William Wordsworth

Start with a picture of the poet

The mind map titled William Wordsworth is a useful starting point for exploring the poet’s life. One map brings together his childhood, the Lake District and the French Revolution. Use its branches to organize the details before moving to a resource about a poem.

For a different starting point, look at the notes on Lines Written in Early Spring. They focus on the poet’s response to nature. You can use those notes alongside the biographical map to see how a resource about his life and one about a poem present different kinds of information.

Move from maps to poems

The mind map The Prelude brings together lines from the poem, including a boat tied to a willow tree and a later mood of solitude and darkness. Read the selected lines in the map, then use the separate map on an extract from the poem to look at its language techniques and changing mood.

For another approach, Poetry - A Complaint - William Wordsworth highlights features such as rhythm and caesura. A separate map on the poem lists lost love, nostalgia and regret. Compare the features and themes in the maps, then write a short explanation of a connection you notice.

Connect your study

William Wordsworth is one section of the Romanticism unit in Literature. The resources here let you move between the poet’s life and individual poems within that unit. The page also lists a flashcard deck and notes on Daffodils if you want another resource to explore.

There are no quizzes on this page, but a free account lets you make your own. Turn points from a mind map into quiz questions, take the quiz, and return to the map to check your answers. Pick a map and build a short quiz from its branches.