15+ Must-Read William Wordsworth Poems

(15 to start, 40+ to explore)

William Wordsworth was an English poet whose verse is some of the most influential and important in the English language. He was one of the most prominent Romantic poets and served as Poet Laureate for the final seven years of his life.

Some of Wordsworth’s most famous poems include ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,’ ‘Lucy Gray‘, ‘The World is Too Much With Us,’ ‘My Heart Leaps Up,’ and ‘Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey.’

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I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

William Wordsworth’s literary classic, ‘Daffodils,’ also known as ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,’ is one of the most popular poems in the English language. It is a quintessential poem of the Romantic movement.

Also known as "Daffodils," this is a famous poem by William Wordsworth, a key figure in the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The poem reflects Wordsworth's focus on nature, imagination, and the power of memory. It is commonly regarded as his best poem and one of the greatest poems of the period.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

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Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey

Wordsworth’s ‘Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey’ tells of the power and influence of nature in guiding life and morality.

Wordsworth is considered one of the greatest poets of the Romantic period, and his poetry often reflects a deep love and reverence for nature, as well as a belief in the power of the imagination and the human spirit.

Five years have past; five summers, with the length

Of five long winters! and again I hear

These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs

With a soft inland murmur.—Once again

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Nationality: English

Themes: Beauty, Nature

Emotions: Contentment, Enjoyment

Topics:

Spring

Appreciation, Change, Flowers, Seasons

Form: Quatrain

Genre: Lyric

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Lines Written in Early Spring

‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ by William Wordsworth is a beautiful landscape poem that is largely concerned with nature.

A beautiful poem that explores the power of nature, particularly spring. It is highly representative of Wordsworth's verse.

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

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London, 1802

‘London, 1802’ by William Wordsworth is an Italian sonnet that invokes Milton as a means of reclaiming England’s eroded moral values in the industrial age.

Although not one of Wordsworth's most famous works, this sonnet contains several reoccurring tenets of his poetry. One of the most prominent is his use of images drawn from nature, which he uses to accentuate the sublime beauty of Milton's embodied ideals. Another is his appreciation and empathy for everyday people, as well as his lyrical approach to poetry. The resulting poem imparts an impassioned plea for the sake of his country.

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:

England hath need of thee: she is a fen

Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,

Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

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Nationality: English

Themes: Aging, Nature

Emotions: Confusion, Sadness

Topics:

Childhood

Change, Growing Up, Imagination, Old Age

Form: Ode

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Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood’ delves into the fading bond with nature as youth gives way to adulthood.

A fantastic poem that is a perfect representation of the themes and topics Wordsworth wrote about most often.

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight,

To me did seem

Apparelled in celestial light,

The glory and the freshness of a dream.

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Nationality: English

Theme: Love

Emotions: Grief, Joyfulness, Sadness

Topic: Death of a Loved One

Form: Block Form

Genre: Elegy

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Surprised by Joy

‘Surprised by Joy’ is a heart-breaking poem in which Wordsworth describes his grief after his daughter passed away.

This is a startlingly emotional Wordsworth poem that is also highly personal to the poet.

Surprised by joy—impatient as the Wind

I turned to share the transport—Oh! with whom

But Thee, long buried in the silent Tomb,

That spot which no vicissitude can find?

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The Tables Turned

Wordsworth’s ‘The Tables Turned’ asks readers to quit books and rediscover the natural world’s beauty and wisdom.

'The Tables Turned' is a well-constructed poem with a unique meaning compared to all of William Wordsworth's other Nature poems. As a poet who wrote a lot about nature, this uses that same theme but advances it to a contrasting ironic piece of literature instead of a one focused. The back and forth in Wordsworth's persuasive tone, as he attempts to explain why nature is the true teacher, is a definite highlight in ironic poetry as the poem written on paper is the very concept the speaker wants the reader to discontinue.

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;

Or surely you'll grow double:

Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;

Why all this toil and trouble?

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She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

‘She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways’ was written in 1798. This poem is Wordsworth’s best known work from a series of five texts that form his “Lucy” series.

Wordsworth is one of the leading figures of the Romantic era, which emphasizes emotion, individual experience, and the beauty of nature. 'She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways' exemplifies these themes, exploring the profound effect of a simple, unnoticed woman on the speaker. Wordsworth's focus on an ordinary person as the subject matter reflects his democratic and egalitarian ideals, which marked a departure from the classical focus on heroes and grand themes.

She dwelt among the untrodden ways

Beside the springs of Dove,

A Maid whom there were none to praise

And very few to love:

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Boat Stealing: The Prelude (Extract)

‘The Prelude’ shares two contrasting views of nature by a speaker who finds themselves spellbound but haunted by its ineffable immensity.

This autobiographical poem by William Wordsworth converges on the poet's personal and literary dealings with nature. Here, a youthful version of the author steals a rowboat for an evening excursion of nocturnal splendor, cutting an image of a noble and adventurous spirit. This all changes with the introduction of an imposing mountain that fills the young poet with a previously unknown terror—a sobering reminder that the natural world is filled with both enthralling beauty and dreadful uncertainty.

One summer evening (led by her) I found

A little boat tied to a willow tree

Within a rocky cove, its usual home.

Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in

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Beauty

Nature

Emotion: Compassion

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The Solitary Reaper

‘The Solitary Reaper’ by William Wordsworth is a recollection of the poet’s emotional experience as he listens to a woman singing in the fields.

Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

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Character of the Happy Warrior

‘Character of the Happy Warrior’ by William Wordsworth is a poem about what it means to be a “happy warrior” and what the elements of this kind of person’s life would be.

This is a great and very commonly quoted William Wordsworth poem, but it is not his best. Today, readers can find the poem in famous speeches, films, television shows, and much more. Pieces of the poem are often used to describe famous governmental leaders.

Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he

That every man in arms should wish to be?

—It is the generous Spirit, who, when brought

Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought

Upon the plan that pleased his boyish thought:

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To a Butterfly

There are two poems by the title ‘To a Butterfly’ in William Wordsworth’s 1807 poetry collection, “Poems, in Two Volumes.” The first poem is the best-known in comparison to the latter one.

William Wordsworth was a leading Romantic movement figure known for his poems about nature and childhood. 'To A Butterfly' shares many of the same themes and concerns as Wordsworth's best-known poetry, including the power of nature to evoke deep emotions and the importance of childhood memories.

Stay near me - do not take thy flight!

A little longer stay in sight!

Much converse do I find in thee,

Historian of my infancy!

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Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room

‘Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room’ by William Wordsworth is a thoughtful poem that expresses the poet’s appreciation for his chosen path.

William Wordsworth was an influential poet of the Romantic era, known for his focus on nature and human emotions. His poetry, including 'Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room,’ often explores the beauty of ordinary life and the inner peace found in accepting life's constraints. Wordsworth's work emphasizes simplicity and connection with nature.

Nuns fret not at their convent’s narrow room;

And hermits are contented with their cells;

And students with their pensive citadels;

Maids at the wheel, the weaver at his loom,

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In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn

‘In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn’ reflects on the future of nature through two contrasting perspectives.

As one of the most prominent figures of the Romantic Revival and the rise of Naturalism, William Wordsworth is known for his works on nature and pastoral regions. 'Hart-Leap Well' is one of such poems, and the specific excerpt 'In April beneath the scented thorn' offers a unique perspective on nature. Using accessible language and nature as the subject, the poem aligns well with Wordsworth's usual style. It is from the second edition of 'Lyrical Ballads', which is his contribution to the Romantic Revival.

But now here's neither grass nor pleasant shade;

The sun on drearier Hollow never shone;

So will it be, as I have often said,

Till Trees, and Stones, and Fountain all are gone."

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Resolution and Independence

‘Resolution and Independence’ is one of the important poems of Wordsworth. It is a lyric poem composed in the year 1802 and published in 1807 in his collection Poems in Two Volumes.

This is an interesting example of Wordsworth's poetry but not one of the writer's best-known pieces of verse. It explores many of the themes, like nature and mortality, that he's known for though.

There was a roaring in the wind all night;

The rain came heavily and fell in floods;

But now the sun is rising calm and bright;

The birds are singing in the distant woods;

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