Selected Poetry

One of the most enduringly popular of the Romantic poets, William Wordsworth epitomized the spirit of his age with his celebration of the natural world and his belief in the importance of feeling. This volume brings together a rich selection from the most creative period of Wordsworth’s life—from “Tintern Abbey,” an ode on the restorative powers of nature written during his intense friendship with Coleridge, to excerpts from his epic autobiographical poem, The Prelude. Also included are much-loved short works such as “I wandered as lonely as a Cloud,” “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge,” and the poignant “Lucy Gray.” These poems demonstrate Wordsworth’s astonishing range, power, and inventiveness, and the sustained and captivating vision that informed his work. The inaugural volume in a new program of selected poetry especially commissioned for Penguin Classics includes a chronology, suggestions for further reading, explanatory notes, and an index of titles and first lines. In his introduction, Wordsworth biographer Stephen Gill examines the personal and political events that shaped the poet's career and traces the major themes that run through his work.