The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

And all his substance fell into decay.
    They dealt most hardly with him, and he tried
    To move their hearts--but it was vain--for they
    Seized all he had; and, weeping ...               1802-5.]

[Variant 17:

1820.

    Can I forget that miserable hour,    1798.

    It was in truth a lamentable hour    1802.]

[Variant 18:

1798.

    I saw our own dear home, that was ...    1802.

The edition of 1820 returns to the text of 1798.]

[Variant 19:

1827.

    ... many and many a song    1798.]

[Variant 20:

1800.

    ... little birds ...    1798.]

[Variant 21:

1836.

    His father said, that to a distant town
    He must repair, to ply the artist's trade.    1798.

    Two years were pass'd, since to a distant Town
    He had repair'd to ply the artist's trade.    1802.]

[Variant 22:

1802.

    Four years each day with daily bread was blest,
    By constant toil and constant prayer supplied.    1798.]

[Variant 23:

1836.

    Three lovely infants lay upon my breast;    1798.]

[Variant 24:

1842.

    When sad distress...    1798.]

[Variant 25:

1836.

    ... from him the grave did hide    1798.

    ... for him ...    1820.]

[Variant 26:

1798.

    ... which ...    Only in 1820.]

[Variant 27:

1836.

    ... could ...    1798.]

[Variant 28:

1798.

    But soon, day after day, ...    1802.

The edition of 1820 reverts to the reading of 1798.]

[Variant 29:

1836.

    ... to sweep ...    1798.]

[Variant 30:

1836.

    There foul neglect for months and months we bore,
    Nor yet the crowded fleet its anchor stirred.    1798.

    There, long were we neglected, and we bore
    Much sorrow ere the fleet its anchor weigh'd;    1802.]

[Variant 31:

1802.

    Green fields before us and our native shore,
    By fever, from polluted air incurred,
    Ravage was made, for which no knell was heard.
    Fondly we wished, and wished away, nor knew,
    'Mid that long sickness, and those hopes deferr'd,    1798.]

[Variant 32:

1802.

    But from delay the summer calms were past.    1798.]

[Variant 33:

1802.

    We gazed with terror on the gloomy sleep
    Of them that perished in the whirlwind's sweep,    1798.]

[Variant 34:

    Oh! dreadful price of being to resign
    All that is dear _in_ being! better far
    In Want's most lonely cave till death to pine,
    Unseen, unheard, unwatched by any star;
    Or in the streets and walks where proud men are,
    Better our dying bodies to obtrude,
    Than dog-like, wading at the heels of war,
    Protract a curst existence, with the brood
    That lap (their very nourishment!) their brother's blood.

Only in the editions of 1798 and 1800.]

[Variant 35:

1842.

    It would thy brain unsettle even to hear.    1798.]

[Variant 36:

1842.

    Peaceful as some immeasurable plain
   By the first beams of dawning light impress'd,   1798.]

[Variant 37:

1827.

    ... has its hour of rest,
    That comes not to the human mourner's breast.    1798.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

And all his substance fell into decay.
    They dealt most hardly with him, and he tried
    To move their hearts--but it was vain--for they
    Seized all he had; and, weeping ...               1802-5.]

[Variant 17:

1820.

    Can I forget that miserable hour,    1798.

    It was in truth a lamentable hour    1802.]

[Variant 18:

1798.

    I saw our own dear home, that was ...    1802.

The edition of 1820 returns to the text of 1798.]

[Variant 19:

1827.

    ... many and many a song    1798.]

[Variant 20:

1800.

    ... little birds ...    1798.]

[Variant 21:

1836.

    His father said, that to a distant town
    He must repair, to ply the artist's trade.    1798.

    Two years were pass'd, since to a distant Town
    He had repair'd to ply the artist's trade.    1802.]

[Variant 22:

1802.

    Four years each day with daily bread was blest,
    By constant toil and constant prayer supplied.    1798.]

[Variant 23:

1836.

    Three lovely infants lay upon my breast;    1798.]

[Variant 24:

1842.

    When sad distress...    1798.]

[Variant 25:

1836.

    ... from him the grave did hide    1798.

    ... for him ...    1820.]

[Variant 26:

1798.

    ... which ...    Only in 1820.]

[Variant 27:

1836.

    ... could ...    1798.]

[Variant 28:

1798.

    But soon, day after day, ...    1802.

The edition of 1820 reverts to the reading of 1798.]

[Variant 29:

1836.

    ... to sweep ...    1798.]

[Variant 30:

1836.

    There foul neglect for months and months we bore,
    Nor yet the crowded fleet its anchor stirred.    1798.

    There, long were we neglected, and we bore
    Much sorrow ere the fleet its anchor weigh'd;    1802.]

[Variant 31:

1802.

    Green fields before us and our native shore,
    By fever, from polluted air incurred,
    Ravage was made, for which no knell was heard.
    Fondly we wished, and wished away, nor knew,
    'Mid that long sickness, and those hopes deferr'd,    1798.]

[Variant 32:

1802.

    But from delay the summer calms were past.    1798.]

[Variant 33:

1802.

    We gazed with terror on the gloomy sleep
    Of them that perished in the whirlwind's sweep,    1798.]

[Variant 34:

    Oh! dreadful price of being to resign
    All that is dear _in_ being! better far
    In Want's most lonely cave till death to pine,
    Unseen, unheard, unwatched by any star;
    Or in the streets and walks where proud men are,
    Better our dying bodies to obtrude,
    Than dog-like, wading at the heels of war,
    Protract a curst existence, with the brood
    That lap (their very nourishment!) their brother's blood.

Only in the editions of 1798 and 1800.]

[Variant 35:

1842.

    It would thy brain unsettle even to hear.    1798.]

[Variant 36:

1842.

    Peaceful as some immeasurable plain
   By the first beams of dawning light impress'd,   1798.]

[Variant 37:

1827.

    ... has its hour of rest,
    That comes not to the human mourner's breast.    1798.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 (of 8)

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