William Wordsworths Biography

The life of William Wordsworth started on April 7th 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland. Wordsworth was the second of five children, his father was a law agent, the family was pretty well of. After his mother’s death in 1778, he was sent to Hawkshead Grammar School, ten years later he was sent up to St. Johns college. He enjoyed hiking he went walking on a tour of France, Germany, and Switzerland, and in 1791, after graduating. Wordsworth had a great enthusiasm towards the French Revolutionary war which took him back to France also in 1791. While in France Wordsworth had an affair with Annette Valon, who later gave birth to his daughter, Caroline in 1792. Wordsworth had ran out of money and returned to England the next year, the Anglo-French was, followed by the Reign of Terror stopped him from returning to France for nine years. From returning to England he had been reunited with his sister Dorothy, she was not only his companion but his close friend, moral support and housekeeper until her mental and physical weakening in1830. The following year Wordsworth met Coleridge, the three of them (Dorothy included) became very tight. Especially the two men, they met every day in 1797 to 1798 talking about poetry and to plan Lyrical Ballads, it came out in 1798. All three of them traveled to Germany that fall and brought to them intelligent inspiration for Coleridge and homesickness for Wordsworth. When they returned home Dorothy and William stayed in his lake district, near Grasmere. Finally Peace settled in 1802 and allowed Wordsworth and Dorothy to visit France again to see Annette and Caroline. A few months later after getting the inheritance passed down from their father who worked for Lord Lonsdale, William married Mary Hutchinson. By 1810 they had five children, but the happiness was toughened by the loss of his brother John in 1805, being away from Coleridge and the loss of two children in 1813. Wordsworth in1813 accepted an employment as Distributor of stamps for Westmorland, the extra money which was additional to his post made him financially safe. William’s whole family moved to Rydal Mount, between Grasmere and Rydal water. Wordsworth’s literary career began with graphic sketches and "grasped an early climax before the turn of the century with Lyrical Ballads." (Glenn Everett)