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William and Dorothy Wordsworth: 'All in each other'
William Wordsworth's iconic relationship with his 'beloved Sister' spanned nearly fifty years. Separated after the death of their mother when Dorothy was six, and reunited as orphans after the death of their father, they became inseparable companions. This is the first literary biography to give each sibling the same level of detailed attention; with Dorothy's writings set fully alongside her brother's, we see her to be the poet's equal in a literary partnership of outstanding importance. But Newlyn shows that writing was just one element of their lifelong work to re-build their family and re-claim their communal identity; walking, talking, remembering, and grieving were just as important. This rich and holistic account celebrates the importance of mental and spiritual health, human relationships, and the environment.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 13, 2016
This is a wonderful critical work that looks at the symbiotic literary relationship between William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. Through close analysis of William's poetry and Dorothy's journals, as well as fantastic historical research in letters and other documents, Newlyn shows how the siblings collaborated on their literary works and documents their importance in each other's lives. Would very much recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about Wordsworth the man. I mainly picked it up because I love the prose of Dorothy Wordsworth and I love how her journals are in a constant dialogue with her brother's poetry. Scarred by early trauma and childhood separation the Wordsworths developed a unique and wonderful relationship that helped to change the face of English poetry as much as the more discussed and explored Wordsworth-Coleridge friendship. A very accessible, interesting, considered, and entertaining work of scholarship!
June 20, 2014
This is a beautifully produced and illustrated book and it examines in a painstaking and fascinating way the complex relationship between William and Dorothy Wordsworth. It is all too easy, as others have done, to see their close relationship as incestuous or at best somewhat illicit. This book makes it clear that they had a very close spritual and emotional bond - probably made all the stronger because of their early separation as young children. It is all too easy to judge the lives of those living in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the lens of the twenty first century. We need to remember that siblings living together even when one of them was married was commonplace.
Close examination of William's poety and prose and Dorothy's own poetry and prose makes it clear that they sparked ideas off each other and much of the work attributed to William alone could be more accurately described as a joint effort. Many of the surviving notebooks contain entries from both of them and they wrote letters to friends together. Coleridge seems to have regarded Dorothy as an intellectual equal and someone whose help with his own compositions he was far from despising.
I found this book an interesting read. I studied 'Lyrical Ballads' - that famous work of co-operation between Wordsworth and Coleridge at school and enjoyed the poetry of both of them so it was interesting to read more about Wordsworth's life with Dorothy. This is a fascinating study of the poetry and prose of both William and Dorothy as well as their travels in the UK and on the continent with family and friends. The book contains a section of photographic illustrations as well as line drawings resembling woodcuts at the start and end of each chapter. There is an index, a bibliography and comprehensive notes on each chapter.
Close examination of William's poety and prose and Dorothy's own poetry and prose makes it clear that they sparked ideas off each other and much of the work attributed to William alone could be more accurately described as a joint effort. Many of the surviving notebooks contain entries from both of them and they wrote letters to friends together. Coleridge seems to have regarded Dorothy as an intellectual equal and someone whose help with his own compositions he was far from despising.
I found this book an interesting read. I studied 'Lyrical Ballads' - that famous work of co-operation between Wordsworth and Coleridge at school and enjoyed the poetry of both of them so it was interesting to read more about Wordsworth's life with Dorothy. This is a fascinating study of the poetry and prose of both William and Dorothy as well as their travels in the UK and on the continent with family and friends. The book contains a section of photographic illustrations as well as line drawings resembling woodcuts at the start and end of each chapter. There is an index, a bibliography and comprehensive notes on each chapter.
January 25, 2022
"No separate path our lives shall know
But where thou goest I shall go
And there my bones shall rest"
Lucy Newlyn ha fatto un lavoro egregio.
In questo libro, si parla del rapporto tra Dorothy e William come fratelli, ma anche come artisti che collaborano per un fine più alto di una pubblicazione. Non c'è la questione della paternità assoluta di un'opera. Dorothy e William avevano un intenso processo creativo legato alla memoria, al camminare, al conversare... lei con la prosa, lui con la poesia, creavano insieme ciò che poi si traduceva nell'opera di Wordsworth. Dorothy era la musa, assoluta detentrice della memoria della loro vita, era fonte di creazione, ispirazione, immaginazione.
Certo, le poesie di William venivano pubblicate e un fine di guadagno c'era. Ma il processo prima, alla base, era qualcosa di estremamente condiviso, anche insieme a Coleridge. Le idee si sviluppavano da un'osservazione fatta da Dororthy, da una sua descrizione, da conversazioni annotate, da dettagli... e via con la poesia. Ma non si tratta di "prendere". Si tratta di condividere, di ricordare insieme, di dare la giusta evidenza al rapporto tra luogo, persone, memoria, e appartenenza soprattutto.
Dorothy e il suo innegabile talento (una prosa delicata e bellissima la sua) vengono riconosciuti a livello pubblico (perché privatamente lo sono sempre stati), ma un po' tardi, anche perché lei era restia a essere pubblicata. Si ha il sentore che se la malattia non l'avesse colpita, forse si sarebbe data anche lei alla pubblicazione dei suoi scritti di viaggio, ma chissà... mi rende molto triste pensare che una donna brillante come lei, una mente acuta e comunicativa e osservatrice come la sua abbia dovuto fare quella fine. Ma "All in Each Other" punta la luce su ciò che è giusto sottolineare, su un aspetto chiave dell'arte: la condivisione di ricordi, il legame con la nature e i luoghi a noi cari e il processo di guarigione che ne deriva.
A tratti ostico quando va nello specifico, questo libro mi è molto, molto caro. E sono felice di essere tornata da Dorothy e William. A presto, spero.
But where thou goest I shall go
And there my bones shall rest"
Lucy Newlyn ha fatto un lavoro egregio.
In questo libro, si parla del rapporto tra Dorothy e William come fratelli, ma anche come artisti che collaborano per un fine più alto di una pubblicazione. Non c'è la questione della paternità assoluta di un'opera. Dorothy e William avevano un intenso processo creativo legato alla memoria, al camminare, al conversare... lei con la prosa, lui con la poesia, creavano insieme ciò che poi si traduceva nell'opera di Wordsworth. Dorothy era la musa, assoluta detentrice della memoria della loro vita, era fonte di creazione, ispirazione, immaginazione.
Certo, le poesie di William venivano pubblicate e un fine di guadagno c'era. Ma il processo prima, alla base, era qualcosa di estremamente condiviso, anche insieme a Coleridge. Le idee si sviluppavano da un'osservazione fatta da Dororthy, da una sua descrizione, da conversazioni annotate, da dettagli... e via con la poesia. Ma non si tratta di "prendere". Si tratta di condividere, di ricordare insieme, di dare la giusta evidenza al rapporto tra luogo, persone, memoria, e appartenenza soprattutto.
Dorothy e il suo innegabile talento (una prosa delicata e bellissima la sua) vengono riconosciuti a livello pubblico (perché privatamente lo sono sempre stati), ma un po' tardi, anche perché lei era restia a essere pubblicata. Si ha il sentore che se la malattia non l'avesse colpita, forse si sarebbe data anche lei alla pubblicazione dei suoi scritti di viaggio, ma chissà... mi rende molto triste pensare che una donna brillante come lei, una mente acuta e comunicativa e osservatrice come la sua abbia dovuto fare quella fine. Ma "All in Each Other" punta la luce su ciò che è giusto sottolineare, su un aspetto chiave dell'arte: la condivisione di ricordi, il legame con la nature e i luoghi a noi cari e il processo di guarigione che ne deriva.
A tratti ostico quando va nello specifico, questo libro mi è molto, molto caro. E sono felice di essere tornata da Dorothy e William. A presto, spero.
September 8, 2021
Thank you Lucy Newlyn for a very enjoyable and informative read. I found the history of the relationship between William and Dorothy and their influence on each other as siblings and as fellow and joint writers fascinating. I also appreciated the insight into place and poetry, particularly as I have always enjoyed Cumbria and its wonderful landscapes.
Reading this biography has been highly rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in poetry and in the driving forces behind the poets and their work.
Reading this biography has been highly rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in poetry and in the driving forces behind the poets and their work.
December 14, 2016
Newlyn really gets to the very voice of Dorothy. A lovely read for Wordsworth aficionados.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews