1819-20. In 1. 12 1837 and 1838 had " Are cowslip-bank," &c. In 1. 14, "his" 1827-32 and 1845-49; "thy 1819-20, and 1837-38.-ED. To the Poet, John Dyer (page 12). Date uncertain; sent in MS. to Lady Beaumont Nov. 20, 1811. See "Memorials of Coleorton," ii. 156. First published 1820. In 1. 6" With " (1827) in each instance was previously "By."-ED. On the Detraction, etc. (page 13). Written 1820; first published 1820. L. 5, "those " (1836); previously "these;" 1. 6, "Nor heat" (1820 Duddon volume, 1827 and onwards); "Nor chafe" (1820, Misc. Poems only).-ED. "Grief thou hast lost an ever ready friend" (page 13). I could write a treatise of lamentation upon the changes brought about among the cottages of Westmoreland by the silence of the spinning-wheel. During long winter nights and wet days, the wheel upon which wool was spun gave employment to a great part of a family. The old man, however infirm, was able to card the wool as he sate in the corner by the fireside; and often, when a boy, have I admired the cylinders of carded wool which were softly laid upon each other by his side. Two wheels were often at work on the same floor; and others of the family, chiefly little children, were occupied in teasing and cleaning the wool to fit it for the hand of the carder. So that all, except the smallest infants, were contributing to mutual support. Such was the employment that prevailed in the pastoral vales. Where wool was not at hand, in the small rural towns, the wheel for spinning flax was almost in as constant use, if knitting was not preferred; which latter occupation has the advantage (in some cases disadvantage) that, not being of necessity stationary, it allowed of gossiping about from house to house, which good housewives reckoned an idle thing. -I. F. Date uncertain; first published 1819 (with "The Waggoner"). Text unchanged. Professor Knight gives from MS. a different reading of 11. 8-14.--ED. To S. H. (page 14). 66 Date uncertain; first published 1827. "S. H.” i.e., Sarah Hutchinson, sister of Mary Wordsworth. L. 6, "darken (1837); previously bedim "; 1. 7, "Even She who toils" (1843); previously " She who was feigned.” L. 8 (1837); previously : "Might smile, O Lady! on a task once dear." L. 10, “shall” (1837); previously "will.” Ll. 11, 12, (1837); previously : "Its own, not left without a guiding chart, If Rulers, trusting with undue respect." L. 13, "And" (1837); previously "To"; 1. 14, "Heed not" (1837); previously "Sanction," a stronger allegation against the Rulers.-ED. Composed in one of the Valleys (page 14). Date uncertain; first published 1819 (with "The Waggoner"). Text unchanged. Professor Knight gives from MS. a different version of this sonnet.-ED. Decay of Piety (page 15). Attendance at church on prayer-days, Wednesdays and Fridays and Holidays, received a shock at the Revolution. It is now, however, happily reviving. The ancient people described in this Sonnet were among the last of that pious class. May we hope that the practice, now in some degree renewed, will continue to spread.-I.F. Date uncertain; first published 1827. Text unchanged. -ED. Composed on the Eve, etc. (page 16). Written 1812; first published 1815. Occasioned by the marriage of Thomas Hutchinson to Mary Monkhouse, Nov. 1, 1812. Ll. 5, 6 (1827); previously: "Even for such omen would the Bride display From the Italian of Michael Angelo (page 16). Translations from Michael Angelo, done at the request of Mr. Duppa whose acquaintance I made through Mr. Southey. Mr. Duppa was engaged in writing the life of Michael Angelo, and applied to Mr. Southey and myself to furnish some specimens of his poetic genius.-I. F. Written 1805; first published 1807; sent in MS. to Sir G. Beaumont, Oct. 17, 1805. "So much meaning," writes Wordsworth, "has been put by Michael Angelo into so little room, and that meaning sometimes so excellent in itself, that I found the difficulty of translating him insurmountable. I attempted at least fifteen of the sonnets, but could not anywhere succeed. I have sent you the only one I was able to finish; it is far from being the best or most characteristic, but the others were too much for me." In 1. 3 "find" (1849) replaced "finds.”—ED. From the Same (page 17). Written probably in 1805 (see note to preceding sonnet); first published 1807. In 1. 13, “That” (1827); previously "which."-ED. From the Same (page 17). Written in 1805 (see note on Sonnet XXIV.; on Aug. 1, 1805, Wordsworth sent the sonnet in MS. to Sir George Beaumont saying it was translated some time since; first published 1807. In 1. 4, and again in l. 6, "That" (1827); previously "Which."-ED. 66 Surprised by joy-impatient as the wind" (page 18). This was in fact suggested by my daughter Catharine long after her death.-I. F. Written "long after" the death of Wordsworth's daughter Catharine, June 14, 1812; first published 1815. L. 2, "I turned" (1820); "I wished" (1815). L. 3, "deep buried" (1820), "long buried" (1815).—ED. Methought I saw the footsteps of a throne" (page 18). The latter part of this Sonnet was a great favourite with my sister S. H. When I saw her lying in death, I could not resist the impulse to compose the Sonnet that follows it.-I. F. Date uncertain; first published 1807. L. 3, "who might sit" (1815); "him who sate" (1807). L. 9 (1845); previously : "I seem'd to mount those steps; the vapours gave" (1807-32). "Those steps I mounted, as ['while' 1838] the vapours gave" (1837). "Those steps I clomb; the opening vapours gave" (1843). -ED. November, 1836 (page 19). Written in November, 1836; first published 1837. Text unchanged. Sarah Hutchinson died on June 23, 1835, and in announcing the event to Southey, Wordsworth wrote: "I saw her within an hour after her decease, in the silence and peace of death, with as heavenly an expression on her countenance as ever human creature had. Surely there is food for faith in these appearances; for myself I can say that I have passed a wakeful night, more in joy than sorrow, with that blessed face before my eyes perpetually, as I lay in bed."-ED. "It is a beauteous evening, calm and free" (page 20). This was composed on the beach near Calais, in the autumn of 1802.-I. F. Written August 1802; first published 1807. The "dear child" of the sonnet seems less likely to be Dorothy than one of two companions found at Calais and mentioned in Dorothy's Journal: "We found out Annette and C. chez Madame Avril. . . We walked by the sea shore almost every evening with Annette and Caroline, or William and I alone." I owe this suggestion to Mr. T. Hutchinson. L. 1 is a return in 1845 to the reading of 1807-32. Some unhappy experiments had been made in 1837 and 1843: "Air sleeps, from strife or stir the clouds are free," (1837-38). "A fairer face of Evening cannot be," (1843). L. 5, "broods" (1837); previously " is." L. 6, "Listen," a return in 1843 to the 1807-32 text, displaced 1837-38 by "But list." Ll. 9, 10, a return (1845) to the text of 1807-32, with "appear" for "appear'st." In 1837 : "Dear Child! dear happy Girl! if thou appear Heedless-untouch'd with awe or serious thought." In 1838 1. 10 became "Heedless-unawed, untouch'd with serious thought."-ED. "Where lies the Land" (page 20). Date uncertain; first published 1807. Ll. 2, 3 (1837) were previously: "Festively she puts forth in trim array; As vigorous as a Lark at break of day."-ED. "With Ships the Sea," etc. (page 21). Date uncertain; first published 1807. Text unchanged. For a critical study of this poem by the author, see Wordsworth's letter of May 21, 1807, to Lady Beaumont ("Memoirs," i. 335-337).—ED. (page 21.) In 1. 13,"rising" "Triton blowing "The world is too much with us Date uncertain; first published 1807. (1827) replaced the earlier "coming." loud his wreathed horn" in Spenser's "Colin Clout's come home again," seems to have suggested 1. 14.-Ed. "A volant Tribe of Bards" (page 22). Date uncertain; first published 1823 in Joanna Baillie's "Poetic Miscellanies;" first included in "Poetical Works," 1827. The 1827 text was unchanged; but that of 1823 has in 11. 3-10: "nests of clay, Work cunningly devised, and seeming sound; If man must build admit him to thy ground, "When" for "where" also in 1823, in l. 12.—ED. "Weak is the will of Man" (page 22). Date uncertain; first published 1815 in "Poems," and again as a motto prefixed to "The White Doe." Text unchanged.-ED. |