THE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH - VOL. 2 (Completed)

RURAL ARCHITECTURE

Composed 1800.--Published 1800

[Written at Town-end, Grasmere. These structures, as every one knows, are common amongst our hills, being built by shepherds, as conspicuous marks, and occasionally by boys in sport.--I. F.]

Included among the "Poems referring to the Period of Childhood."--Ed.

There's George Fisher, Charles Fleming, and Reginald Shore, [1]

Three rosy-cheeked school-boys, the highest not more

Than the height of a counsellor's bag;

To the top of GREAT HOW [A] did it please them to climb: [2]

And there they built up, without mortar or lime,

A Man on the peak of the crag.

They built him of stones gathered up as they lay:

They built him and christened him all in one day,

An urchin both vigorous and hale;

And so without scruple they called him Ralph Jones.

Now Ralph is renowned for the length of his bones;

The Magog of Legberthwaite dale.

Just half a week after, the wind sallied forth,

And, in anger or merriment, out of the north,

Coming on with a terrible pother,

From the peak of the crag blew the giant away.

And what did these school-boys?--The very next day

They went and they built up another.

--Some little I've seen of blind boisterous works

By Christian disturbers more savage than Turks, [3]

Spirits busy to do and undo:

At remembrance whereof my blood sometimes will flag;

Then, light-hearted Boys, to the top of the crag;

And I'll build up a giant with you. [4]

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VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:1800.

From the meadows of ARMATH, on THIRLMERE'S wild shore, 1827.

The text of 1832 reverts to that of 1800.]

[Variant 2:1800.

... were once tempted to climb; 1827.

The text of 1832 reverts to that of 1800.]

[Variant 3:1820.

In Paris and London, 'mong Christians or Turks, 1800]

[Variant 4:

This last stanza was omitted from the editions of 1805 and 1815. It was restored in 1820.]

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FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: Great How is a single and conspicuous hill, which rises towards the foot of Thirl-mere, on the western side of the beautiful dale of Legberthwaite, along the high road between Keswick and Ambleside.--W. W. 1800.]

The editions of 1836, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, and 1845, and the Fenwick note, assign this poem to the year 1801. It must, however, have been composed during the previous year, because it was published in the"Lyrical Ballads" of 1800. The locality referred to--which is also associated with 'The Waggoner'--is easily identified.

In a letter to Wordsworth, written in the year 1815, Charles Lamb said: "How I can be brought in, felo de omittendo, for that ending to the Boy-builders is a mystery. I can't say positively now, I only know that no line oftener or readier occurs than that 'Light-hearted boys, I will build up a Giant with you.' It comes naturally, with a warm holiday, and the freshness of the blood. It is a perfect summer amulet, that I tie round my legs to quicken their motion when I go out a maying." (See Letters of Charles Lamb, edited by Alfred Ainger, vol. i. p.287.)--Ed.

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