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''To William Wordsworth'' was a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1807. It was a response to William Wordsworth's reading of ''The Prelude''. Within the poem, Coleridge emphasizes Wordsworth's understanding of the mind and nature. Additionally, the poem emphasizes Wordsworth's poetic achievement while simultaneously undercutting Coleridge's own. ==Background== Coleridge stayed with his friends William and Dorothy Wordsworth during the Winter of 1806–1807 at their home in Coleorton. During this time, William Wordsworth finished ''The Prelude'' and proceeded to read it to Coleridge. In response, Coleridge wrote ''To William Wordsworth'', in January 1807, to capture his positive feelings about his friend's poem.〔Ashton 1997 pp. 239–240〕 ''The Prelude'' was in a five book form by 1804 when Coleridge first read the work, but the version Wordsworth read was a much expanded version that was new to him. Wordsworth read the poem in hopes that Coleridge would be put in a better mood and that Coleridge would help Wordsworth work on ''The Recluse''. Portions of the poem were printed in the ''Friend'' in 1809, but Wordsworth did not wish it to be published because of the private nature of Coleridge's response.〔Mays 2001 p. 815〕 It was first published in Coleridge's 1817 collection of poetry titled ''Sibylline Leaves''.〔Ashton 1997 p. 239〕 There are differences in the manuscript versions and the printed versions, which are due to changes in Coleridge's memory of the incident. Later editions changed very little, but the title ''To William Wordsworth'' wasn't included until 1834, which made the full title ''To William Wordsworth, Composed on the Night After His Recitation of a Poem on the Growth of an Individual Mind''.〔Mays 2001 pp. 815–816〕 PoEm The poem paraphrases the ideas of Wordsworth's ''The Prelude'':〔Ashton 1997 p. 240〕 :Into my heart have I received that Lay :More than historic, that prophetic Lay :Wherein (high theme by thee first sung aright) :Of the foundations and the building up :Of a Human Spirit thou hast dared to tell :What may be told, to the understanding mind :Revealable ; and what within the mind :By vital breathings secret as the soul :Of vernal growth, oft quickens in the heart :Thoughts all too deep for words!— The poem continues with an image of mourning and then praising Wordsworth:〔 :And Genius given, and Knowledge won in vain; :And all which I had culled in wood-walks wild, :And all which patient toil had reared, and all, :Commune with thee had opened out—but flowers :Strewed on my corse, and borne upon my bier, :In the same coffin, for the self-same grave! :That way no more! and ill beseems it me, :Who came a welcomer in herald's guise, :Singing of Glory, and Futurity, :To wander back on such unhealthful road, :Plucking the poisons of self-harm! And ill :Such intertwine beseems triumphal wreaths :Strew'd before thy advancing! The poem ends with the narrator describing the overall effect that ''The Prelude'' had upon him:〔 :Scarce conscious, and yet conscious of its close :I sate, my being blended in one thought :(Thought was it ? or aspiration? or resolve?) :Absorbed, yet hanging still upon the sound— :And when I rose, I found myself in prayer. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「To William Wordsworth」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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