William Wordsworth is the father of the Romantic Movement in English literature. He created a new style of poetry, and in that poetry, we can find not only a new style in the topic but also in the language. That is why he is immortal in the history of English literature, and the change he brought gave a lot of focus to the subject of poetry. Until him, most poets focused on urban or aristocratic people for their themes. If we study English literature up to Wordsworth, we will find that the subject matter always revolves around high or rich people and many poets only wrote about their beloved. It was Wordsworth who revolutionized the theme of poetry by emphasizing that the theme should be an ordinary person.
That is why, in his poems, we can find autobiographical elements. He consistently wrote about his own life and ideas. Sometimes, he wrote about his sister; other times, he delved into stories about his daughter or the people he encountered during his life. Occasionally, he even wrote about unknown individuals he observed while traveling to different places. Thus, many of his poems contain autobiographical elements. He even wrote about his own biography in a poem called ‘The Prelude.’ He put into practice the idea that poetry’s subjects should be ordinary people. During his time, he was a very ordinary person, initially experiencing little success and enduring significant poverty in the early part of his life. It took time for him to achieve any form of success as a poet.
“Tintern Abbey” is a poem in which Wordsworth writes about a place he visited five years ago and revisited. Consequently, it contains autobiographical elements as he reflects on a place directly associated with him. However, beyond that, the poem addressed his sister, Dorothy Wordsworth. By praising Dorothy, the poem is not merely biographical but rather one with autobiographical elements. Dorothy, who was exceptionally close to Wordsworth, dedicated her entire life to supporting him as a poet. She cared for Wordsworth in the best possible way, and with her support, he achieved success as a poet. Few poets experienced such affection and support from their siblings, making Wordsworth fortunate in this regard. He fondly remembered her in “Tintern Abbey.”
“Surprised by Joy” is another poem that contains autobiographical elements. Wordsworth reflects on the loss of his daughter, who passed away at the age of three. Initially addressing the poem to his daughter, he later realizes the child is in the grave. The profound impact of this loss deeply affected Wordsworth, prompting him to create a poignant poem in remembrance of his beloved daughter.
“It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free” is another poem with autobiographical elements. Wordsworth, during his visit to France, developed a deep affection for a woman named Annette Vallon. Although she was not married to Wordsworth, Annette gave birth to their child. In this poem, Wordsworth recounts moments spent with the woman and the child as they walked beside the sea. The poem directly reflects a chapter in Wordsworth’s life, expressing his love and emotions towards the child born from this union. During this period, Wordsworth faced challenges in maintaining a connection with Annette due to various factors. Firstly, being from England, Wordsworth encountered difficulties as Annette resided in France. Additionally, the political tension between the two countries and religious differences, with Wordsworth being Protestant and Annette being Catholic, added further complexities to their relationship.
As
I mentioned earlier, Wordsworth was notably committed to portraying the lives
of ordinary people in his poetry. Examining the three poems discussed above, we
observe his inclusion of his sister, one daughter, and another child born out
of wedlock. Consequently, Wordsworth has succeeded remarkably in encapsulating
his own life within these poems.
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