William Wordsworth's The prelude : with a selection from the shorter poems, the sonnets, The recluse, and The excursion and three essays on the art of poetry

by William Wordsworth

Edited with an Introduction by Carlos Baker

Genres: Poetry

480 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1954

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

[Susan Prontack]

It's quite remarkable how this 12 chapter poem captures the spirit of the Romantic age, and how it still resonates with our experiences today. It's Wordsworth 's journey through various transformative experiences. Many passages require rereading to understand their full meaning.

[bluetyson]

The prelude;: With a selection from the shorter poems; the sonnets; The recluse; and The excursion; and three essays on by William Wordsworth