The Cambridge Companion to Wordsworth

Specially commissioned essays cover the important aspects of Wordsworth's life and work. The volume examines his poetic achievement with chapters on poetic craft, the origin of his poetry and the challenges it presents. The book offers students informative supplementary material on Wordsworth's life and critical reception.

The Cambridge Companion to Wordsworth provides a wide-ranging account of one of the most famous Romantic poets. Specially commissioned essays cover all the important aspects of this multi-faceted writer; the volume examines his poetic achievement with a chapter on poetic craft, while other chapters focus on the origin of his poetry and on the challenges it presented and continues to present. Further contributions include discussions of The Prelude and The Recluse, Wordsworth as philosophic poet, his writing in relation to European Romanticism, and Wordsworth as Nature poet. The collection, by an international team of established specialists concludes with a lucid account of the history of Wordsworth's texts, and offers students invaluable reference material including a chronology and guides to further reading.The volume aims to ensure that its readers will be grounded in the history of Wordsworth's career and his critical reception.

Chronology of Wordsworth's Life and Works; Sources and short forms of citation; Wordsowrth on Poetry and Imagination; Introduction Stephen Gill; 1. Wordsworth: the shape of the poetic career Nicola Trott; 2. Wordsworth's poetry to 1798 Duncan Wu; 3. Poetry, 1798–1807: lyrical ballads and poems, in two volumes James A. Butler; 4. The Prelude Lucy Newlyn; 5. The Recluse Kenneth R. Johnston; 6. Wordsworth and the meaning of taste Frances Ferguson; 7. Wordsworth's craft Susan Wolfson; 8. Gender and domesticity Judith Page; 9. The philosophic poet Stephen Gill; 10. Wordsworth and Coleridge Seamus Perry; 11. Wordsworth and the natural world Ralph Pite; 12. Politics, history, and the poems Nicholas Roe; 13. Wordsworth and Romanticism Paul Hamilton; 14. Wordsworth and America Joel Pace; 15. Guide to further reading with a note on texts Keith Hanley; Index.

The Cambridge Companion to Wordsworth examines Wordsworth's poetic achievement; chapters cover his poetic craft, the origin of his poetry and on the challenges it presented and continues to present. The volume aims to ensure that its readers will be grounded in the history of Wordsworth's career and his critical reception.

Stephen Gill is Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford and Fellow and Tutor at Lincoln College, Oxford. He is the author of Wordsworth and the Victorians (1998).