The Lake District is a part of England that is deeply connected to the Romantic Era. There was a group of poets that lived there and wrote extensively of its many beauties and its scenery. Of the authors that resided there, the most famous were William Wordsworth, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (thelakedistrict.org, Samuel Taylor Coleridge). Though these three popularized the area and brought it into the public eye, they were not the first to go there: "Before the hordes of visitors arrived, drawn to the poetic picture created by William Wordsworth and others, these rugged lands were primarily used for farming, mining, and defence" (thelakedistrict.org, history). This history is rich, and it dates back as far as before the Roman era. There were many different people who visited and lived in this area from that time all the through until the 18^th century when Wordsworth was born there.

            “Born in Cockermouth, Wordsworth spent some years away from Cumbria both in the UK and in Europe but was eventually drawn back to the area’s natural beauty and spent around fifty years living there before his death in 1850” (thelakedistrict.org, William Wordsworth). Wordsworth spent a significant portion of his life in this area. He spent time initially in Hawkshead as a schoolboy, where he began to develop his skills at writing, and later lived in Grasmere and Rydal Mount. During his time in The Lake District, he wrote many influential works of poetry, including “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, and many other works that were published later in his life. A quote from “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” perfectly describes his feelings about The Lake District: “‘I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils.’ These words, by noted poet William Wordsworth are etched into English literature history, and were inspired by his visit to Glencoyne Bay, near Ullswater” (thelakedistrict.org, William Wordsworth). He truly loved this area and constantly used it as an inspiration for his works.

            Samuel Taylor Coleridge was another poet that was famously fond of this area. He moved there shortly after Wordsworth did in 1799 and lived in Greta Hall. He and his family were joined by Robert Southey there soon afterwards (thelakedistrict.org, Samuel Taylor Coleridge). Though he only remained there for about 5 years, he became known as one of the Lake Poets, a group that consisted of him, Wordsworth, and Southey. During his lifetime, Robert Southey was “highly influential, serving as Poet Laureate for 30 years, and even being offered the position of Member of Parliament, although he refused to take on the role. Southey spent the latter half of his life living in Keswick, after a number of deaths within his close circle led him to seek refuge in the beauty of the area” (thelakedistrict.org, Robert Southey). He too was extremely fond of the area and would write about its beauty. He lived there for many years in Greta Hall, where he initially lived with Coleridge (thelakedistrict.org, Robert Southey).

Kim. “Lake District History.” History | Useful Information | TheLakeDistrict.org, https://www.thelakedistrict.org/info/history/.

Kim. “The Lake District, Robert Southey.” Historical Figures | TheLakeDistrict.org, https://www.thelakedistrict.org/historical-figures/robert-southey/.

Kim. “The Lake District, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.” Historical Figures | TheLakeDistrict.org, https://www.thelakedistrict.org/historical-figures/samuel-taylor-coleridge/.

Kim. “The Lake District William Wordsworth.” Historical Figures | TheLakeDistrict.org, https://www.thelakedistrict.org/historical-figures/william-wordsworth/.