The classic 6-volume edition of The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth systematically organizes his vast collection of poetry. This canonical layout typically categorizes his writings by their overarching themes and genres, making it easier to explore his legacy from early nature lyrics to sweeping philosophical epics.
- Volume 1: Focuses on early Juvenile Pieces, Poems Referring to the Period of Childhood, and Poems Founded on the Affections.
- Volume 2: Contains Poems of the Fancy, Poems of the Imagination, and a selection of his sonnets (e.g., Miscellaneous Sonnets, Sonnets Dedicated to Liberty).
- Volume 3: Devoted to travel and descriptive poetry, including Poems Composed or Suggested During a Tour in Scotland and Poems on the Naming of Places.
- Volume 4: Features Memorials of a Tour on the Continent, Poems Dedicated to National Independence and Liberty, and the Ecclesiastical Sonnets. [1, 2]
- Volume 5: Includes miscellaneous pieces like Epitaphs and Inscriptions and his famous autobiographical epic, The Prelude. [1, 2]
- Volume 6: Dedicated primarily to his long, philosophical blank-verse poem, The Excursion, as well as appendices and indices. [1, 2]
