William Wordsworth: A Life
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'A poet's life in dedication to poetry.'
This book could be a good read for anyone interested in the life of William Wordsworth, from his early radicalism to his later life dedicated to poetry. The book offers an intimate knowledge of the poet's manuscripts and contemporary records, shedding light on the poet's hard-won life of dedication and triumph. Stephen Gill's lucid narrative brings us back freshly to poetry that is full of human understanding and experience, and a tested, sober faith in 'Man's unconquerable mind'.
William Wordsworth: A Life
- Unit price
- / per
Description
Based on intimate knowledge of the poet's manuscripts, on a fresh look at contemporary records, and on a study of the mass of material that has appeared since the last serious biography, a quarter-century ago, this new account of Wordsworth focuses on what was most important to him - his life as a writer.
The common notion is that the older Wordsworth betrayed his youthful, radical self to become a prosy Tory bore. By contrast, this intelligent and authoritative biography demonstrates that once the poet had returned to the Lake District, determined to live dedicated to poetry at whatever cost, his life took on a unity and purpose it had previously lacked. His politics certainly changed, and his poetic power waned, but from 1799 almost until his death in 1850, Wordsworth single-mindedly shaped
his own life in submission to an imaginative possession whose importance he never doubted.
It was, in its way, a heroic life. Wordsworth suffered numbing blows from the death of friends and family, including three of his own children. Critics reviled his poetry for over twenty years, and he never made enough money by his pen to live on - unlike his dear friend Scott. Yet his dedication to his art did not waver. In middle age he knew that contemporaries valued him as a moral sage; in old age he suffered the embarrassment of being a cultural icon. The lucid narrative that Stephen Gill
draws out is the story of that hard-won triumph: its purpose is to bring readers back freshly to poetry that is full of human understanding and experience, and a tested, sober faith in 'Man's unconquerable mind'.
Author: Stephen Gill
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 544
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 13 Sep 1990
Book Condition Guide
Books in Like New Condition
This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Very Good Condition
This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Good Condition
We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Well Read Condition
This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
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Similar Reads
'A poet's life in dedication to poetry.'
This book could be a good read for anyone interested in the life of William Wordsworth, from his early radicalism to his later life dedicated to poetry. The book offers an intimate knowledge of the poet's manuscripts and contemporary records, shedding light on the poet's hard-won life of dedication and triumph. Stephen Gill's lucid narrative brings us back freshly to poetry that is full of human understanding and experience, and a tested, sober faith in 'Man's unconquerable mind'.
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