Chronology of Wordsworth's Life and the Sequence
of The Prelude (based on 14 book Prelude)
Book I. ll. 1-45 a few days in September, 1795
ll. 45-269 the ensuing months and the summer of 1799
ll. 269-281 transitional passage
ll. 282-300 early childhood
ll. 301-646 May 1799-October 1787 (age 9-17)
Book II. May 1779-October 1789 (age 9-17)
Book III. Principally Wordsworth's first year at Cambridge, October 1787-July 1788 (age 17-18)
Book IV. July-October 1788 (age 18)
Book V. Not primarily chronological
Book VI. ll. 1-321 second and third years at Cambridge, October 1788-July 1790 (age 18-20)
Book VII. Primarily February-May 1791 (age 21)
Book VIII. Wordsworth resurveys first twenty-one years.
Book IX. Primarily December 1791-July 1792 (age 22-23)
Book X. October 1792-August 1794 (age 23-25)
Book XI. August 1794-September 1795 (age 25-26)
Book XII. Probably 1795-1797 (age 25-27); ll. 312-378 revert to August and September 1793.
Book XIV. Only sporadically chronological, 1792-1805.
Period of composition: First version composed 1798-1805/6; many revisions 1806-1839; published posthumously 1850.