large/5160/excursion_1106_librivox_64kb_mp3/excursion_00_wordsworth_64kb_1
large/5160/excursion_1106_librivox_64kb_mp3/excursion_00_wordsworth_64kb
English
5160
"That work, addressed to a dear friend, most distinguished for his knowledge and genius, and to whom the author's intellect is deeply indebted, has been long finished; and the result of the investigation which gave rise to it, was a determination to compose a philosophical Poem, containing views of Man, Nature, and Society, and to be entitled 'The Recluse;' as having for its principal subject the sensations and opinions of a poet living in retirement. THAT WORK ADDRESSED TO A DEAR FRIEND MOST DISTINGUISHED FOR HIS KNOWLEDGE AND GENIUS AND WHOM THE AUTHOR'S INTELLECT IS DEEPLY INDEBTED HAS BEEN LONG FINISHED AND THE RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION WHICH GAVE RISE TO IT WAS A DETERMINATION TO COMPOSE A PHILOSOPHICAL POEM CONTAINING VIEWS OF MAN NATURE AND SOCIETY AND TO BE ENTITLED THE RECLUSE AS HAVING FOR ITS PRINCIPAL SUBJECT THE SENSATIONS AND OPINIONS OF A POET LIVING IN RETIREMENT
ould manage it upon these hills, and Benjamin could not resist the temptations by the wayside." (See 'The Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey', vol. iv. p. 318.)--Ed. * * * * * THE PRELUDE, OR, GROWTH OF A POET'S MIND; AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL POEM Composed 1799-1805.--Published 1850 ADVERTISEMENT The following Poem was commenced in the beginning of the year 1799, and completed in the summer of 1805. The design and occasion of the work are described by the Author in his Preface to the EXCURSION, first published in 1814, where he thus speaks: "Several years ago, when the Author retired to his native mountains with the hope of being enabled to construct a literary work that might live, it was a reasonable thing that he should take a review of his own mind, and examine how far Nature and Education had qualified him for such an employment. "As subsidiary to this preparation, he undertook to record, in verse, the origin and progress of his own powers, as far as he was acquainted with them. DESIGNED TO REFER MORE TO PASSING EVENTS AND TO AN EXISTING STATE OF THINGS THAN THE OTHERS WERE MEANT TO DO MORE CONTINUOUS EXERTION WAS NATURALLY BESTOWED UPON IT AND GREATER PROGRESS MADE HERE THAN IN THE REST OF THE POEM AND AS THIS PART DOES NOT DEPEND UPON THE PRECEDING TO A DEGREE WHICH WILL MATERIALLY INJURE ITS PECULIAR INTEREST THE AUTHOR COMPLYING WITH THE EARNEST ENTREATIES OF SOME VALUED FRIENDS PRESENTS THE FOLLOWING PAGES TO THE PUBLIC IT MAY BE PROPER TO STATE WHENCE THE POEM OF WHICH THE EXCURSION IS A PART DERIVES ITS TITLE OF THE RECLUSE SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE AUTHOR RETIRED TO HIS NATIVE MOUNTAINS WITH THE HOPE OF BEING ENABLED TO CONSTRUCT A LITERARY WORK THAT MIGHT LIVE IT WAS A REASONABLE THING THAT HE SHOULD TAKE A REVIEW OF HIS OWN MIND AND EXAMINE HOW FAR NATURE AND EDUCATION HAD QUALIFIED HIM FOR SUCH EMPLOYMENT AS SUBSIDIARY TO THIS PREPARATION HE UNDERTOOK TO RECORD IN VERSE THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF HIS OWN POWERS AS FAR AS HE WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THEM
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