The Ruined Cottage

"The Ruined Cottage" is a poem by William Wordsworth, first composed in 1797. It was later incorporated into his longer work, The Excursion. The poem is a tragic narrative in blank verse that tells the story of a woman whose life deteriorates after her husband goes off to war and never returns.1

Wordsworth, a central figure in the English Romantic movement, is known for his focus on nature, the exploration of the human mind, and his belief in poetry as essential knowledge. His collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge on Lyrical Ballads in 1798 was pivotal in establishing the principles of Romantic poetry, emphasizing common life and language.1