Wordsworth's vagrant muse
Subtitle: poetry, poverty, and power
By: Gary Harrison.
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Detroit
Language: eng
Number of pages: 237
Subjects: Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850 -- Political and social views.; Politics and literature -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.; Literature and society -- England -- History -- 19th century.; Political poetry, English -- History and criticism.; Power (Social sciences) in literature.; Poetry -- Social aspects.; Poverty in literature.
Description: William Wordsworth's poems are inhabited by beggars, vagrants, peddlers, and paupers. This book analyzes how a few key poems from Wordsworth's early years constitute a direct engagement with and intervention into the politics of poverty and reform that swept the social, political, and cultural landscape in England during the 1790s.

Harrison brilliantly demonstrates the socio-political significance of Wordsworth's poetry as a critical force in the debate over the Poor Laws, offering evidence that nineteenth-century readers recognized both the reactionary and utopian potentials of his work, depending upon their political orientation.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-225) and index.