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The poetical works of William Wordsworth

... In six volumes ... A new edition
Wordsworth, William (1770-1850)

expand sectionI. 
VOL. I.
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VOL. II.
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POEMS ON THE NAMING OF PLACES.
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POEMS OF THE FANCY.
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POEMS OF THE IMAGINATION.
 I. 
I. THERE WAS A BOY.
 II. 
II. TO THE CUCKOO.
 III. 
III. A NIGHT-PIECE.
 IV. 
IV. AIREY-FORCE VALLEY.
 V. 
V. YEW-TREES.
 VI. 
VI. NUTTING.
 VII. 
VII. THE SIMPLON PASS.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII. THE REVERIE OF POOR SUSAN.
 XIV. 
XIV. POWER OF MUSIC.
 XV. 
XV. STAR-GAZERS.
 XVI. 
XVI. WRITTEN IN MARCH,
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. BEGGARS.
 XIX. 
XIX. SEQUEL TO THE FOREGOING,
 XX. 
XX. GIPSIES.
 XXI. 
XXI. RUTH.
 XXII. 
XXII. RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. THE THORN.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. HART-LEAP WELL.
 XXV. 
XXV. SONG AT THE FEAST OF BROUGHAM CASTLE,
 XXVI. 
XXVI. LINES, COMPOSED A FEW MILES ABOVE TINTERN ABBEY,
 XXVII. 
XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. FRENCH REVOLUTION,
 XXIX. 
XXIX.
 XXX. 
XXX. TO A SKY-LARK.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. LAODAMIA.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. DION.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. THE PASS OF KIRKSTONE.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. TO ENTERPRISE.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. TO ------, ON HER FIRST ASCENT TO THE SUMMIT OF HELVELLYN.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. TO A YOUNG LADY, WHO HAD BEEN REPROACHED FOR TAKING LONG WALKS IN THE COUNTRY.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. WATER-FOWL.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BLACK COMB.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. THE HAUNTED TREE.
 XL. 
XL. THE TRIAD.
 XLI. 
XLI. THE WISHING-GATE.
 XLII. 
XLII. THE WISHING-GATE DESTROYED.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. THE PRIMROSE OF THE ROCK.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. PRESENTIMENTS.
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XLV. VERNAL ODE.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. DEVOTIONAL INCITEMENTS.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE CUCKOO-CLOCK.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. TO THE CLOUDS.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. SUGGESTED BY A PICTURE OF THE BIRD OF PARADISE.
 L. 
L. A JEWISH FAMILY.
 LI. 
LI. ON THE POWER OF SOUND.
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PETER BELL.
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MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
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VOL. III.
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VOL. IV.
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VOL. V.
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[volume]

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XXI.

[When haughty expectations prostrate lie]

When haughty expectations prostrate lie,
And grandeur crouches like a guilty thing,
Oft shall the lowly weak, till nature bring
Mature release, in fair society
Survive, and Fortune's utmost anger try;
Like these frail snow-drops that together cling,
And nod their helmets, smitten by the wing
Of many a furious whirl-blast sweeping by.
Observe the faithful flowers! if small to great
May lead the thoughts, thus struggling used to stand
The Emathian phalanx, nobly obstinate;
And so the bright immortal Theban band,
Whom onset, fiercely urged at Jove's command
Might overwhelm, but could not separate!
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