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William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

William Wordsworth (1770-1850). William Wordsworth. William Wordsworth was born in 1770 in Lockermouth , close to the Lake District , whose landscapes inspired many of his poems . He got his degree at Cambridge University and then he left for France;

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William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

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  1. William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

  2. William Wordsworth • William Wordsworthwasborn in 1770 in Lockermouth, close to the Lake District, whoselandscapesinspiredmany of hispoems. • He gothisdegreeat Cambridge University and then he left for France; • His initialenthusiasm for the ideals of the French Revolutionturnedintodisillusionmentbecause of the violentdevelopment of the French Republic • 1794 he returned to England and he metColeridge; togethertheypublished in 1798 the collection of poemsentitledLyricalBallads. The Wordsworth’sPreface, contained in this work, wasconsidered the Manifesto of RomanticPoetry. • Wordsworthspenthis last years in the Lake Districtwriting and revisinghisworks • 1859 he died in Grasmere

  3. Themes and style In hisPreface to the LyricalBallads, Wordsworthoutlines the programmaticpoints of histheory of poetry. • Language= W. rejected the elaborate forms of Augustanpoetry and claimedthat the poet’slanguagehas to be simple and direct. • Poet= The poetisportrayedas an ordinary man, endowed with an exceptionalsensibility and enthusiasm for nature. • «The poetis a man speaking to men». He has to use a «languagereallyused by men» to be a prophetand to talk about a «lowrustic life» thatis «less under the influence of social vanity» and where the «elementary feelings» germinate. • Subjects= W. celebratesin hispoems a new type of subject-matter: ordinarypeople and the everyday life; • Poetry=Poetryisconceivedas the result of a spontaneousoverflow of emotionsrecollected in tranquility; in otherwords, poems are created from the memory of a previouslyexperiencedemotion.

  4. Memory and Imagination Memory is the facultythroughwhichadults can retrieve the joyous feelings of childhood. Memory isthus a source of poetry: a recollectedemotion, ifreworked by the poet’simagination, can be transformedintoversescapable of communicating the actualsensation of thatoriginalemotion. Memory ImaginationInward* Eye * Subjectivevision of the poet

  5. Nature W. can be definedas a «worshiper of Nature». In the LyricalBallads, he portrayed the natural world as a source of inspiration, beauty and delight. According to W., besidesbeing a source of poeticinspiration, Nature providesman with numerousbeneficialeffects: • Itcomforts a perturbedmind; • Itinspireselevatedthoughts and passionate emotions; • Itallows to connect with the divine principleimmanent in everythingcreated

  6. Nature Countryside (  industrial town) Source of inspirationand feelings of joy Pantheisticview (organic living wholeimbued with spiritual life)

  7. Childhood For W., childhoodis a state of innocence and purity, an age in which human beingsexperience the mostintense bond with Nature. Children are part of the natural world; through the sensations of joy, wonder and awe, theyfeel a strong connection with it. However, astheygrow up intoadulthood, most men are corrupted by social conventions. Only a few of themmaintaintheirpurity, their connection with Nature and theirsensibility: poets, aswellashumblepeople, suchaspeasants, farmers and shepherds, who live in closestcontact with Nature.

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