Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 was written by William Wordsworth when he and his sister Dorothy were travelling from London to Calais to visit Annette Vallon and his daughter Caroline.
... we left London on Saturday morning at half past 5 or 6, the 31st July (I have forgot which) we mounted the Dover Coach at Charing Cross. It was a beautiful morning. The City, St Pauls, with the River and a multitude of little Boats, made a most beautiful sight as we crossed Westminster Bridge. The houses were not overhung by their cloud of smoke and they were spread out endlessly, yet the sun shone so brightly with such a pure light that there was even something like the purity of one of nature's own grand Spectacles. - Dorothy Wordsworth, The Grasmere Journal, 31 July 1802
| Y/M/D | Association | Description | Place | Locale | Food | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1807/00/00 | William Wordsworth | Author | 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' published in 'Poems in Two Volumes' |
| Particulars for Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Transportation | Dover Coach - London to Dover | ||
| Season | Fall | ||
| Art Type | Poem | writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is typically rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits such formal elements as meter, rhyme and stanzaic structure. | |
By
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
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