 Hello learners, I am Chanika Rai from Padmanad Gohai Borua School of Humanities, Krishnakanta Handik State Open University. Welcome to this video lecture on Simon Lee by William Wordsworth. This poem is included in block one of general English course which is meant for BA first semester students. Before dealing with the poem, it is necessary to get acquainted with the life of the poet because we all know that poetry is a personal reflection of a person on any issue. Hence, in this video, we shall acquaint ourselves with William Wordsworth the poet who is regarded as one of the greatest romantic poets in English literature. You may have read some of his points he is perhaps the most celebrated romantic poets in English literature. Together with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who is also a poet, Wordsworth published the lyrical ballads in 1798. You must note that the preface to the lyrical ballads is considered as the official manifesto of the romantic movement. Wordsworth is primarily a poet of nature. To him, nature is a living force and nature is in a sense framed philosopher and guide to him. There is according to him a close relationship or you can say an affinity between man and nature. He held the belief that nature can never betray man. Wordsworth also acknowledged his deliberate choice of a language that was used by common man and which he applied to incidents and situations taken from the life of common man. Let us look at the objectives of this video. The objectives of this video are to familiarize you with the life of William Wordsworth to help you identify his important works and to give you an idea of the romantic movement. William Wordsworth was born in the year 1770 at Cockermouth in Cumberland on the edge of Lake District. His beloved sister Dorothy Wordsworth, who was also a poet and a terrorist, was a great inspiration to him. After the death of his parents, Wordsworth was looked after by his relatives who sent him to school at Hawks Shed in the picturesque Lake District. He lost himself amidst nature while he was at Lake District. Wordsworth's years at St. Jones College in Cambridge were quite different from his life at Hawks Shed. He found life at Cambridge very uninspiring and mechanical. Wordsworth had to face many hardships and financial constraints never left him. Initially, his poetry also faced some criticism but he never lost faith in himself and patiently continued his work. His efforts were later rewarded when he was hailed as the Poet Laureate in 1843 on the death of Robert Saude. So, it must be noted that he was regarded as one of the greatest poet England has ever produced. When we talk about the Romantic Poets, it has to be noted that the historical event that laid the foundation or that triggered the Romantic movement has to be taken into account. We know that the French Revolution influenced and triggered the Romantic movement. Wordsworth being a Romantic also believed in the motto of the French Revolution that is liberty equality and fraternity. He was saddened and disappointed by the excesses of the revolution. You must note that the French Revolution of 1789 is considered to be the bloodiest revolution in world history. It was a period of great social and political turmoil in the history of France and Europe in general on account of the revolution. The structure of the French government had undergone a radical change from absolute monarchy to political liberty, social equality and national patriotism. The aristocrats were executed and there was much bloodshed during the days of the revolution. The immediate motif of the French Revolution was to abolish the French monarchy. As you can see that due to the political pressure and also due to the bloodshed that was associated with the French Revolution, a Romantic like Wordsworth was not able to tolerate or bear the misfortunes that was brought about by revolution. Hence, he sought relief through nature by relying on nature. William Wordsworth passed away in 1850 and was buried in the church yard at Grassemuir. Now let us reflect on his important works. Wordsworth was a prolific writer who brought out a great variety of works through his literary career. First and foremost, we have to reflect on the lyrical ballads. The lyrical ballads, which was published in 1798, it included poems namely Simon Lee, lines written in early spring, lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey, The Thorn, etc. and the revised publication of lyrical ballads which was titled lyrical ballads and with other poems that was published in 1800, it included some more poems namely she dwelt among The Untrodden Ways, Lucy Gray, I traveled among Unknown Man, Michael, and the Two April Mornings, etc. His other poetry collection titled Poems in Two Volumes which was published in 1807 included poems like Resolution and Independence, I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud or the Defodils, Ode on the Intimations of Immortality, Ode to Duty, The Solitary Ripper which you must be very familiar with, London 1802, the world is too much with us and so on. You must note that the prelude or growth of a poet's mind, it is the most famous poem by William Wordsworth and it is autobiographical in nature. So by now you must have got an idea of the life and works of William Wordsworth. And in the next video we shall deal with the poem Simon Lee by placing emphasis on the summary or the gist of the poem. See you in the next video.