The narrative unfolds through a dialogue between a foster mother and a young woman named Maria. The foster mother recounts a tale passed down from her husband's father, Leoni, a woodman who discovered an abandoned baby in the woods, swaddled in moss and thistle. He took the child home, raising him at the expense of the local lord, Velez. The boy, though charming and playful, was unteachable, preferring nature to religious instruction. He developed a bond with a friar who taught him to read and write, leading him to become a learned youth. However, his extensive reading led to troubling thoughts, distancing him from prayer and holy men. During a conversation with Lord Velez, an earthquake struck, causing the lord to confess to heretical discussions, resulting in the youth's imprisonment. Leoni, heartbroken, devised a plan for the youth's escape, which succeeded. The young man then joined explorers seeking new lands, but after a brief period, he ventured alone into the wilderness, never to be heard from again, presumed to have lived among indigenous people. The tale reflects themes of innocence, the conflict between nature and civilization, and the consequences of knowledge.
By William Wordsworth · First published 1815 · Genre: Romanticism, Narrative Poetry, Folklore