William Wordsworth is among the most well-known poets. He’s credited with starting the English Romanticism movement thanks to his work on Lyrical Ballads with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
One of his greatest influences on poetry is the use of direct, natural, conversational speech, instead of the ornate language that was common before his time. This made poetry accessible to the masses, instead of being limited to the highly educated class.
Wordsworth started to write poetry even when he was still a little boy in grammar school. Before he graduated from college, a walking tour around Europe further deepened his appreciation of nature and his compassion for the commoner, both of which became major subjects in his poetry.
Best William Wordsworth Poems to Contemplate
If you are not yet familiar with William Wordsworth’s work, here are some excerpts from his best poems to get you started:
1. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
This is perhaps one of Wordsworth’s best known poems, loved by adults and children alike. In this excerpt, you can get a glimpse of his expertise in hailing the beauties of nature, even with something as simple as daffodils.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
You can read the full poem here.
2. Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
Check out this excerpt of a poem he wrote in 1802, which focuses on the beauty of sunrise even in the midst of a city setting, which he happily describes in its early morning, sleeping hours:
Earth has not any thing to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
Read the full poem here.
3. I Travelled among Unknown Men
In this poem, we can see Wordsworth’s preference for the use of easily understandable language, which was one of his major contributions to the history of poetry.
I travelled among unknown men,
In lands beyond the sea;
Nor, England! did I know till then
What love I bore to thee.
‘Tis past, that melancholy dream!
Nor will I quit thy shore
A second time; for still I seem
To love thee more and more.
Among thy mountains did I feel
The joy of my desire;
And she I cherished turned her wheel
Beside an English fire.
Thy mornings showed, thy nights concealed,
The bowers where Lucy played;
And thine too is the last green field
That Lucy’s eyes surveyed.
4. Influence of Natural Objects in Calling Forth and Strengthening the Imagination in Boyhood and Early Youth
If we can pick one Wordsworth poem that encapsulates his high views of nature’s effect on a child’s mind, this would probably be it! This poem offers deep insights into nature’s benefits, as you can see from the excerpt below:
Wisdom and Spirit of the universe!
Thou Soul, that art the Eternity of thought!
And giv’st to forms and images a breath
And everlasting motion! not in vain,
By day or star-light, thus from my first dawn
Of childhood didst thou intertwine for me
The passions that build up our human soul;
Not with the mean and vulgar works of Man;
But with high objects, with enduring things,
With life and nature; purifying thus
The elements of feeling and of thought,
And sanctifying by such discipline
Both pain and fear,—until we recognise
A grandeur in the beatings of the heart.
Read the full poem here.
5. Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood
This poem perfectly captures Wordsworth’s immense appreciation of the beauties of childhood. Check out the excerpt below:
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe’er I may,
By night or day.
The things which I have seen I now can see no more.
The Rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the Rose,
The Moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare,
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair;
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where’er I go,
That there hath past away a glory from the earth.
Read the full poem here.
6. She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways
In this poem, part of a five-poem series, Wordsworth talks about a girl named Lucy, who died in childhood, believed to be inspired by his own sister Dorothy. However, Wordsworth himself never confirmed nor denied the identity of the characters in his poems.
She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
—Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!
7. It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free
In this short sonnet, Wordsworth describes an idyllic time during dusk, making reference to his young daughter’s being unaffected by the sunset because she is, instead, one with nature.
It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
The holy time is quiet as a Nun
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
Is sinking down in its tranquility;
The gentleness of heaven broods o’er the Sea;
Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder—everlastingly.
Dear child! dear Girl! that walkest with me here,
If thou appear untouched by solemn thought,
Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
Thou liest in Abraham’s bosom all the year;
And worshipp’st at the Temple’s inner shrine,
God being with thee when we know it not.
What Are the Main Themes of William Wordsworth Poems?
Like most poets, Wordsworth has several recurring themes in his poems, which show us the things that are important to him. Here are some of these subjects that he loves writing about:
1. Nature’s positive influence on people
One of the main themes that Wordsworth constantly contemplates is the relationship between man and nature, particularly the beneficial influence that nature has on man’s intellectual, spiritual, and mental health.
Wordsworth believed that people tend to become immoral and selfish the farther away they live from nature. He espouses the power that nature has in helping man retain the nobility and purity of the soul, and believes that those who spend ample time in nature enjoy this benefit.
2. The power of the human mind
Wordsworth also believed in the capabilities of the human mind. He constantly emphasized the power of imagination and memory to overcome pain and difficulty, and believed that this power is available to all, not limited by a person’s background or social standing.
For example, one of his poems, “Speaker,” describes a man who overcomes his memories by contemplating God’s creation.
3. The glories of childhood
Wordsworth paints a magical picture of childhood, filled with innocence and joys unlike any other season in life. Again, he connects childhood with an unbreakable bond with nature, full of passion and awe at every beautiful thing kids see.
He further writes about the loss of this innocence and connection to nature, which can lead to unfulfilled lives.
Reading William Wordsworth’s Poems
Reading William Wordsworth’s poems is a very relaxing, yet thought-provoking experience. I believe that anyone who wants to be a good poet will do well to meditate on his works, to get both a feel for the rhythm of his words, as well as the deep ideas he puts into them.
Other than that, you may also want to check out poems by many of the other great poets in history. Read them out loud to enjoy the sound of the words, too!
Do you have a favorite Wordsworth poem? Share it with us in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
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Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
