Who is the renowned poet known for drawing inspiration from nature in his works?

William Wordsworth is a cornerstone of English literature, particularly celebrated for his role in the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This movement emphasized emotion, imagination, and the beauty of the natural world, a stark contrast to the preceding Age of Reason. Wordsworth, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, literally launched the Romantic era with their collaborative work, "Lyrical Ballads," published in 1798. What set Wordsworth apart was his focus on everyday life and the power of nature to inspire and heal. His poems, like "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (also known as "Daffodils"), vividly depict scenes from the Lake District, where he spent much of his life. He saw nature as a source of spiritual truth and moral guidance, believing that through experiencing its beauty, people could connect with something larger than themselves. That's why he's the poet most associated with nature; while other writers like Dickens focused on social commentary and urban life, Wordsworth found his muse in the landscapes of England.