Diction And Tone In John Muir's Poetry

John Muir and William Wordsworth use diction and tone to define nature as doing a necessary extensile of life. Throughout Muir’s and William’s works of literature they both describe nature as being a necessary element in life that brings happiness, joy, and peace. Both authors use certain writing techniques within their poems and essays to show their love and appreciation of nature. This shows the audience how fond both authors are about nature. That is why Wordsworth and Muir express their codependent relationship with nature using diction and tone.

To show their audience that their appreciation for nature is very strong and dear, both authors use diction to describe the beauty and feeling of being surrounded by nature. In his poem, William

Wordsworth describes the sight of the daffodils bringing him complete and utter joy, as he says in the third stanza of his poem, “A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company.” This statement shows the audience that being near the daffodils brings Wordsworth joy and delight from within, shortly after this statement the audience are also shown how Wordsworth feels when he’s not surrounded by his preferred environment. In the last stanza Wordsworth is shown as being in a pensive mood, resting on his couch dreaming about being able to see the daffodils again, it is the final statement in his poem that shows his mind dreaming about the long faded daffodils as he states the follow: “They flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude; and then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.” This statement leads the audience to believe that Wordsworth is only happy when he is surrounded by nature, showing that Wordsworth shares a very strong relationship with nature.

Muir is also portrayed in a similar way in his essay. In his essay Muir chooses specific words and phrases to show his strong relationship with nature. In the third

paragraph of his essay Muir describes the Calypso as being “white and made the impression of the utmost simple purity like a snowflower,” Muir is describing the beauty the Calypso contains and how pure the plant is. Muir also shows his excellent choice in diction near the end of his third paragraph as he states, “It seemed the most spiritual of all the flower people I had ever met. I sat down beside it and fairly cried for joy.” The audience are able to see Muir’s codependent relationship with nature by examining his choice in words and feelings about nature.
Muir and Wordsworth also use tone in their works of literature to describe their relationship with nature.

In Muir’s essay his tone remains calm and happy as he explains the struggles he faced while looking for the Calypso. He talks about the control the Calypso has over him as he states at one point in his essay, “It seems wonderful that so frail and lovely a plant has such power over human hearts.” In this statement Muir is describing to his audience that the Calypso has a strong controller over his feelings because of its beauty. Wordsworth also uses various positive tones when describing his relationship with nature. In Wordsworth's poem he states that his “heart with pleasure fills” at the sight of the daffodils. This statement shows the audience that the sight of the daffodils makes Wordsworth’s heart fill with pleasure and delight as he examines their beauty. The audience is also shown how Wordsworth’s tone changes when he is separated from the daffodils, as it quickly changes from being joyous to being depressing. This quick shift in tone can be seen in the first stanza when Wordsworth says, “I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills,” this statement allows the audience to see that Wordsworth is sad and depressed when he is not accompanied by the daffodils, which shows that Wordsworth has a codependent relationship with

nature.
In conclusion, both authors focus on using the right choice in words and tone to show their audience their relationship with nature. John Muir and William Wordsworth use diction to show the peace and joy that nature brings within their lives. Muir and Wordsworth also use positive tones in their works of literature so the audience can understand their feelings towards nature more clearly. Both authors use these techniques to so how important nature is in their daily lives. That is why Wordsworth and Muir express their codependent relationship with nature using diction and tone.