The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

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

... for the two last nights     1800.

  ... through the                 1815.]

[Variant 34:

1815.

  The Lad ...     1800.]

[Variant 35:

1820.

  Next morning ...     1800.]

[Variant 36:

1815.

  ... which close to the brook side   1800.]

[Variant 37:

1836.

  ... should speak
  Of things ...    1800.]

[Variant 38:

1827.

  ... as it befalls    1800.]

[Variant 39:

1836.

  When ...    1800.]

[Variant 40:

1815.

  ... in ...    1800.]

[Variant 41:

1827.

  ... from sixty years.    1800.]

[Variant 42:

  I for the purpose brought thee to this place.

This line appears only in the edition of 1800.]

[Variant 43:

1827.

  ... stout; ...    1800.]

[Variant 44:

1802.

  ... should evil men
  Be thy companions, let this Sheep-fold be
  Thy anchor and thy shield; amid all fear
  And all temptation, let it be to thee
  An emblem of the life thy Fathers liv'd,    1800.]

[Variant 45: This line was added in the edition of 1815.]

[Variant 46:

1815.

  Next morning, as had been resolv'd, the Boy    1800.]

[Variant 47:

1820.

  Would break the heart:--Old Michael found it so.    1800.]

[Variant 48:

1836.

  ... look'd up upon the sun,    1800.

  ... towards the sun,           1832.]

[Variant 49:

1836.

  Sitting alone, with that his faithful Dog,    1800.]

       *       *       *       *       *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The Rev. Thomas Hutchinson, Kimbolton, tells me that in his
copy of the edition of "Lyrical Ballads" of 1800 there is

  "on the blank page facing the announcement, written in Wordsworth's
  handwriting, the following lines:

    'Though it be in th' humblest rank of life,
    And in the lowest region of our speech,
    Yet is it in that kind as best accords
    With rural passion.'"

Ed.]

[Footnote B: The following lines were written before April 1801, and
were at one time meant to be inserted after "summer flies," and before
"Not with a waste of words." They are quoted in a letter of Wordsworth's
to Thomas Poole of Nether Stowey, dated April 9th, 1801.

    'Though in their occupations they would pass
    Whole hours with but small interchange of speech,
    Yet were there times in which they did not want
    Discourse both wise and prudent, shrewd remarks
    Of daily providence, clothed in images
    Lively and beautiful, in rural forms
    That made their conversation fresh and fair
    As is a landscape;--And the shepherd oft
    Would draw out of his heart the obscurities
    And admirations that were there, of God
    And of His works, or, yielding to the bent
    Of his peculiar humour, would let loose
    The tongue and give it the wind's freedom,--then
    Discoursing on remote imaginations, story,
    Conceits, devices, day-dreams, thoughts and schemes,
    The fancies of a solitary man.'

Ed.]

[Footnote C: Clipping is the word used in the North of England for
shearing.--W. W. 1800]

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

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

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

... for the two last nights     1800.

  ... through the                 1815.]

[Variant 34:

1815.

  The Lad ...     1800.]

[Variant 35:

1820.

  Next morning ...     1800.]

[Variant 36:

1815.

  ... which close to the brook side   1800.]

[Variant 37:

1836.

  ... should speak
  Of things ...    1800.]

[Variant 38:

1827.

  ... as it befalls    1800.]

[Variant 39:

1836.

  When ...    1800.]

[Variant 40:

1815.

  ... in ...    1800.]

[Variant 41:

1827.

  ... from sixty years.    1800.]

[Variant 42:

  I for the purpose brought thee to this place.

This line appears only in the edition of 1800.]

[Variant 43:

1827.

  ... stout; ...    1800.]

[Variant 44:

1802.

  ... should evil men
  Be thy companions, let this Sheep-fold be
  Thy anchor and thy shield; amid all fear
  And all temptation, let it be to thee
  An emblem of the life thy Fathers liv'd,    1800.]

[Variant 45: This line was added in the edition of 1815.]

[Variant 46:

1815.

  Next morning, as had been resolv'd, the Boy    1800.]

[Variant 47:

1820.

  Would break the heart:--Old Michael found it so.    1800.]

[Variant 48:

1836.

  ... look'd up upon the sun,    1800.

  ... towards the sun,           1832.]

[Variant 49:

1836.

  Sitting alone, with that his faithful Dog,    1800.]

       *       *       *       *       *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The Rev. Thomas Hutchinson, Kimbolton, tells me that in his
copy of the edition of "Lyrical Ballads" of 1800 there is

  "on the blank page facing the announcement, written in Wordsworth's
  handwriting, the following lines:

    'Though it be in th' humblest rank of life,
    And in the lowest region of our speech,
    Yet is it in that kind as best accords
    With rural passion.'"

Ed.]

[Footnote B: The following lines were written before April 1801, and
were at one time meant to be inserted after "summer flies," and before
"Not with a waste of words." They are quoted in a letter of Wordsworth's
to Thomas Poole of Nether Stowey, dated April 9th, 1801.

    'Though in their occupations they would pass
    Whole hours with but small interchange of speech,
    Yet were there times in which they did not want
    Discourse both wise and prudent, shrewd remarks
    Of daily providence, clothed in images
    Lively and beautiful, in rural forms
    That made their conversation fresh and fair
    As is a landscape;--And the shepherd oft
    Would draw out of his heart the obscurities
    And admirations that were there, of God
    And of His works, or, yielding to the bent
    Of his peculiar humour, would let loose
    The tongue and give it the wind's freedom,--then
    Discoursing on remote imaginations, story,
    Conceits, devices, day-dreams, thoughts and schemes,
    The fancies of a solitary man.'

Ed.]

[Footnote C: Clipping is the word used in the North of England for
shearing.--W. W. 1800]

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

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

No reviews yet