The Lake District

William Wordsworth once described the Lake District as “the loveliest place man has ever known.” It was these lakes that filled him with insight and inspiration for all of his most famous poems. The Lake District is where Wordsworth found his words. I’m afraid that the Lake District has had the opposite effect on me. Instead of finding my words, it has left me utterly speechless…


This weekend, we spent 3 days in the lake country of England. Surrounded by mountains, green fields, shimmering lakes, waterfalls, and forest trees it was as if we had stumbled upon the doorway into Narnia. Though the big city atmosphere in London was exciting, nothing makes my heart soar like being out in nature. The scenery was spectacular! We hiked around lakes, climbed up mountains, explored waterfalls, and boated to a secret island.
For our class assignments, we toured two of William Wordsworth’s homes—Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount. My favorite house was Rydal Mount. There was an extraordinary garden in the back where Wordsworth used to hike for inspiration. Even though it was wet and rainy, the garden was breath-taking. I would have loved to explore this area when I was a kid. It would have been the perfect childhood play land. Besides the houses, we also had a chance to explore the building where Wordsworth attended school as a boy. The school tour was the most fascinating of all three tours. It turns out that the boys of this time period were actually allowed to write graffiti on the desks, floors, and walls of the school. Since all the boys were provided with pen knives to sharpen their quills, you can imagine what the desktops looked like! On one of the desks, preserved by a special glass cover, is the penknife carving of the name William Wordsworth. Can you imagine being so famous that people actually strive to preserve your graffiti?



I know the first paragraph of this post described how the Lake District left me speechless with wonder. Well, on one run through the mountain trails, my words finally returned to me. Here is a poem I composed on a 60-min run. :)

Thoughts on the Lake District

Wordsworth, I’ve seen your lakes
Your mists, your mountains, your forests divine.
I’ve stood on the edge of a terrible cliff,
Awestruck and breathless—at the sublime.
I’ve watched the glow of Cassiopeia
Crown the sky with beads of light.
I’ve breathed the air of Lakeland mountains
As Polaris rose to guide the night.
I’ve ambled along a country path
Watching the sheep frolic and graze.
I’ve clambered up a mountain slope
Surrounded, it seemed, by heavenly haze.
I’ve rowed across a lake of crystal,
As orange sun set behind the hills.
I’ve watched the painted dragonflies
Float and weave above the rills.
“The loveliest place man hath known”
—these words were penned by your hand
I have no question of this truth
For you were champion of this land.
But there’s one boast I hold to my name,
One small achievement, a mark of my fame.
I’ve risen at dawn to greet the sun,
And where you have walked
Oh, Wordsworth—I have run!

-ALL