The Major Works

The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics) One of the best collections of Wordsworth's writing currently available. Contains all the important poems in their original versions and in chronological order, including complete versions of Home at Grasmere and The Prelude, with useful notes and a brief, informative introduction. Also contains the important 1802 preface to the Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth was a talented and courageous writer as a young man and, given the chance, speaks directly to us today. His views on poetry are remarkably sane and practical, and form a useful corrective to the obscurantism of much postmodern theory. An ideal volume for student and general reader alike.

Stephen Gill’s edition of Wordsworth was a landmark when it came out in 1984 and it remains so today. I’m mostly writing this to counter some ridiculous earlier reviews: the reason the poem known as ‘Daffodils’ has three stanzas, not four, is that (as it says very clearly in the prefatory matter, including a note on page one asking that all readers check said matter) Gill prints the *first* texts of the poems, i.e. the poems as they appeared to Wordsworth’s readers in his lifetime and not as they were published in 1850, the year he died; that additional stanza was added some years later, for the first collected edition of 1815.

Great collection!

This is a highly comprehensive edition, from one of the most qualified scholars on Wordsworth. It also includes some of his seminal prose texts, such as the Preface to Lyrical Ballads. Of all the Romanticists Wordsworth's body of work is probably the largest, and this edition is well-formatted for anyone pursuing an interest in one of our most accomplished and enlightening poets.

Thank you for sending me this excellent book of Wordsworths poems which I gave as a Christmas present to a relative. The book arrived on time and in good condition.

Loved it thank you. Just what I wanted. Print is quite small.

don't want to

first class book and service

It was a new book. Bought it for my brother and I think he’s read it.

Wordsworth is an all-time great and Oxford World's Classics are known for their quality, so neither needs a review. But just a point about this edition: it presents the poems in their original form, not their current or familiar versions. For example, all current versions of "I wandered lonely as a Cloud" have four paragraphs but the one included here (page 303) does not have the second paragraph. I was a bit disappointed that one of my favorite poems was truncated! While the overall product (binding, font size, cover etc) is okay at this reduced Indian price, considering that it is printed on cheap semi-white paper and printed 6 years back (2008), it could be priced lower.

Eine preiswerte Ausgabe der wichtigsten Werke von WW. Auch einges an poetischen Schriften ist enthalten. Das Vorwort und die Notes von Stephen Gill sind sehr hilfreicht. Auch eine Chronology zur Lebens- und Werkgeschichte ist vorhanden. Rundum das Buch sind sein Geld wert.

This is an excellent collection of Wordworth's poetry and includes the complete 1805 Prelude. The book comes with superb notes written by the very distinguished scholar Stephen Gill. Highly recommended.

近代詩人の、エズラ・パウンドは、「なぜ、あなたは、上手に詩が綴れるのですか？」と、訊かれて、「もっと、ワーズワースを読め」と、答えたとか。 ところで、学生時代の或る日、筆者は、神田神保町の、古本屋街のはずれに在る、某Ｋ沢書店の店頭に居た。すると、洋書の古本で、ワーズワースの「The Prelude」を、見かけた。 それを、手にして、パラパラと、ページを繰ると、筆者は、「驚いた」。ページが、２列組になって、細かい文字で、ビッシリと、印刷されている。 学生だった筆者は、「一生涯かけても、これだけたくさんは読めない」と、思い、本を、本棚に、戻した。それは、某Ｋ沢書店の売り値が、高かったためでもあるが・・。 この詩集には、その、「The Prelude」も、収められています、今にして見てみると、分量としては、そんなに多いとは、感じません。 もし、初めて、ワーズワースの詩集が欲しい方には、この、Oxford World's Classics の版を、お勧めします。なんでも、これは、「正確な版」だそうです。