William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. He was the son of John and Ann Cookson Wordsworth and had four siblings who all remained very close throughout their lives. When he was only eight years old, Wordsworth's mother died. He and his other siblings had little to no relationship with his father, as they did not get along well. The Wordsworth family lived in a rural area along the River Derwent. Living in this area allowed Wordsworth to experience nature, which influenced many of his writings. Although they didn't get along very well, Wordsworth's father was very encouraging when it came to academics. He encouraged his son to read and memorize poetry, specifically the poetry of Milton, Shakespeare, and Spenser. Wordsworth had learned to read from his mother and had attended a very poor school in Cockermouth. His father eventually made him attend Hawkshead Grammer School. It was here that his love for poetry grew and he began to write. Ultimately, this school led him to his future wife, Mary Hutchinson. Wordsworth began his career as a writer in 1787 when he published a poem in The European Magazine. That same year, he began attending St. Johns College, Cambridge, where he received his bachelor's degree. In 1791, Wordsworth traveled to France where he met and had an affair with Annette Vallon. Annette gave birth to their first daughter Caroline in 1792. Wordsworth eventually ran out of money and fled to England the following year, leaving Annette and Caroline behind. In 1795, Wordsworth reunited with his sister Dorothy and met someone named Coleridge. Together these three became very close and published Lyrical Ballads in 1798. In 1802, Wordsworth t...... middle of paper ...... who resembles a merman Line 11, "I ', standing on this pleasant lea, I have glimpses that would make me less despair', reveals Wordsworth's perception of himself in society: a visionary romantic more in touch with nature than his contemporaries. As mentioned earlier, this poem was written in the Romanesque era. It connects to romanticism in several ways. Wordsworth is a Romantic poet who wrote this poem in response to the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism originated in the late 18th century and reached its peak between 1800 and 1850. In Romantic literature and poetry, there is usually a heroic person who tries to make society better, which is what Wordsworth does in this poem . Literature generally speaks of an escape from the modern reality of this period. Romantics embrace the unknown and focus on emphasizing powerful emotions..