William Wordsworth 
The Prelude – An Autobiographical Poem 

Wordsworth’s “The Prelude” is an autobiographical poem written in blank verse within which he reveals intimate details of his life.

First published after Wordsworth’s death in 1880 and titled by his widow Mary, “The Prelude” is Wordsworth’s autobiographical magnum opus within which he offers the reader a plethora of personal details about his life. He started writing the when he was 28 and continued to work on it throughout his life. Changed and expanded many times, it was originally conceived as an introduction to “The Recluse”, a work which remains unfinished. This volume constitutes a must-read for all lovers of poetry and is not to be missed by fans and collectors of Wordsworth’s seminal work. This new edition includes and introductory excerpt by Thomas De Quincey.

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was an English Romantic poet famous for helping to usher in the Romantic Age in English literature with the publication of “Lyrical Ballads” (1798), which he co-wrote with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was poet laureate of Britain between 1843 until his death in 1850. Other notable works by this author include: “The Tables Turned”, “The Thorn”, and “Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey”.

About the author

William Wordsworth (1770 –1850) was born in Cockermouth, England, and was part of the famous Lake Poets group. Wordsworth was the United Kingdom’s Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death. He is best-known for his collection of poems, Lyrical Ballads, that he wrote and published with his friend and fellow Lake Poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The seminal collection helped to set England’s Romantic Era in motion.