Lyrical Ballads

The editon reproduces, in a slightly modernised form, the 1805 text of the collection - the last to be preparded by Wordsworth, which sought to create a radically new kind of verse dealing with human passions. For nearly two hundred years, scholars and critics have deepened our understanding of these and other poems, and this editon brings together the very best of these works. It contains, in full, the poets' comments on their work, ranging from the famous 'Preface' to incidental remarks in their letters and conversation. There is a substantial and challenging critical introduction to the whole collection, and each poem has a headnote and generous on-page annotation.