University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The poetical works of William Wordsworth

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

expand sectionI. 
VOL. I.
collapse sectionII. 
VOL. II.
expand section 
POEMS ON THE NAMING OF PLACES.
expand section 
POEMS OF THE FANCY.
collapse section 
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.
expand sectionXLV. 
XLV. VERNAL ODE.
 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.
expand section 
PETER BELL.
expand section 
MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
expand sectionIII. 
VOL. III.
expand sectionIV. 
VOL. IV.
expand sectionV. 
VOL. V.
expand sectionVI. 
[volume]

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section The poetical works of William Wordsworth
next section
‘Action is transitory—a step, a blow,

This and the five lines that follow were either read or recited by me, more than thirty years since, to the late Mr. Hazlitt, who quoted some expressions in them (imperfectly remembered) in a work of his published several years ago.


The motion of a muscle—this way or that—
'Tis done; and in the after-vacancy
We wonder at ourselves like men betrayed:
3

Suffering is permanent, obscure and dark,
And has the nature of infinity.
Yet through that darkness (infinite though it seem
And irremoveable) gracious openings lie,
By which the soul—with patient steps of thought
Now toiling, wafted now on wings of prayer—
May pass in hope, and, though from mortal bonds
Yet undelivered, rise with sure ascent
Even to the fountain-head of peace divine.’
previous section The poetical works of William Wordsworth
next section