Preface Events of Wordsworth's Life Abbreviations The Prelude -- The Two-Part Prelude of 1799 -- The Prelude of 1805 in Thirteen Books -- The Prelude of 1850 in Fourteen Books -- MS Drafts and Fragments, 1798-1804 -- Manuscript of The Prelude, 1798-1850 -- The Texts: History and Presentation Context and Reception -- References to the Prelude in Process: 1799-1850 -- The Early Reception Recent Critical Essays -- Jonathan Wordsworth: The Two-Part Prelude of 1799 -- M. H. Abrams: The Design of The Prelude: Wordsworth's Long Journey Home -- Geoffrey H. Hartman: A Poet's Progres: Worthworth and the Via Naturaliter Negativa -- Richard J. Onorato: The Prelude: Metaphors of Beginning and Where They Lead -- William Empson: Sense in The Prelude -- Herbert Lindenberger: Images of Interaction in The Prelude -- W. B. Gallie: Is The Prelude a Philosophical Poem? Bibliography of Works Cited and Consulted Selected Reading