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

[Variant 14:

1845.

  Nine ...      1800.]

[Variant 15:

1802.

  Three several marks which with his hoofs the beast     1800.]

[Variant 16:

1820.

  ... verdant ...      1800.]

[Variant 17:

1836.

  ... living ...       1800.]

[Variant 18:

1827.

  ... gallant brute! ...      1800.]

[Variant 19:

1815.

  And soon the Knight perform'd what he had said,
  The fame whereof through many a land did ring.       1800.]

[Variant 20:

1820.

  ... journey'd with his paramour;      1800.]

[Variant 21:

1815.

  ... to ...     1800.]

[Variant 22:

1815.

  ... has ...      1800.]

[Variant 23:

1815.

  ... hills ...       1800.]

[Variant 24:

1815.

  From the stone on the summit of the steep      1800.

  ... upon ...                                   1802.]

[Variant 25:

1832.

  ... this ...      1800.]

[Variant 26:

1836.

  ... scented ...      1800.]

[Variant 27:

1827.

  But now here's ...     1800.]

[Variant 28:

1815.

  For them the quiet creatures ...      1800.]

       *       *       *       *       *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: Compare 'Othello', act I. scene iii. l. 135:

  'Of moving accidents by flood and field.'

Ed.]

[Footnote B: Compare the sonnet (vol. iv.) beginning:

  "Beloved Vale!" I said. "when I shall con ...

Ed.]

[Footnote C: Compare Tennyson, 'In Memoriam', v. II. 3, 4.

  'For words, like Nature, half reveal
  And half conceal the Soul within.'

Ed.]

This poem was suggested to Wordsworth in December 1799 during the
journey with his sister from Sockburn in Yorkshire to Grasmere. I owe
the following local note on 'Hart-Leap Well' to Mr. John R. Tutin of
Hull.

  "June 20, 1881. Visited 'Hart-Leap Well,' the subject of Wordsworth's
  poem. It is situated on the road side leading from Richmond to
  Askrigg, at a distance of not more than three and a-half miles from
  Richmond, and not five miles as stated in the prefatory note to the
  poem. The 'three aspens at three corners of a square' are things of
  the past; also the 'three stone pillars standing in a line, on the
  hill above. In a straight line with the spring of water, and where the
  pillars would have been, a wall has been built; so that it is very
  probable the stone pillars were removed at the time of the building of
  this wall. The scenery around answers exactly to the description

    More doleful place did never eye survey;
    It seemed as if the spring time came not here,
    And Nature here were willing to decay.
    ...
    Now, here is neither grass nor pleasant shade.

  "It is barren moor for miles around. The water still falls into the
  'cup of stone,' which appeared to be of very long standing. Within ten
  yards of the well is a small tree, at the same side of the road as the
  well, on the right hand coming from Richmond."

The Rev. Thomas Hutchinson of Kimbolton wrote to me on June 18, 1883:

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

[Variant 14:

1845.

  Nine ...      1800.]

[Variant 15:

1802.

  Three several marks which with his hoofs the beast     1800.]

[Variant 16:

1820.

  ... verdant ...      1800.]

[Variant 17:

1836.

  ... living ...       1800.]

[Variant 18:

1827.

  ... gallant brute! ...      1800.]

[Variant 19:

1815.

  And soon the Knight perform'd what he had said,
  The fame whereof through many a land did ring.       1800.]

[Variant 20:

1820.

  ... journey'd with his paramour;      1800.]

[Variant 21:

1815.

  ... to ...     1800.]

[Variant 22:

1815.

  ... has ...      1800.]

[Variant 23:

1815.

  ... hills ...       1800.]

[Variant 24:

1815.

  From the stone on the summit of the steep      1800.

  ... upon ...                                   1802.]

[Variant 25:

1832.

  ... this ...      1800.]

[Variant 26:

1836.

  ... scented ...      1800.]

[Variant 27:

1827.

  But now here's ...     1800.]

[Variant 28:

1815.

  For them the quiet creatures ...      1800.]

       *       *       *       *       *

FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: Compare 'Othello', act I. scene iii. l. 135:

  'Of moving accidents by flood and field.'

Ed.]

[Footnote B: Compare the sonnet (vol. iv.) beginning:

  "Beloved Vale!" I said. "when I shall con ...

Ed.]

[Footnote C: Compare Tennyson, 'In Memoriam', v. II. 3, 4.

  'For words, like Nature, half reveal
  And half conceal the Soul within.'

Ed.]

This poem was suggested to Wordsworth in December 1799 during the
journey with his sister from Sockburn in Yorkshire to Grasmere. I owe
the following local note on 'Hart-Leap Well' to Mr. John R. Tutin of
Hull.

  "June 20, 1881. Visited 'Hart-Leap Well,' the subject of Wordsworth's
  poem. It is situated on the road side leading from Richmond to
  Askrigg, at a distance of not more than three and a-half miles from
  Richmond, and not five miles as stated in the prefatory note to the
  poem. The 'three aspens at three corners of a square' are things of
  the past; also the 'three stone pillars standing in a line, on the
  hill above. In a straight line with the spring of water, and where the
  pillars would have been, a wall has been built; so that it is very
  probable the stone pillars were removed at the time of the building of
  this wall. The scenery around answers exactly to the description

    More doleful place did never eye survey;
    It seemed as if the spring time came not here,
    And Nature here were willing to decay.
    ...
    Now, here is neither grass nor pleasant shade.

  "It is barren moor for miles around. The water still falls into the
  'cup of stone,' which appeared to be of very long standing. Within ten
  yards of the well is a small tree, at the same side of the road as the
  well, on the right hand coming from Richmond."

The Rev. Thomas Hutchinson of Kimbolton wrote to me on June 18, 1883:

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)

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