Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-12-30
BIOGRAPHY.
HiIIin,,, lHo,.is,rorth.

William Wordsworth.
This celebrated poet was born the It'll
of April, ITO, in Cumberland county,
England, and was educated at st. johns
College, Cambridge, where he WIS not
remarkable for proficiency in his cul.
le6e curriculum, but was diligcnt sin.
dent after his fashion, devotipg himself
to those branches which were most CON-
genial to his poetic tastes. He succeed
cd, however, in obtaining the degree nf
A. B., and possibly A. NJ, In 1901 he
left Cambridge and spent some time in
France, and, while there, imbibed the
religious and political sentiments of the
French; though he ultimately aban.
donod his reraiblicanism and skepticisni
and became a conservative both in poll
tics and religion.
His first published poem was entitled
/" An Evening Walk" his second, ODE
scriptive Sketches of Tour Among the
Alps" These two poems reveal admir-
able powers Of observation and descrip.
ton, but failed to make an impression
on the popular mind. He had some de-
Voted admirers thus: Colcridge OBJ
served in the above poems the germs OF
extraordinary genius, and so did De-
Quincy. There was also another admir-.
cr of Wordsworth's poetry-one as con.
slant and unfailing rs he was profound
and reverential-it was Wordsworth
himself. No man was ever more sub
timely selt-appreciative than Words
worth. Though he was for long time
The laughing stock Of the reviewers, cs.
pecially Of Jeollrey, of the Edinburgh
ReUieW, he did not suffer himself to be
jisheartened by the ieers of the critics,
~ the Indifference Of the reading world.
He adhered to the opinion that he was ii
poet-the poet Of the day. Per exam
pie, he held that the fine passages OF
Byron's, particularly the third canto o
"Childe Harold, were substantially stol.
EN- from his poem entitled Pintern Alb.
bey." He contended that the only diff.
ference between him and Byron
was, that what Ind been naturally
and finely expressed by him
had been worked up into sort of Ia
;;ored nntithetical defamation by BY
ron. But the critics of the world di,
not agree with the egotist. Byron
poems sold with great rapidity, Will
Wordsworth would have starved 70
bread had not friend died and left hin
legacy Of 1000. The lucky poet mad
the most Of his money, and the most q
his time, and it soon began TO be con
ceded that, while his poems had grea
faults, they were possessed of remark
able merits. They combined the charm
ing simplicity Of Cowper and Burn
with depth of philosophical reasonin
peculiarly his own. In his Lyrical Bal
lads" and the Excursion" Mr.. Word,
worth appears TO Macaulay as "hig
priest, for the worship of whom natur
was the idol. No poems have ever il
Dictated so exquisite perception OF tn
beauty Of the outer world, or 30 pa
sionate love and reverence for thr
beauty, and yet" said he, they M
not popular, nor will they ever be 4
popular as the works Of Scott. TIL
feelings which pervade them are tc
deep, his passionate love for nature
too strong for popular sympathy"
Mr.. Hazlett pronounced Worlswort
, the "most original Of poets. Until
Scott, his poetry is not external but il
!, ternal he produces it from his ov
mind. He has produced deeper in
. precision, but ON smaller scale, tha
any Of his contemporaries"
"The Excursion" Lyrical Ballads
Peter Bell" 1.-THE Wagner" al
"Sonnets ON the River Duddon, are h
principal works.
1t was often complained that Word
worth's subjects were too trite and fam
lar, but he commended TO the last tn
the art Of fine poetic writing consist'
in using common subjects, and makii
from them fine poems.
He had an ipvincible spirit and owe
came all obstacles. Many Of his poer
are largely read at the present day.