The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

10219

Title

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A comprehensive collection of William Wordsworth's major poems, including 'The Prelude' fragments and his famous Lake District verses. This edition offers chronological arrangement, extensive editorial notes by William Knight, Dorothy Wordsworth's journals, and correspondence, providing deep insight into the poet's life and creative process.

Summary up to 500 words

This volume presents the first of eight volumes comprising the complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth. Unlike the artificial groupings used during the poet's lifetime, this collection arranges his verses chronologically, allowing readers to trace the evolution of his thought and style from early youth through maturity. The text features iconic works such as 'Lines written while Sailing in a Boat at Evening,' 'The Thorn,' 'We Are Seven,' and an extract from 'The Prelude.' The edition is enriched by extensive editorial apparatus, including notes dictated by Wordsworth himself, journals by his sister Dorothy detailing their travels through the Alps and Lake District, and letters between the siblings. Topographical notes explain local allusions across England, Scotland, and Europe. Additional features include a bibliography of criticism, a new life of the poet, and portraits associated with his life and landscapes. A significant scholarly contribution is the correction of textual variants found in previous publications and the incorporation of manuscript readings. The volume preserves distinctive editorial features: poems are printed in the order of composition rather than publication; changes made by Wordsworth in successive editions are noted with dates; and suggested changes written by the poet on a stereotyped copy are included in footnotes. Furthermore, the notes dictated to Miss Isabella Fenwick, which tell the story of how each poem was written, are printed in full. The text also includes complete prose works not previously issued in this manner, Dorothy Wordsworth's journals from various locations, and a comprehensive collection of letters between William and Dorothy, as well as their children. A new bibliography covers criticism and editions from 1793 to 1850. Visual elements include portraits of the poet, his family, and vignettes of places memorialized by Wordsworth, such as Cockermouth and Dove Cottage. The edition rigorously adheres to Wordsworth's original titles for his poems, avoiding the invention of new ones by later editors, thereby offering a definitive scholarly resource for understanding the Romantic poet's enduring legacy.

LLM editorial rating

4.8/5

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Categories

• Poetry