Provides a wide-ranging account of the life and career of one of the most famous Romantic poets The Cambridge Companion to Wordsworth examines Wordsworth's poetic achievement; chapters cover his poetic craft, the origin of his poetry and on the challenges it presented and continues to present. The volume aims to ensure that its readers will be grounded in the history of Wordsworth's career and his critical reception. Chronology of Wordsworth's Life and Works Sources and short forms of citation Wordsowrth on Poetry and Imagination Introduction Stephen Gill 1. Wordsworth: the shape of the poetic career Nicola Trott 2. Wordsworth's poetry to 1798 Duncan Wu 3. Poetry, 1798-1807: lyrical ballads and poems, in two volumes James A. Butler 4. The Prelude Lucy Newlyn 5. The Recluse Kenneth R. Johnston 6. Wordsworth and the meaning of taste Frances Ferguson 7. Wordsworth's craft Susan Wolfson 8. Gender and domesticity Judith Page 9. The philosophic poet Stephen Gill 10. Wordsworth and Coleridge Seamus Perry 11. Wordsworth and the natural world Ralph Pite 12. Politics, history, and the poems Nicholas Roe 13. Wordsworth and Romanticism Paul Hamilton 14. Wordsworth and America Joel Pace 15. Guide to further reading with a note on texts Keith Hanley Index.