Autobiographical poem · 1850
The Prelude
or Growth of a Poet's Mind
Wordsworth's blank-verse autobiography traces the growth of his imagination from boyhood in the Lake District through Cambridge, London and revolutionary France to the recovery of his poetic vocation.
Contents · 14 parts
- Book I: Introduction — Childhood and School-timeabout 650 lines
- Book II: School-time (continued)about 480 lines
- Book III: Residence at Cambridgeabout 640 lines
- Book IV: Summer Vacationabout 470 lines
- Book V: Booksabout 610 lines
- Book VI: Cambridge and the Alpsabout 780 lines
- Book VII: Residence in Londonabout 770 lines
- Book VIII: Retrospect — Love of Nature Leading to Love of Manabout 690 lines
- Book IX: Residence in Franceabout 590 lines
- Book X: Residence in France (continued)about 610 lines
- Book XI: France (concluded)about 470 lines
- Book XII: Imagination and Taste, How Impaired and Restoredabout 340 lines
- Book XIII: Imagination and Taste, How Impaired and Restored (concluded)about 380 lines
- Book XIV: Conclusionabout 460 lines