Relation of William Wordsworth with his contemporaries
One of the poets that the most influenced William Wordsworth and the creation of his work was Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They met in 1793 and since that time they maintained a great friendship. In the 1797 both together published Lyrical Ballads, the first great work of William Wordsworth and for which he was remembered and praised until the publication, after his death, of The Prelude. In this book we can find the most famous poems of these two authors, Tintern Abbey of Wordsworth and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner of Coleridge. However the first publication of the book appeared without the name of either of these two authors. (Wikipedia 2011)
On the other hand both poets differed in what they believe good literature is concerned. While Wordsworth thought that poetry was produced as a recollection of emotions in tranquility, based on experience and written in basic language that common people could understand, Coleridge preferred to use a more refined language produced by the imagination which could have double meanings. (Shawnr 1999)
Another of the Romantic poets who also based part of his work dedicated to nature was Percy Shelley. Both authors reflected in their poems about nature, the idea of the sublime in it, the ability that it has to make us wonder just looking at it and analysing it. However, these two poets have focused this subject from a different perspective. One reason for this fact may be the influence that nature has had on them. Taking the example of Tintern Abbey of Wordsworth and Mont Blanc of Shelley we can see how the landscape described in both poems is very different. While Wordsworth is influenced by the green beautiful landscapes of England, Shelley is surrounded by the cold mountains of the Alps. Thus although both of them feel admiration for the landscape that are watching, Wordsworth feels a deep love of nature while Shelley focuses from a point of view of respect and fear, an immensity which cannot be controlled by humans. (Victorian Web 2000)
Furthermore we can find a documentary from the BBC produced in 2005 in which we can see more information about what other Romantic poets like William Blake, Mary Shelley or Lord Byron as well as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge thought about nature.
The Victorian Web, Nature, Shelley, and Wordsworth, by Amelia Warren ’93, accessed on 24/11/2011: http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/ww/nature2.html
The Victorian Web, Nature in Shelley and Wordsworth, by Chris Drummond ’93 (English 32, 1989), accessed on 24/11/2011: http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/ww/nature3.html
YouTube, The Romantics – BBC documentary – Nature (2005), by shinobirastafari, accessed on 23/11/2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhOyI-SjU-g&feature=related
Wikipedia, William Wordsworth, accessed on 22/11/2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth#First_publication_and_Lyrical_Ballads
Shawn Rider Writings, Wordsworth and Coleridge: Emotion , Imagination and Complexity, accessed on 24/11/2011: http://www.wdog.com/rider/writings/wordsworth_and_coleridge.htm