Further explorations of The Prelude 1805

We are delighted that Pamela Woof, a world expert on the Wordsworths and a former President of the Wordsworth Trust, is to continue her wonderful literature classes on Wordsworth’s great autobiographical masterpiece The Prelude for a third year. In her own words: ‘Wading once more into the waters of the meandering river of The Prelude, the first English autobiography in blank verse, we find ourselves again in company with two Wordsworths: the 34-year-old writer, and the young man he had been at 22 with all the hopes and despairs of youth. He had believed that with political change poverty would disappear from the earth, that society would become fluid and flexible, that love for humanity would be at the base of government decisions, that general senses of beauty would make radiant daily life. He was in love himself but his personal happiness met impossibilities, and the wider social world of revolution descended for years into violence, murder, massacres on a huge scale, and war. The young man thirsted for action, but settled on a different course: the greater good, in his view, was to speak out, to become a poet. How did this come about? We take it up in Book VIII. You may be re-reading the poem and already familiar with its movements. You may be quite new to it. But, as one can step into a river at various points, so one can enter at any stage into Wordsworth’s mind and thinking, and find that there is a lasting truth, a music and a beauty in his meditative way with words.’ You are welcome to come along to any class, whether you have been before or not. Some copies of The Prelude 1805 will be provided.
Admission
£10.00 per session.

Website
https://wordsworth.org.uk/whats-on/events/

Source: https://www.culture24.org.uk/nw000053?id=EVENT592756