William Wordsworth (1770-1850) wrote "
Resolution and Independence" in 1802 after encountering an old leech-gatherer near Dove cottage in Grasmere. The Leech gatherer accepts his hard life with patience and hope, something that often escaped Wordsworth. There is despondency and joy in the poem, coupled with the belief that Wordsworth knew he had met the Leech-gatherer with the ultimate purpose to give him strength to meet his own life. It's beautiful.
"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,
Over his own sweet voice
The Stock-dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.
All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning's birth;
The grass is bright with rain drops....
On the moors the hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plasy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run."
Wordsworth had a cold, unemotional family life. His father travelled. His mother taught him to read. His schooling was poor, and life was a struggle.
He would memorize great chunks of writing from Shakespeare and Milton, thirsting to learn. In 1791 he met a French woman, Annette, whom he never married, but had one child with her. He named her Caroline, but left France due to war time, and never married Annette; he would send her 30 pounds a year. He ended up marrying his childhood friend, Mary, and they had five children.
Dove Cottage was their family home. He wrote the famous
"Tinturn Abbey" and
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". In latter years he received many honours and a doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Durham. He stopped writing when his daughter Dora died in 1847. He felt there was nothing left in him to give.
His poem to Coleridge ,
"The Prelude" was published by his wife, after his death. It is considered to be his greatest masterpiece.
Wordsworth once said: " Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. It takes its origins from emotion reflected in tranquility."
Poem "Resolution and Independence" by William Wordswoth taken from my old poetry book "One Thousand Beautiful Things" Compiled by Marjorie Barrows ( 1948, Peoples Book Club , Chicago)
