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The British Romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770–1850) lived a very long life. This fact enabled him to enjoy the fruits of his labors, including financial security, numerous honorary degrees, and eventually the status of Poet Laureate. His best poetry, much of which is autobiographical, explores how his experience in and reflection on natural landscapes shaped him as both a man and a poet. As a youth of vigorous physical capability, he spent a great deal of time outdoors. He also cultivated an early love of books and of poetry. After an unsatisfying education at Cambridge, he took an invigorating tour in the Alps and spent an influential year in France. When diminished funds forced his return to England, he experienced an emotional breakdown. Soon, however, an unexpected inheritance allowed him to devote himself to poetry, and his life turned a corner. Around the same time, he met fellow poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose close friendship would influence him for the rest of his life. Eventually, Wordsworth settled in the village of Grasmere, where he lived with his wife and his beloved sister Dorothy. Coleridge lived nearby as well. There, he continued his lifelong work on his autobiographical masterpiece, The Prelude, which was published after his death.

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