William Wordsworth Books

Carlyle is thought of these days, if anyone bothers to think of him at all, as a dyspeptic scholar, a scarifying husband and a Dry-as-Dust historian. This view of him is wrong on all counts.

His "Reminiscences" show Carlyle as he was in his heart of hearts. His childhood was repressive, his early career a disappointment and his marriage to the witty Jane Welsh a mismatch if ever there was one. But nothing could stop this man who felt that he had something to tell and would tell it at no matter what cost to himself and others.

Readers of his wonderful "French Revolution" and stirring "On Heroes and Hero Worship" know that Carlyle did find his public voice and made it heard loud and clear. But the "Reminiscences" let us hear, for almost the first time, his private voice. His memories of his parents, his anguished cry of guilt and longing sent after the, now dead, Jane Welsh Carlyle are deeply moving sometimes painful exposures of the soul of this man who was not used to public displays of affection.

If you miss this book you can never learn to love and respect Carlyle nor even understand him as he deserves to be understood.

With these superb readings of classic Romantic narrative poems, you can forget about CGI special effects, thundering soundtracks, exorbitant budgets & empty hype -- all that's needed for an unforgettable experience is the transporting magic of the Word, the Voice, and the Imagination. From the lush "Eve of St. Agnes," replete with sensuous imagery & intense emotion, to the chilling & relentless lovers' tragedy of "The Haystack in the Floods," to the spiritual voyage of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and more, here are poems that will take you into another, richer world, read with both precision & passion. Most highly recommended!

In the introduction it is stated the value of this book lies in the arrangement and presentation of the material. Both Dorothy's journals and William's poems are placed in context. There was harmony of spirit, it is stated, between Dorothy and William.

In Dorothy's journal Coleridge is described as a shadowy and melancholy figure. The dynamo of Dorothy's journal is her love for William. William's unfinished poem, 'the Recluse' is set forth. It contains the impressions of Grasmere. Dorothy and William walked evenings. They went to Rydale for the mail. They met the man who provided the form for 'The Leech-Gatherer.' Coleridge visited. He read CHRISTABEL. Dorothy ironed, gathered material for mattresses, made pies.

From October to December William worked on the poem, 'Michael'. Dorothy describes the ash trees--deep orange lemon color, and some still fresh in summer green. She makes a giblet pie. She reads AMELIA, Richardson. The poem 'Michael' is included in this compilation of Wordsworthian writings. She speaks of putting the rag boxes in order.

William reads aloud to the others from Spenser at tea. Both William and Dorothy read Chaucer. Dorothy's housekeeping and baking run through the diary entries. William is writing out an alteration of Chaucer's CUCKOO AND NIGHTINGALE.

From December to March 1787 to 1788 William is working on a version of 'The Ruined Cottage' from THE EXCURSION. The version is included in this book. The Wordsworth family members speak about Charles Lamb's tragedy, the lethal attack in September 1786 of his sister Mary resulting in his mother's death.

'The Idiot Boy' 1798 is one of the finest examples of the Wordsworth early style the editor notes. William marries Mary Hutchinson October 4, 1802. Assuredly the relationship of brother and sister changes, but this issue is not covered in the excerpts given.

This brief, intelligently written, yet thoroughly accessible biography of Wordsworth offers a sensitive and thoughtful account of his life, his circle of friends and family, and of the historical context that influenced him. The author does a particularly good job of weaving her clear and entertaining text together with excerpts from Wordsworth's poems and other writings. Excerpts from Coleridge, Dorothy Wordsworth, and other key figures are also included in a way which seamlessly complements the narrative. The book is supplemented by historic illustrations of the Lakes District where Wordsworth lived and worked, and of the people who formed his circle. A satisfactory map is also included, although an even clearer map would have been welcome. Color photographs of the Lake District would also have been a plus. Nevertheless, this is a superb book which provides a very interesting, sensitive, insightful and entertaining overview of Wordsworth life and work. I highly recommend it.

_Impure Conceits_ is a well-written and detailed treatment of Wordsworth's "Excursion" by a clearly knowledgeable student of the Romantic canon.

I look forward to the author's next publication.

I'm selling a copy of this book and it seemed a shame that there were no reviews. I'm putting my oar in.

As one might expect, this is indeed a series of impressions, containing contributions from Du Pre family members, musicians, ("Sharing a Language" by Menuhin, "Senuous Sound" by Zukerman) former teachers, and other witnesses to her work and life. It is extensively illustrated. It also contains contemporary reviews of her work, a Discography, two pages of excerpts from her journals.

This revised editon was published after Ms. Du Pre's death.

This book presents work done over the past three decades of his life by one of the greatest of all English poets, William Wordsworth. The editors looked at over two- hundred and sixty manuscripts in deciding which version of the approximately two- hundred poems they wished to publish. They comment that it is usually the first versions of the poems which are the best, and that the constant revision of the poems ordinarily weakens them.
But the major point is that this is not the great, memorable poetry of Wordsworth that written in his early years. The freshness has gone, and with it much of the life of the poetry.
These poems are somehow more abstract, impersonal and programatic than the great poetry of the early years.
In a sense for the reader who is not first of all concerned with scholarly matters this volume is a sad one. For it is the record of a long slow decline more than anything else.

I found this book at a local book sale and gave it to a neighbor who had just been to Great Britain and was enjoying their limericks. I loved it so much, I had to find one for myself. It's a great book to put in the bathroom if you're not worried about someone hearing you laugh.

Richey and Robinson have compiled an excellent edition of Wordsworth and Coleridge's seminal Romantic text. In addition to the complete poems from the first edition of Lyrical Ballads published, they also provide intriguing commentary and copious contextual material that really gives you an excellent idea of just how influential this book was when it was first published. Highly recommended for any serious reader of Romantic poetry.

I purchased this item with several other books regarding William Shakespeare's Macbeth. This is the best Macbeth version out there for those who want to read and understand Macbeth. The pages have plenty of space to write notes and every scene is explained in regular words for those who are having difficulty with the material. Besides the book, the CD-rom is its best feature with games and tests. It makes it easier for adults and not just kids. If you're wondering how to approach Macbeth to even the difficult and the challenged students, this will be the best 14 bucks you ever spent. Don't be a fool! It's a bargain at that price. I remember reading Shakespeare's plays in books with plenty of footnotes to only complicate matters.