The Intelligible Ode

«Many attempts have been made to fit Wordsworth's thought to the various templates of Anglicanism, Methodism, Pantheism, or to the very different philosophies of Locke, Berkeley or Kant. But, bar that of Plato, he avowed no 'ism'. Davidson demonstrates that the framework of Wordsworth's thinking closely matches, and might be derived from, that of the very undogmatic Cambridge Platonists." Douglas Hedley, Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, University of Cambridge "A thorough investigation of the merits of Wordsworth's Intimations Ode from which any reader will learn. Freshly conceived, meticulously worked through, probing, respectful, exciting: a book to send readers back to the poem enlivened." James C.C. Mays, Emeritus Professor of Modern English and American poetry, University College Dublin "The fruit of a lifetime's engagement with Wordsworth, this is a deeply pondered, questioning study, full of insight into the poet's endless struggle to shape his thoughts. Of particular interest is how Davidson tackles Wordsworth's enigmatic 'life of things' and its relationship to the thing itself. Uniquely, his study of Traherne illustrates how the progress of the Ode follows the pattern of Traherne's thought." David Fairer, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Leeds "In this strikingly original discussion of Wordsworth's major poems, free of theoretical obfuscation, Graham Davidson persuasively demonstrates that the poet's refusal to publish his work in chronological order, and The Prelude in his lifetime, resulted in the failure of the Victorians and the Modernists, especially Eliot, to understand fully what he had done." Stephen Gill, Supernumerary Fellow, Lincoln College Oxford    »