Above Tintern Abbey and Intimations of Immortality by William Wordsworth

The poems, “Above Tintern Abbey” and “Intimations of Immortality written by the poet, William Wordsworth, pertain to a common theme of natural beauty. Relaying his history and inspirations within his works, Wordsworth reflects these events in each poem. The recurring theme of natural beauty is analogous to his experiences and travels.

Wordsworth recognizes the connections nature enables humans to construct. The beauty of a “wild secluded scene” (Wordsworth, 1798, line 6) allows the mind to bypass clouded and obscured thinking accompanied with man made environments. “In which the heavy and the weary weight of all this unintelligible world, is lightened,” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 40-43). Wordsworth observes the clear and comprehensive mindset conceived when individuals are exposed to nature. Wordsworth construes nature as a force, delving further into the depths of humans, bringing forth distinct universal and spiritual perspectives. Wonder and awe in the face of nature is awakened within even the most stubborn of minds. The human spirit becomes at mercy to nature’s splendor.

"Above Tintern Abbey”

Written in 1798, “Above Tintern Abbey” is an account of Wordsworth’s travels “to the southern Welsh county of Monmouthshire” ("Lines written a few miles," n.d, para. 1). Five years prior, Wordsworth departed from Calais, France. The remnants of his passion and fervor were abandoned within the small town, in the form of Annette and Caroline Vallon. His return to England left “the fever of the word, hung upon the beatings of (his) heart” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 53-54). A stodgy England conceived France as a “landscape to a blind man’s eye” (Wordsworth, 1798, line 51), and five years later on the banks of the Wye, Wordsworth chronicles th...

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...he earth and every common sight, to me did seem apparell’d in celestial light” (Wordsworth, 1807, lines 1-4). Before maturity, humans contain a firm spiritual connection with nature. Much like falling asleep, adulthood arrives slowly, then all at once. However, alongside a looming maturity, the spirituality an individual links with nature becomes “but a sleep and a forgetting” (Wordsworth, 1807, line 59).

Works Cited

Cantor, R. (2008). Wordsworth’s Poetical Works: Study Guide (paper back ed.). Retrieved from http://www.gradesaver.com/wordsworths-poetical-works/study-guide/section5/

Cummings, M. J. (2010). Intimations of Immortality. Retrieved from http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides5/Intimations.html

Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey. (n.d). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lines_written_a_few_miles_above_Tintern_Abbey