The letters of William Wordsworth provide a unique and vivid portrait of the personality and concerns of the poet, one which belies his reputation as a romantic dreamer obsessed with his own genius. This new selection presents 162 complete letters—eight of which have never before been published—drawn from the new and enlarged edition of
The letters of William and Dorothy Wordsworth
. The subject matter of the letters, and the correspondents themselves, are as varied as the poet's own interests and preoccupations: topics range from literature, art, religion, and politics, to the changing landscape of the Lakes, walks in the countryside, family affairs, and the troubles and triumphs of friends and neighbors—literary figures such as Coleridge and De Quincy as well as people from many different walks of life whose names would otherwise be unknown to us but whom the poet favored with an equally deep and loyal friendship.