When you leave the cottage and walk up the crunchy gravel path, you'll find it: a wooden hut on top of a hill tucked back in the trees. You brush leaves off the bench. You look out over the yard. You see this: a view you're sharing across time with a famous mind. You're sitting in William Wordsworth's favorite writing nook.
As a human with two eyes, it wasn't hard for me to appreciate the scenery in the English countryside. This part, Grasmere, is basically the Shire minus tiny Elijah Wood and ambient flute music: rolling hills, flowery gardens, comfort food, and little villages that look too pure and perfect for this world. Wordsworth could see it all from his favorite bench. He clocked some serious miles walking from his house to his hut, something he'd do many times daily. Reading Wordsworth's poetry and exploring the countryside is like the world's easiest game of connect-the-dots. Of course, he celebrated nature's beauty. Of course, he wrote some poem about daffodils. But honestly, I was a little disappointed. Anyone with a soul can appreciate Grasmere's beauty. Yeah, Wordsworth was pretty darn smart, but being inspired by Grasmere is kind of the easiest thing in the world. He looked at scenic grass and wrote about... even more scenic grass.
I don't count on breathtaking scenery and huge mountaintop experiences for my inspiration because, frankly, life's stingy. Inspiration is a weird beast and you'll find it where you're least expecting to; overheard conversations, weird coincidences, current events. Anyone can look at a nice view and feel their heart beat a little faster. But what drives you? What makes a bright spot in your day? What makes you enjoy life a little more? Wordsworth would go wander around the lakes, fields and villages. I keep an eye out for weird and slightly awkward situations, like the guy planking in a field full of sheep at Castlerigg stone circle. (Seriously, the grass looked comfy, but are you OK?)
There's a lot to see, hear and do out there. We won't all become famous poets with our personal poetry huts (but if there's a job opening, sign me up). We may not write genius words, but we can all feel just as inspired as Wordsworth did, in our own way. My favorite thing about the poetry hut actually wasn't the view. It was the blank book on the bench, there for visitors.
If you're moved by what you see, it said on the front cover, write inside.
