years old. He lost
his father at the age of 13. His early life was somewhat lonely. His only
companion was his sister Dorothy Wordsworth.
Wordsworth
spent his childhood in Lake Districts. The natural scenes of the place
influenced him immensely. His keen love for Nature was formed herefrom. He had
his education at Hawkshead Grammar School near Lake Windermere. He entered St.
Johne’ College at the age of 17. He remained there till 1791 and took his BA
degree.
Wordsworth
made an extensive tour in different districts in Britain. He also toured in
France and Switzerland. He was enthusiastic enough in the French Revolution. He
made the second visit to France to join the Revolution. But the massacre in
Paris in 1792 shocked him terribly. He returned and settled in a little cottage
in the Dorset with his sister. His enthusiasm for the French Revolution was all
over. He turned from the man-made revolution to the soothing blessing of
Nature.
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| William Wordsworth |
Wordsworth’s
poetic career started quite early. Some of his poems came out in 1791 and 1792.
The formidable poetical work Lyrical Ballads, a joint work by Coleridge and
himself, came out in 1798. The publication of Lyrical Ballads marked the
beginning of Romanticism in the English literature of the nineteenth century.
Wordsworth’s
other works include Descriptive Sketches (1793), Michael (1800), The Prelude
(1805), The Excursion (1814), and so on.
Wordsworth
was, too, a literary critic of eminence. His Preface and Appendix to Lyrical
Ballads are noted contributions to English literary criticism.
Wordsworth’s
literary reputation was great in his age. He was honoured with a state pension
of 300 pounds a year in 1842. He was given the Poet Laureateship in 1843.
Wordsworth
died on 23rd April in 1850.
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