William Wordsworth Research Paper

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William Wordsworth was born on April 7th, 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. He was the son of John and Ann Cookson Wordsworth and had four siblings who all remained very close throughout their lives. When he was only eight years old, Wordsworth’s mother died. He, as well as his other siblings, had little to no involvement with his father, as they did not get along well. The Wordsworth family lived in a rural area along the Derwent River. Living in this area allowed Wordsworth to experience nature which influenced several of his writings.
Although they didn’t get along the greatest, Wordsworth’s father was very encouraging when it came to academics. He encouraged his son in reading and memorizing poetry, more specifically, the poetry of Milton, Shakespeare, and Spenser. Wordsworth had be taught how to read by his mother and had attended a very low-quality school in Cockermouth. His father eventually made him attend Hawkshead Grammer School. It was here where his love for poetry grew and he began writing. Eventually, this school led him to his future wife, Mary Hutchinson. Wordsworth began his debut as a writer in 1787 when he published a poem in The European Magazine. This same year, he began attending St. Johns College, Cambridge, where he received his B.A degree.
In 1791, Wordsworth travelled to France where he met and had an affair with Annette Vallon. Annette gave birth to their first daughter Caroline in 1792. Wordsworth eventually ran out of money and fled back to England the following year, leaving Annette and Caroline behind. In 1795 Wordsworth reunited with his sister Dorothy and met someone by the name of Coleridge. Together, these three grew very close and published Lyrical Ballads in 1798.
In 1802 Wordsworth t...

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...who looks like a mer-man Line 11, "I, standing on this pleasant lea, have glimpses that would make me less forlorn", reveals Wordsworth's perception of himself in society: a visionary romantic more in touch with nature than his contemporaries.
As previously mentioned this poem was written during the Romanic Era. It connects to Romanticism in several ways. Wordsworth is a romantic poet who wrote this poem in response to the industrial revolution. Romanticism originated in the end of the 18th century and peaked between 1800-1850. In romantic literature and poetry there is typically a heroic person who is trying to make society better which is what Wordsworth is doing in this poem. The literature is usually about an escape from the modern reality of this time period. Romantics embrace the unfamiliar and they focus on the importance that is placed on powerful emotions.

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