As I am interested in studying the concepts of ekphrasis and the sublime particularly in romantic poetry, I will certainly be including works of famous romantic poet William Wordsworth in my research.
Wordsworth had started his poetic career early, getting into writing at a young age in grammar school in Cockermouth, England, where he recalled his education in several of his poems. He later attended Hawkshead Grammar School, where he began composing verse and his love of nature and senses become integrated into his poetry. Wordsworth also held a great appreciation for the ‘common’ man and what it meant to politically represent people of multiple social statuses through literature. To this, Wordsworth poetry famously utilized simple verse that could be of value to people with a more casual appreciation to poetry and average literacy,
The poet also adopted some strong political beliefs that stemmed from this empathy and passion towards the ‘common’ man. Wordsworth spent time on trips in Switzerland and France, adopting ideas supportive of democracy and anti-tyrannical. Particularly in France, exposure to revolutionary ardor and beautiful natural scenes of the countryside simultaneously formed a personality for Wordsworth as a poet and literary figure.
Though, the poet’s identity would change throughout the years. After having a child with a woman he was not married to, he was ultimately barred from joining any churches in his local area, mainly to save the embarrassment from his relatives in the churches. Ironically, Wordsworth had gotten into the works of atheist William Godwin anyway and had become strongly influenced by the piece.
This biographical context of Wordsworth is essential to fully understanding the poet’s use of ekphrasis and exploration of the sublime. With a love of nature, particularly scenes and images of nature, the poet transformed this love to his poetry through ekphrasis. With background on the poet’s religious beliefs, this context contributes to discourse surrounding Wordsworth’s infatuation with the sublime, given the strong atheist influence in his life.
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