THE PRELUDE Growth of a Poet's Mind: An Autobiographical Poem

Wordsworth's poem is one of the fundamental documents of the Romantic period. Written and revised over a period of more than 50 years, it expresses Wordsworth's moral and aesthetic autobiography in blank verse. It isn't easy to maintain the listener's interest in such an abstract subject, but Nicholas Farrell finds the passion and intensity that must have struck readers when this was a new and revolutionary story. At the same time, Farrell's narration is intimate, not pompous or bombastic. He articulates Wordsworth's ideas without forgetting this is verse but without overstressing the metrical regularity and variations. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in the roots of Romanticism. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2013]