England’s most influential Romantic poet was born on the 7th of April in 1770, at Cockermouth in Cumbria, UK.
William Wordsworth’s parents both died before he turned 15, so he and his siblings were left in the care of their relatives. William developed a love of nature, which was reflected in his many poems, although none were published until 1793.
Wordsworth and his sister collaborated on ‘Lyrical Ballads’, which was published in 1798. Coleridge contributed ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, which was included in the collection, and marked the start of the ‘Romantic movement’ in English poetry.
Wordsworth moved to Ambelside in 1813 where he continued to write poetry. In 1842, he became poet laureate but died only 8 years later on 23 April 1850 and was buried in Grasmere churchyard.
His autobiographical poem, ‘The Prelude’, which he had worked on since 1798, was published after his death.
Birmingham Poet, Benjamin Zephaniah dies, aged 65
QUIZ! On a Poet’s Birthday – Remember by Christina Rossetti
