first meeting with Quillinan, 284
travels with William, 287, 289, 293, 304, 328
given field adjoining Rydal Mount garden, 295
last meeting with Scott, 304
marriage to Quillinan, 307, 308–10, 316
wandering with him, 330–1
return to Lakes, 331–2
death, 332, 334
grave, 333
Wordsworth, Dorothy (sister), 93, 110, 121, 172, 180, 221, 223, 258
birth, 6
early sensitivity, 9, 15
with Penrith grandparents, 11, 12, 14
with Halifax relatives, 14, 23
and father’s death, 22
regrets separation from brothers, 23
return to Penrith, 24
reunion with brothers, 24–6
as letter-writer, 24, 41, 49, 55, 66, 67, 71, 85, 89, 90, 100, 133, 152–3, 165, 166, 167, 168, 215–16, 241, 242, 256, 263, 270, 271, 283, 298
her pen-portraits of brothers, 25, 66–7
insulted by guardians, 25–6
concern over William’s opting out of Tripos course, 39
with uncle in Norfolk, 40–41, 43, 65–8, 70
fantasy of future life with William, 41, 42, 63, 67, 68, 75–6, 108, 112
absence of boy friends, 41, 132
worry over William’s future, 42
William’s letters to, 46, 47, 69, 111, 112
hint of jealousy over girls, 49, 58
told of William’s affair with Annette, 55, 62, 68
corresponds with Annette, 55, 56, 63, 132, 141, 270
her criticisms of William’s poems, 61–2
forbidden to see or mention him, 66
recognition of his faults, 67
secret reunion with him, 69
‘elopement’ with him to Lakes, 70–71
as his amanuensis, 71, 87, 134
leaves Norfolk for ever, 75
joins William at Racedown, 75, 85–8
influence on him, 88, 131–3, 134–5
move to Alfoxden, 89
Coleridge’s impression of, 90
independent spirit, 90
in Germany, 98–101
her Journals, 100, 133–6, 137, 138, 139, 145–6, 150, 151
possible part-original of Lucy, 101, 136
with Hutchinsons, 107
move to Dove Cottage, 112–14
domestic life, 114–16, 118–19, 135
devotion to William, 131, 135–9
involvement in his poetry, 132–3, 136
poetic gift, 133, 134, 240
intensity of relationship with William, 135–9, 143
striking physical presence and strong emotions, 137, 303
theory of incest, 138–9, 143, 245
meeting with Annette, 139–40, 142
and William’s marriage, 144–6, 149, 301
continues to share his home, 144, 146, 148, 150 et seq.
domestic routine, 150–1, 246
cessation of Journals, 151
delight in William’s children, 152–4, 181–2, 254
Scottish tour (1803), 154–8, 160–1
heartbroken at brother John’s death, 169, 170
financial loss, 171
on Coleridge’s return from Malta, 188
urges William to publish again, 192
writes pamphlet on deserving family, 198
on Allan Bank discomforts, 198
irritation with Coleridges, 199–200, 206
fondness for De Quincey, 204, 224
at Parsonage, 209
and Catherine’s death, 210–11
move to Rydal Mount, 215–16
passes on gossip about De Quincey, 224
and 1818 election, 234–6, 248
on poor sales of Excursion and White Doe, 241, 242, 243
changed relationship with William after his marriage, 245–8
care of friends and relatives, 246, 247, 258, 284, 292, 293, 295, 300
disappointed in John, 253
finds Dora a handful, 254–5
on William’s spoiling of Willy, 256–7
and Caroline’s wedding, 270, 271
foreign tour (1820), 286
Scottish holiday, 295
forced to wear dentures, 295–6
on Scott’s bankruptcy, 298
serious illness, 301–2
mental decline, 303, 306, 320, 328
locals’ impression of, 322
death, 340
Wordsworth, Fanny (wife of Willy), 332
Wordsworth, Isabella (wife of son John), 307
death, 332
Wordsworth, Jane (wife of brother Richard), 223
Wordsworth, Jane (grand-daughter), 334
Wordsworth, John (father), 8–9, 14, 17, 18
as Lowther agent, 6, 7, 8, 228
death, 21–2
William’s rare reference to, 171
Wordsworth, John (brother), 6, 112, 119, 137, 149
naval career, 41, 70, 116, 151
joins William on Lakes tour, 108, 116
visits Dove Cottage, 116–17, 118
Yorkshire trip with William, 136, 144
allowance to Dorothy, 145
last voyage, 168–9
death, 169–72, 259
effect of death on William, 169–70, 171, 174, 177, 212
possibility of marriage to Sarah Hutchinson, 170, 302
Wordsworth, John (son), 153–4, 204, 210, 211, 308, 310
birth, 152
Latin lessons with De Quincey, 223
at Ambleside school and Sedbergh, 252–4
academic slowness, 252–3, 254, 256, 257, 291
at Oxford, 291–2
enters Church, 292
Leicestershire curacy, 292, 300–301
Cumberland living, 301, 307, 332
marriage to Isabella Curwen, 307
officiates at Dora’s wedding, 309
Wordsworth, John (nephew), 281
Wordsworth (formerly Hutchinson), Mary (wife), 75, 89, 154, 166, 177, 204, 221, 241, 265, 282, 290, 304, 305, 320
early playmate of William, 12
later friendship, 24, 41–2, 142–3, 144
visits Racedown, 86
visits Dove Cottage, 117, 188
family background, 143–4
marriage to William, 144–6, 148–9, 301
domestic life, 150, 151, 245–6
birth of children, 152, 166, 180, 195, 205, 245
and John’s death, 168
and purchase of Ullswater property, 183
death of children, 210–12, 246
at Rydal Mount, 215, 216
more active part in William’s public life, 246, 247
happiness of marriage, 247, 249, 252, 295, 336
White Doe dedicated to, 247–8
Dorothy’s veiled criticism of, 248
alteration in traditional view of, 249–50, 335–6
passionate letters between William and, 249–52
domestic bliss, 252, 295, 335–6
meets Annette, 272
inspiration of Duddon sonnets, 278, 299
travels abroad with William, 285–6
in London, 286, 301, 327
on choice of profession for John, 291
and Dora’s health, 293, 331
concern over Willy, 294
late blossoming, 295
and Dora’s wedding, 309
and Fenwick and Martineau friendships, 315, 316, 318, 321
locals’ impression of, as ‘plain and stiff, 322
last Lakeland tour with William, 328
and Dora’s death, 332, 334–5
greater part in William’s creative work, 335
appearance, 335
kindness, 335
and William’s last days and death, 337–8
sends Prelude to publisher, 340
and biography of William, 341–2
Wordsworth, Richard (grandfather), 6–7
Wordsw
orth, Richard (uncle), 9
as guardian, 22
death, 72
Wordsworth, Richard (brother), 6, 14, 41, 52, 144, 169
character, 10, 25
at Hawkshead school, 17, 19
as lawyer, 26, 39, 161
handles family affairs, 51, 54, 73, 151, 168, 171, 206, 258
cautions William over radical associates, 64
helps Dorothy, 70, 145
godfather to John, 152
unseemly marriage, 223, 258
illness and death, 258–9
Wordsworth, Tom (son), 210
birth and choice: of name, 180–1
death, 211–12
Wordsworth, William: obsession with his childhood, 1–2
ancestry and birth, 5–9
earliest memories and interest in literature, 9–10
unusual freedom, 10, 17–18, 19, 26; at school in Cockermouth, 10–11
with Penrith grandparents, 11—14
his first visionary ‘spo of time’, 12–13
death of mother, 13
Hawkshead schooldays, 16–24
night-and-day wanderings, 19–20, 23
rural activities, 20, 27, 36–8
death of father, 21–2
poverty and guardianship of uncles, 22–3, 25–6, 30
social life, 23–4
first poetry, 24
early visions, 24, 26
reunion with Dorothy, 24–6
at Cambridge, 26, 28–35, 38–40, 42–4, 48, 50–51, 316
first sight of ‘abandoned women’, 29, 58
happy start to university life, 29–31, 35, 36
disillusion and dropping of honours
course, 31–5, 38–40, 43, 45, 51
summer vacations, 35–8, 43
resumes writing verse 36
his method of composing, 36, 105, 166
social life, 36–8
realization of himself as
‘Dedicated Spirit’, 38, 43, 65
own pattern of study, 38–40
first trip to France, 40, 45–8
early friendship with Mary, 41–2
fantasy of joint home with Dorothy, 41, 42, 68, 74, 75, 108
takes degree, 42, 48
effect of Cambridge on, 44
effect of French Revolution, 48, 50, 52–3, 54–5, 61, 103, 229
London idleness, 48–9
contemplates becoming a tramp, 50
tentative preparations for ordination, 50–51, 62
second and momentous trip to France, 51–5
passionate affair with Annette, 53–9, 61, 65, 67, 137, 174
leaves her in Orleans, 54, 56
plan to marry her, 55, 58
confesses to Dorothy, 55
first published verse, 61–2
aimlessness and uncertainty over career, 62–4, 65, 71
based in London, 63, 64–5, 74
involved in radical politics, 64–5, 68, 74
West Country tour with Calvert, 68–9
secret reunion with Dorothy, 69
‘elopement’ with her to Lakes, 70–71
as companion to R. Calvert, 71–4
anxiety over legacy, 72–3
criticism of Lakes, 74
move to West Country, 75–6, 83–5
meets Coleridge and Southey, 83, 84–5
at Racedown, 85–8, 89
resumes writing, 85–6
Dorothy’s importance to, 88, 131—3, 134–5
move to Alfoxden, 89
‘communal’ life with Coleridge, 89–92, 117–19
his play rejected, 92–3
concentration on poetry, 93–4, 96, 100–101
suspected as French spy, 94–5
German visit, 96, 98–101
decides to return to North of England, 101, 107–8, 110
and reception of Lyrical Ballads, 101—7
move to Lakes, 108, 101–17
concern over changes there, in, 111
domestic life with Dorothy, 113–16, 135
interest in local life, 115–16
and new edition of Lyrical Ballads, 123–9
his definition of poetry, 126–7
first fan letter, 128, 201
grouped with Coleridge and Southey as ‘Lake Poets’, 129
devotion to Dorothy, 136–7
theory of incest, 138–9, 245
disentanglement from Annette, 139–42
marriage to Mary Hutchinson, 142–6, 148—9
domestic life with Mary and Dorothy, 150–1, 166, 173, 245–6, 252, 294–6
secures patronage of Beaumont, 152
Scottish tour, 154–8, 160–1
joins Volunteers, 164, 165
reaction from early republicanism, 164–5, 173–4
seeks tax advantages, 168
grief at brother John’s death, 169–70, 171
financial worry, 170–1, 216–18
changes in personality in middle years, 172–5
effect of marriage, 173
obsessed by money, 177
sobering effect of John’s death, 174, 177
rare piece of light descriptive writing, 174–5
social and literary success in London, 177–80
his portrait drawn, 179
teasingly referred to as ‘Dear William’, 181
purchase of Ullswater property, 182–3
more serious approach to religion, 186
visionary experience in Fleet Street, 187
peak of last great creative phase, 188
hurt by hostile reviews, 191–2, 196
move to Allan Bank, 192, 194–5;
concentrates on prose, 196–7
humanitarian campaigns, 197–8
estranged from Coleridge, 205–9
their importance to each other, 208–9
early deaths of children, 210–12
move to Rydal Mount, 214–16, 219
meagre income from poetry, 216–17
seeks help from Lowthers, 217–18
first job, as Distributor of Stamps, 216, 218–19, 220, 230
new young writers disappointed in, 221, 222
growing reactionary attitude, 222–3, 226, 228–36;
and 1818 election, 232–6
new volume of poetry after seven years, 237–43
modest public relations campaign, 241
hurt by fresh attacks, 242–3
changed relationship with Dorothy, 245–8
happiness of marriage, 247, 249, 252, 295, 336
passionate letters between Mary and, 249–52
problems of children’s health and education, 252–7, 291–4
renewed contact with Annette and Caroline, 269–72
change in critical attitude towards him, 276–80
recognized as great poet, 277–8
penalties of fame, 280–3
piracy of works, 280–1
has bust sculpted, 281
tittle-tattle, 281–2
new friends and neighbours, 283–5, 315–19
foreign tours in 1820 and 1823, 285–6
whirlwind Irish tour, 288–9
1831 Scottish tour, 289
writes guide to Lakes, 289–90
worry over sons’ careers, 291–2, 293–4, 302
better financial state, 296–8, 313
deaths of contemporaries, 303–5, 306, 312, 325
inactive muse, 305, 313
gloom over state of nation, 306
Italian trip (1837), 307, 320, 328
misery over Dora’s marriage, 307–10, 316, 330
accepts Laureateship after first refusing, 312, 313
other honours, 312
Civil List pension, 313
dictates memories of background to poems, 317
regarded as eccentric by locals, 319
seventy-fourth birthday party, 321
lost contact with peasantry, 322
campaign against railway, 322–3, 329
mellowing, 323–5
and summer visitors, 326
contacts with royalty, 326–7
London social round, 327
last Lakeland tour (1844), 328
grief at Dora’s death, 332, 333, 334–5
last days, 333–8
comfort in grandchildren, 334
last trip outside Lake District (1849), 337;
death, 338
biography, 341–2
his ‘Two Voices’, 343
Appearance: 46, 67, 91–2, 179, 287–8
dress, 91–2, 287, 319, 321
legs, 203, 225
Roman nose, 92, 153, 256
rusticity, 287, 288, 289
Characteristics and interests: absent-mindedness, 180
abstemiousness, 35, 93, 116, 296
anti-clericalism, 39–40
ardent feelings, 53, 66, 137–8, 250—2
arrogance, alleged, 225, 226, 238
books, lack of care for, 225
children, delight in, 181, 321, 334
dancing, 23, 36
depressions, 86, 177, 306–7
dogmatism, 221, 222, 286, 288
egotism, 288, 336
emotionalism, 197
fishing, 20, 114, 278
frugality, 173, 183, 282, 318
humour, sense of, 61, 135, 174–5, 186, 336, 337
landscape gardening, 186, 216, 290
monologue, tendency to, 195, 285, 288, 326
moodiness, 10, 14, 26
moralizing tendency, 174, 196, 222, 227, 290
patriotism, 164, 165
pontifical manner, 221, 222
puritanism, 65, 174, 223
radicalism, 64, 68, 74, 84, 85, 90, 94–5, 173— 4, 232
reationary attitude, 222–3, 226, 228–36, 261, 267, 268, 306
rebelliousness, 10, 13–14, 26, 38–40, 53, 256
republicanism, 65, 164
reserve, 46, 67, 91, 112
rural sports, 20
skating, 20, 114, 168, 203, 296
smell, lack of sense of, 320
sociability, 23, 34, 36–7, 38, 178–9, 285, 327
speech, 92, 94, 286
stability, 208
travel, 261, 285–6, 288–9, 328
violent temper, 10, 26
visionary experiences, 12–13, 24, 69, 93, 161, 187
walking, 24, 114, 166, 289, 296, 338
Health, 100, 296
eye trouble, 252, 286, 289, 296, 319, 320
hearing, 320
pains in chest and side, 100, 152, 252
teeth, 295, 319
Opinions and attitudes: aristocracy, 50, 127, 178, 183, 217–18, 228–9, 231, 282
Catholic Emancipation, 306
Church of England, 62, 166, 306
critics, 102, 191—2, 238, 241–2, 243, 319
education, 197, 253, 323–4
French Revolution, 45, 48, 50, 52–3, 54–5, 173–4, 229, 230, 232, 287
Industrial Revolution, 230
London, 60—61
manufacturers, 231
money, 168, 171, 173, 297–8
moral freedom, 324
poetry, 102–3, 107, 126–7