16. 山形大学紀要(人文科学)第15巻第2号
Wordsworth and the History of the:Lake District
Tomoya ODA
William Wordsworth described the people and scenery ofthe Lake District in
many of his works.So,his relationship with his birthplace has been drawing critical
attention from the early stages of Wordsworth study,and almost all the aspects of his
notion of this district have been examined.H:owever,one aspect,his view of the history
of the Lakes has been left unstudied.It is for this reason that I take it up in this paper.
Of all his works it is in、4G躍46!h70κ8’h渉h6P乞s渉吻!げ!h6Lα々6s初!h召ノVoπh
げEng伽4(1835)thatWordsworthexpresseshismostcomprehensiveviewofthehistory
of the Lakes.Thus,in the second chapter I fo110w his description of how this district had
been developed in the Gπガ46,and point out that he tries to make the reader believe it as
a very important historical factor that the history and life of the inhabitants of the
mountain areas were different from those of the cultivated flat land.
The interest in regional history was rising in the eighteenth century.And
several books dealing with the history of the Lakes were issued in the latter part of the
eighteenth century.Of these,Wordsworth consulted two when he wrote the G翻6.In
Chapter III I have examined these two sources to see if we can find any precedent of a
Wordsworthian version of the history in them.
From this consideration I come to the conclusion that in the G麗6Words−
worth makes his version of the Lakes history to establish“a perfect Republic of Shep−
herds and Agriculturists”in the mountain areas of this district.
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