He had on a coat thrown over his
shoulders
above
his waistcoat and coat.
his waistcoat and coat.
William Wordsworth
The
evidence against it is
(1) Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal;
(2) the poet's and his wife's remarks to Mr. Justice Coleridge;
(3) the fact that Wordsworth was not in the habit of "passing from
realism into artistic composition," except where he distinctly
indicated it, as in the case of the Hawkshead Schoolmaster, in the
"Matthew" poems. Such composite or conglomerate work was quite
foreign to Wordsworth's genius.
Ed.
* * * * *
RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE
Begun May 3, finished July 4, 1802. --Published 1807
[Written at Town-end, Grasmere. This old man I met a few hundred yards
from my cottage; and the account of him is taken from his own mouth. I
was in the state of feeling described in the beginning of the poem,
while crossing over Barton Fell from Mr. Clarkson's, at the foot of
Ullswater, towards Askham. The image of the hare I then observed on the
ridge of the Fell. --I. F. ]
This poem was known in the Wordsworth household as "The Leech-Gatherer,"
although it never received that name in print. An entry in Dorothy
Wordsworth's Journal of Friday, 3rd October 1800, may preface what she
wrote in 1802 about the composition of the poem.
"When William and I returned from accompanying Jones, we met an old
man almost double.
He had on a coat thrown over his shoulders above
his waistcoat and coat. Under this he carried a bundle, and had an
apron on, and a night-cap. His face was interesting. He had dark eyes,
and a long nose. John, who afterwards met him at Wytheburn, took him
for a Jew. He was of Scotch parents, but had been born in the army. He
had had a wife, 'and a good woman, and it pleased God to bless him
with ten children. ' All these were dead but one, of whom he had not
heard for many years, a sailor. His trade was to gather leeches; but
now leeches were scarce, and he had not strength for it. He lived by
begging, and was making his way to Carlisle where he would buy a few
books to sell. He said leeches were very scarce, partly owing to this
dry season; but many years they had been scarce. He supposed it was
owing to their being much sought after; that they did not breed fast;
and were of slow growth. Leeches were formerly 2s. 6d. the 100; now
they were 30s. He had been hurt in driving a cart, his leg broken, his
body driven over, his skull fractured.
evidence against it is
(1) Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal;
(2) the poet's and his wife's remarks to Mr. Justice Coleridge;
(3) the fact that Wordsworth was not in the habit of "passing from
realism into artistic composition," except where he distinctly
indicated it, as in the case of the Hawkshead Schoolmaster, in the
"Matthew" poems. Such composite or conglomerate work was quite
foreign to Wordsworth's genius.
Ed.
* * * * *
RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE
Begun May 3, finished July 4, 1802. --Published 1807
[Written at Town-end, Grasmere. This old man I met a few hundred yards
from my cottage; and the account of him is taken from his own mouth. I
was in the state of feeling described in the beginning of the poem,
while crossing over Barton Fell from Mr. Clarkson's, at the foot of
Ullswater, towards Askham. The image of the hare I then observed on the
ridge of the Fell. --I. F. ]
This poem was known in the Wordsworth household as "The Leech-Gatherer,"
although it never received that name in print. An entry in Dorothy
Wordsworth's Journal of Friday, 3rd October 1800, may preface what she
wrote in 1802 about the composition of the poem.
"When William and I returned from accompanying Jones, we met an old
man almost double.
He had on a coat thrown over his shoulders above
his waistcoat and coat. Under this he carried a bundle, and had an
apron on, and a night-cap. His face was interesting. He had dark eyes,
and a long nose. John, who afterwards met him at Wytheburn, took him
for a Jew. He was of Scotch parents, but had been born in the army. He
had had a wife, 'and a good woman, and it pleased God to bless him
with ten children. ' All these were dead but one, of whom he had not
heard for many years, a sailor. His trade was to gather leeches; but
now leeches were scarce, and he had not strength for it. He lived by
begging, and was making his way to Carlisle where he would buy a few
books to sell. He said leeches were very scarce, partly owing to this
dry season; but many years they had been scarce. He supposed it was
owing to their being much sought after; that they did not breed fast;
and were of slow growth. Leeches were formerly 2s. 6d. the 100; now
they were 30s. He had been hurt in driving a cart, his leg broken, his
body driven over, his skull fractured.
