Cambridge Ideas - Strange Seas of Thought

A journey into Wordsworth's mind and the process of creation. We know about the experiments that have led to great scientific discoveries is widely recognised. But how much do we understand about the same processes in the arts? When the poet William Wordsworth died in 1850, few if none of the thousands of lines of poetry he left had escaped constant revision and alteration, and many of his most famous poems were never published. Cambridge researcher Ruth Abbott draws on the notebooks in which he left them to investigate the creative processes, attempts, and failures that go up to make great works of art.

[@stylusfantasticus]

"And from my pillow, looking forth by light of moon or favouring stars, I could behold the antechapel where the statue stood of Newton with his prism and silent face, the marble index of a mind for ever voyaging through strange seas of thought, alone"

[@defilli08]

Thank you Ms. Abbott for the tour. Inspiring , a dedication to the human spirit.

[@Lowlightindicator]

It's encouraging that the creative process can't be boiled down to a rigid process, even for the truly gifted. As ever, hard work pays.

[@KENKENNIFF]

Really nice article. Not only can we follow the voyages, artist can be offered clues as to where new and interesting territories might lie.

[@Sebtastical]

Brilliant, and i have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of her in the near future.

[@cdahl7]

Wonderful story, and what a beautiful University this is. Makes me wish I wouldnt have studied engineering

[@FIREBLADEONE]

Reassuring in a way to know even the 'greats' struggled to achieve.

[@ReadingDave]

Nicely done.

[@jayanutube1]

Beautiful
Thanks

[@DreadsideNubuner]

@theglitterband they scanned it onto pc and that already, so it doesnt matter if the pages get dirty and that

[@adiousir]

i wish you had read out the 5 passages so we could compare their development.

[@jayanutube1]

beautiful
Thanks

[@LikeMindedIncident]

Even had it on the photocopier, looks like.
Not too sure about this quest trying to 'measure' the wonder of creativity.

[@asmaagamal4921]

cambridge is my dream

[@mousegeek]

How great.

[@TheSuperlongusername]

my thoughts too, nonetheless it still gives great insight into the creative process of such an icon.

[@billaroyamaha2]

@theglitterband that is debatable,,,, it also makes the touch more clumsy, thus damaging pages,,,,,

[@DreadsideNubuner]

Dappy and Tinchy Stryder are very much the modern day Wordsworths's'ss.

[@StephenMortimer]

hot or not -- well done limeys!!

[@ReadingDave]

Either way, the universe changes with life.

[@Oscar301]

I would quote Picasso: a great work of art is unfinished, which is the basic key to immortality

[@DreadsideNubuner]

@theglitterband they scanned it onto pc and that already, so it doesnt matter if the pages get dirty and that