Poems in Two Volumes, Volume I

by William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth's masterpiece is generally considered to be The Prelude, an autobiographical poem of his early years that was revised and expanded a number of times. It was never published during his lifetime, and was only given the title after his death. Up until this time it was generally known as the poem "to Coleridge." Wordsworth was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was an English poet, critic, and philosopher one of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, as well as his major prose work Biographia Literaria. Coleridge was critical of the literary taste of his contemporaries, and a literary conservative insofar as he was afraid that the lack of taste in the ever growing masses of literate people would mean a continued desecration of literature itself.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, British Literature, 19th Century, Literature, Ebooks

91 pages, Paperback

Published November 16, 2007

About the author

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads.

Wordsworth's masterpiece is generally considered to be The Prelude, an autobiographical poem of his early years, which the poet revised and expanded a number of times. The work was posthumously titled and published, prior to which, it was generally known as the poem "to Coleridge". Wordsworth was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Few of the poems in this volume are ones that are well-known or counted among Wordsworth's best work. I suspect Volume 2 will be more to my liking. Wordsworth can certainly fashion a statement about nature and mankind from the observance of a single daisy or a lone lark, however, and you can see that he is building toward his best poems, Lines Composed Above Tintern Abbey and Intimations on Immortality. I read the poems slowly, one each night, but found none of them remarkable enough to warrant an individual analysis.

[Illiterate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyday language rises to poetry. Experience rises to ideas - duty, independence, and finally liberty.

[Sonam Nagpal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, not my kind of poetry this was 🙈
The poems were unnecessarily long, with long sentences which were become more and more meaningless for me as I proceeded further in the book. Skimmed through last few pages, kind of a Dnf for me it is in that sense!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of pastoral descriptions, the personification of feelings, and enjoyment of the simple lifestyle. Pleasant reading, often drawing forth unexpected smiles

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some excellent poems at the beginning. I particularly like the ones focused on nature, and not the ones focused on the country. To the Daisy, To the Small Celendine, Character of the Happy Warrior, She Was A phantom of delight, ode to duty, to sleep, composed upon Westminster Bridge, and The world is too much with us; late and soon.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is falling apart. That says it all, I'd guess.

[Ulrike Sikorski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea. In terms of content. Although Wordsworth is of course a master of words.

_____________

To Sleep

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
  One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
  Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky —
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
  Sleepless; and soon the small birds' melodies
  Must hear, first utter'd from my orchard trees,
And the first cuckoo's melancholy cry.
Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
  And could not win thee, Sleep, by any stealth:
So do not let me wear to-night away.
  Without thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
  Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!

_____________

From the same.
To the supreme being.

The prayers I make will then be sweet indeed
If Thou the spirit give by which I pray:
My unassisted heart is barren clay,
Which of its native self can nothing feed:
Of good and pious works thou art the seed,
Which quickens only where thou say'st it may:
Unless thou shew to us thine own true way
No man can find it: Father! thou must lead.
Do Thou, then, breathe those thoughts into my mind
By which such virtue may in me be bred
That in thy holy footsteps I may tread;
The fetters of my tongue do Thou unbind,
That I may have the power to sing of thee,
And sound thy praises everlastingly.

_____________

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

_____________

On the extinction of the Venetian Republic

Once did She hold the gorgeous east in fee;
And was the safeguard of the west: the worth
Of Venice did not fall below her birth,
Venice, the eldest Child of Liberty.
She was a maiden City, bright and free;
No guile seduced, no force could violate;
And, when she took unto herself a Mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea.
And what if she had seen those glories fade,
Those titles vanish, and that strength decay;
Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid
When her long life hath reached its final day:
Men are we, and must grieve when even the Shade
Of that which once was great, is passed away.

_____________

Anticipation, October 1803

SHOUT, for a mighty Victory is won!
On British ground the Invaders are laid low;
The breath of Heaven has drifted them like snow,
And left them lying in the silent sun,
Never to rise again!-the work is done.
Come forth, ye old men, now in peaceful show
And greet your sons! drums beat and trumpets blow!
Make merry, wives! ye little children, stun
Your grandame's ears with pleasure of your noise!
Clap, infants, clap your hands! Divine must be 
That triumph, when the very worst, the pain,
And even the prospect of our brethren slain,
Hath something in it which the heart enjoys:-
In glory will they sleep and endless sanctity.

[Michael Vawser]

First edition 1977

[Tanvi Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the Volume I, where you will come across poems in different phase or categories. In this book, you will find poems dedicated to Daisy flower, poems written in journey barely on foot including Beggars, Alice Fell etc. And the part I liked the most is the Sonnets, (14 lines poem with usually 10 syllables). Sonnets dedicated to liberty and some random topic sonnets.

The beauty in each poetry will keep you spellbound and hold your eyes and mind to each line in poetry. The nature, seasons, flowers, people, maid, emotion, life, sleep and everything you wonder is a poetry of this book. I liked the poem written on Duty "Ode to Duty". There are more in liked list but this is the best one I would adore. I felt the sense of discipline to adher to life's principle you set for yourself and make your life worthy. ..

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight from the outset I must say that I have never been into poetry. I wouldn't say I hate poetry, rather I have never got into or understood it.

Due to recent nostalgic rumblings of the Lake District I decided to read some of Wordsworth's works. I am, and have been since a child, familiar with his most famous work; Daffodils (not in Volume 1) but that is where my knowledge of him ends.

So, after reading Volume 1 I can say that there is something intriguing about his works. I can't quite put my finger on what but there is a natural rhythm amongst these pages which hits some interesting areas of the brain.

I know nothing about poetic structure or reasons why the poems were written in the way they were but I enjoyed some pieces and completely did not understand others. I will also say that I seemed to enjoy the sonnets more than other pieces.

A favourite of note/ that stood out for me was The Kitten and the Falling Leaves.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

More for my daily poetry fodder. I started with things I had in my kindle app. Vol 2, is not available… why? Never mind, I shall check later.
Wordsworth feels kind of familiar; he was always in the poetry anthologies and I think I’ve read more of him than I perhaps remember.
But this volume is all country walks, clouds, buttercups and the dignified poor. I swear I just read a poem about a leech collector on the moors.
3 star - liked it

[Tim Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really not a fan of the romantic poets. Too many of the poems seem to some young man pining over a beautiful woman while one or the other is dying. It would be impossible to deny though that they are very well written.

I found that the book really picked up when I got to the sonnets. The subject matter became more varied and the poems are short and to the point with some really good imagery.

[Martin Mcgoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Wordsworth poetry. Some great sonnets especially towards the end of Volume I.

[Richard Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice edition

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Wordsworth hits, he hits hard. When Wordsworth misses, he still hits pretty hard.