Abstract
It is widely recognized that William James had a profound and pervasive impact upon literary writers, works, styles, and genres, not to mention upon the encompassing frameworks of modernism and post-modernism, throughout the 20th century. Much less recognized is the impact of literature upon James’s life and work, whether in psychology or philosophy. This article looks at the influence of one particular author, William Wordsworth, primarily through his long 1814 poem The Excursion, from which James drew “authentic tidings” that helped him weather some early storms and create his distinctive way of thinking about the human mind and its place in nature.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2017 William James Society. This article first appeared in William James Studies 13:1 (2017), 1-26.
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Recommended Citation
Leary, David E. "'Authentic Tidings': What Wordsworth Gave to William James." William James Studies 13, no. 1 (2017): 1-26.