In William Wordsworth, John Williams provides a detailed account of Wordsworth's evolution as a poet. This includes his earliest known writing while a pupil at Hawkshead Grammar School, and his later poetry, often virtually ignored by critics. Wordsworth's ambivalent attitude towards seeking out a public readership beyond his immediate circle of friends and admirers is a central concern of the book. This involves an assessment of the poet's shifting sense of his political allegiances alongside the pressures of personal relationships and circumstances.

Inhalt

Notes on Texts and Abbreviations - Writing the Literary Life - Early Years - From France to Racedown - Alfoxden - The Making of a Modern Poet - Grasmere Poetry: Dove Cottage Life -1807-1815: The Afflictions of Life - 1814-1820: Few and Scattered Hearers - As much Peter Bell as ever - Further Reading - Index