William Wordsworth: Poetry, People and Place

Who is the course for?

This course is open to anyone with an interest in poetry, place and the process of writing.

If you haven’t read Wordsworth before, the course will give you an enjoyable introduction to one of the best-loved poets in English literature.

If you’re already familiar with his poetry, your understanding will be enhanced through this unique opportunity to study it where it was written.

What topics will you cover?

William Wordsworth’s life and work and the archive of his manuscripts at the Jerwood Centre, Grasmere

Manuscript materials as evidence of how Wordsworth created his poetry

The importance of a sense of place in Wordsworth’s writing

Wordsworth’s conception of the role of ‘Nature’, especially as expressed in ‘The Tables Turned’, The Prelude, ‘Michael’ and ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’

The significance of Lyrical Ballads and the volume’s key principles

Wordsworth’s ideas about education and his concept of ‘spots of time’

Ideas of home and community and their relationship to creativity

The relationship between different forms of writing, especially letters, journals and poetry

Dorothy Wordsworth’s journals and their relationship to her brother’s poetry