SR. NO.

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TOPIC
INTRODUCTION OF THE POET

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WORDSWORTHS POEM

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GLOSSARY
CENTRAL IDEA PARAPHRASE QUESTIONS BASED ON THE POEM

Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science.

 William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in

Cockermouth, Cumberland, in the Lake District. His father was John Wordsworth, Sir James Lowther's attorney. The magnificent landscape deeply affected Wordsworth's imagination and gave him a love of nature. He lost his mother when he was eight and five years later his father. The domestic problems separated Wordsworth from his beloved and neurotic sister Dorothy, who was a very important person in his life. With the help of his two uncles, Wordsworth entered a local school and continued his studies at Cambridge University. Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787, when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine . In that same year he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, from where he took his B.A. in 1791.

 Wordsworth spent the winter of 1798-99 with his sister

and Coleridge in Germany, where he wrote several poems, including the enigmatic 'Lucy' poems. After return he moved Dove Cottage, Grasmere, and in 1802 married Mary Hutchinson. They cared for Wordsworth's sister Dorothy for the last 20 years of her life.
In 1843 he succeeded Robert Southey (1774-1843) as

England's poet laureate. Wordsworth died on April 23, 1850

Wordsworth received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1838 from Durham University, and the same honour from Oxford University the next year. In 1842 the government awarded him a civil list pension amounting to 300 a year. With the death in 1843 of Robert Southey, Wordsworth became the Poet Laureate. When his daughter, Dora, died in 1847, his production of poetry came to a standstill. William Wordsworth died by re-aggravating a case of pleurisy on April 23, 1850, and was buried at St. Oswald's church in Grasmere. His widow Mary published his lengthy autobiographical "poem to Coleridge" as The Prelude several months after his death. Though this failed to arouse great interest in 1850, it has since come to be recognized as his masterpiece.

 Daffodils A Character A

Complaint A Night piece A Night Thought Upon The Westminster Bridge Anecdote for fathers We are seven Lucy poems Two April mornings To my sister Now we will discuss the poem Anecdote for fathers in detail.

I have a boy of five years old, His face is fair and fresh to see; His limbs are cast in beauty's mould, And dearly he loves me. One morn we stroll'd on our dry walk, Our quiet house all full in view, And held such intermitted talk As we are wont to do. My thoughts on former pleasures ran; I thought of Kilve's delightful shore, My pleasant home, when Spring began, A long, long year before.

A day it was when I could bear To think, and think, and think again; With so much happiness to spare, I could not feel a pain. My boy was by my side, so slim And graceful in his rustic dress! And oftentimes I talked to him In very idleness. The young lambs ran a pretty race; The morning sun shone bright and warm; "Kilve," said I, "was a pleasant place, And so is Liswyn farm." "My little boy, which like you more," I said and took him by the arm-"Our home by Kilve's delightful shore, Or here at Liswyn farm?"

"And tell me, had you rather be," I said and held-him by the arm, "At Kilve's smooth shore by the green sea, Or here at Liswyn farm?" In careless mood he looked at me, While still I held him by the arm, And said, "At Kilve I'd rather be Than here at Liswyn farm." "Now, little Edward, say why so; My little Edward, tell me why;" "I cannot tell, I do not know." "Why this is strange," said I. "For, here are woods and green hills warm: There surely must some reason be Why you would change sweet Liswyn farm, For Kilve by the green sea."

At this, my boy hung down his head, He blush'd with shame, nor made reply; And five times to the child I said, "Why, Edward, tell me, why?" His head he raised--there was in sight, It caught his eye, he saw it plain-Upon the house-top, glittering bright, A broad and gilded vane. Then did the boy his tongue unlock, And thus to me he made reply; "At Kilve there was no weather-cock, And that's the reason why." Oh dearest, dearest boy! my heart For better lore would seldom yearn Could I but teach the hundredth part Of what from thee I learn.

 Anec dote: A true story. Beautys mould: Charming;

Gilded Vane : Blade of a

Here it refers to the beauty of childhood Intermitted: Occasionally; Occurring at intervals Kilve :Name of a place Rustic: Artless ; Clumsy Liswyn: Name of a place Glitter : Shine with brilliant reflected light.

Weather cock plated with gold to make it look attractive Weather cock: Instrument used to determine the direction of the wind Lore: something that is learned Yearn: to long persistently, wistfully

In Anecdote for fathers, William Wordsworth highlights the innocence of the children. A child who can retain the innocence until he grows up is said to be a real human being. This poem is concerned with Romanticism ( more with emotions). In this poem the poet portrays , a father and a son conversing. The conversation is whether they should live at Kilves delightful shore or at Liswyn farm which are both illustrated to be picturesque sight. From this poem we get to know that the adults have much more to learn from children than the children have to learn from the adults.

In . the first stanza the poet describes the beauty of a child. We learn that the child is the narrators son. The boy is said to be five years old in this poem. The narrators son is described to be good looking and young with lots of innocence in him. Beautys mould actually means very charming but here in this poem the phrase beautys mold is not used in the usual sense but it is used to describe how a child has small and beautiful limbs in his childhood stage. The child loves the narrator{his father} affectionately.

On a dry day the father and his son set out on a walk. They were close to their house, so their beautiful house at Liswyn farm were clearly visible. They were talking at intervals which had never happened before. The father was thinking of many pleasant moments which he had spent when he first used to live at Kilves delightful shore. At Kilve during the time of spring everything used to become very pleasant, everything used to become very lively and merry. The father was lost in the memories of the Kilves delightful shore. These memories were like an entertainment for him when he was strolling. He was so engrossed in his memories of the beautiful Kilve that he forgot his pain. He then looked at his son, and it was at that time that he saw how graceful this boy looked in his clumsy and artless dress.

The boy was so beautiful that even an artless, clumsy dress could not hide ( spoil ) his beauty. The father was so captivated by his sons innocence expressions and beauty that he often did not know what he was talking. On their walk the father and the son saw the lambs running and playing. The morning sun looked bright and warm. The father then said that Kilve was a good place and so was Liswyn farm. He then wanted to know his sons opinion and so he asked him whether, he would like to live at Kilves delightful shore or at Liswyn farm. The boy answered in a very carefree mood that he would like to live at Kilve. His father then wanted to know the reason why he would like to change his home again from Liswyn farm to Kilve. At this the boy replied that he did not know the reason of his choice as he simply felt that he would like to live at Kilve.

The father then tried to lure the boy to change his opinion by stating the advantages of living at Liswyn farm. The narrator said that Liswyn farm was full of greenery and that the boy must surely have some reason for shifting from Liswyn farm to Kilve. The boy had no reason and so he was filled with guilt. His face became red with embarrassment and he could not reply. His father kept on insisting. The boy raised his head and the first thing he saw was a gleaming, shining and covered with golden colour- a vane situated on the top of the house. It struck his mind and he simply replied that at Kilve there was no weather cock and so he wanted to live at Kilve. The weather was used by the boy because he had become tired of his fathers persistent question. He only said this to please his father and get away from his tedious question.

At this the fathers heart leapt with joy as he realized that his boy had become mature enough to answer his question just to please him. The father said that what he could teach his son was far less than what his son could teach him.

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Describe the narrators son. What was the talk between the narrator and his son ? Why didn't Edward want to stay at Liswyn farm ? Describe the pictorial ( picturesque ) sight at Liswyn farm. Who is said to be a real human being ? Describe the emotions experienced by Edward when his father asked him the reason for his choice of living at Kilve rather than at Liswyn farm . How did Edward answer his fathers question ( to live at Kilve or at Liswyn farm ) ? Where did the poet stay long ago ? Where did the narrator stay when he asked Edward the question ? How did the boy win the narrators ( his fathers ) heart ?

From this project we learn about the great works of one of the worlds greatest writer, William Wordsworth. The write-ups by this writer gives us an insight of the various aspects of life, and how to deal with them. The works of William Wordsworth have also inspired many people in their real lives. So correctly as they are called, they are surely the best ones one can ever come across in ones life.

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