Blazing details, deep emotions, and meanings that can change a person, are all at the core of poetry. Both “This World Is Too Much with Us” and “It Is a Beauteous Evening, Clam and Free” are prime examples of all these attributes. The meaning of these poems is exquisite and the literary techniques used are simply intriguing! These two poems by William Wordsworth are both amazing examples of Romantic era poetry.
In commencement, “This World Is Too Much with Us”, has myriads of meanings and themes. A strong over-materialistic theme is seen this poem (Wordsworth 589). When reading through the poem, especially the first half, Wordsworth seems to be hammering his readers with a rebuke at their object-oriented mindset. His meaning seems to be to remind them to stop and take time for nature. As well, “This World Is Too Much with Us” has a confusing theme of almost a plea for a Pagan upbringing (Wordsworth 589). To discern the meaning of this odd statement, looking at the context helps. He talks about how the Pagans are closer to nature and that is why he wishes to be Pagan. Besides all of the themes and meanings that encapsulate the Romantic era in “This World Is Too Much with Us”, this poem also encompasses many literary devices. Personification can be easily seen in this poems fifth line (Wordsworth 589). When considering the fifth line Wordsworth personifies the sea as a woman ‘…that bares her bosom to the moon...’ This giving of human characteristics to non-human objects gives the poem an extra dimension of feeling that the reader can relate to. Another technique used in this poem is an allusion in lines thirteen and fourteen (Wordsworth 589). Both ‘…sight of Proteus rising…’ and ‘…old Triton blow…’ are allusions to Greek mythology....
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...was removed. The exclamatory phrases in line nine have a detached repetitive alliteration of the word ‘dear’. This use of literary technique here gives a clear line of thought for the reader to follow, giving a clearer understanding and comprehension. Between the delicate themes and meanings and the understanding-giving literary devices, “It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free” is most certainly an outstanding example of Romantic era poetry.
In summation, when considering poetry looking at the complexities of it and considering their worth is imperative. “The World Is Too Much with Us” and “It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free” are both wonderful poems with deep, wonderful meanings and are sprinkled with literary devices that add depth and understanding to them. The poems of Wordsworth are beautiful sonnets that embody the Romantic era of poetry completely.
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
One of our greatest fears is the fear of death. Immortality is something any of us would take in a heartbeat, so we do not have to face death. But this is something that we cannot run away from. Mortality is an unpleasant thought that sits in the back of our minds form our day to day lives. Yet, this fear is something that is developed more over time as we grow older. Children believe that the world is such a wonderful place, they fell invincible. They also have wonderful creative skills and imaginations which is often revealed to us when they can play one game for hours at one time. Yet, as a child ages, this imagination and creativity can disappear. This is what William Wordsworth is terrified of. Wordsworth is an English poet as well as his colleague Samuel Taylor Coleridge published the first edition of Lyrical Ballads and it changed everything as mentioned Evelyn Toynton, “In early 1798, Coleridge and a little-known poet named William Wordsworth decided to publish a joint volume of their poems.” (Toynton, Evelyn). William expressed this fear of premature mortality of the imagination in each of his works, Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, The Prelude, The World is Too Much with Us, and London, 1802.
One of the most popular American poets is Walt Whitman. Whitman’s poetry has become a rallying cry for Americans, asking for individuality, self-approval, and even equality. While this poetry seems to be truly groundbreaking, which it objectively was, Whitman was influenced by the writings of others. While Whitman may not have believed in this connection to previous authors, critics have linked him to Emerson, Poe, and even Carlyle. However, many critics have ignored the connection between Walt Whitman and the English writer William Wordsworth. A major proponent of Romanticism, Wordsworth’s influence can be seen in Whitman 's poetry through a Romantic connection. Despite differences in form, one can see William Wordsworth’s influence on Walt
My first and immediate explanation for the poem was an address from one lover to a loved one, where distance became a factor in their relationship. The lover has it far worse than the desired partner and the solitude builds nothing but longing for this person at a time when his love is the greatest. He says " What have I to say to you when we shall meet?... I am alone" with my head knocked against the sky”. He further asks, “How can I tell if I shall ever love you again as I do now?” There is uncertainty because he is wondering over the next encounter with his loved one. He says, “I lie here thinking of you” and is compelling when he wants the loved one to see him in the 5th stanza and what love is doing to his state of mind. He is hopeless and expresses it by asking questions he is unsure of, conveying his troubled state. Williams enforces imagery along with sound effects to demonstrate the despair of the man in a realm that is almost dreamlike with purple skies,spoiled colors, and birds. Stating he is alone and that his head collides with the sky may underline the man’s confusion. He also uses imagery in the “stain of love as it eats into the leaves”, and saffron horned branches, vivid and easy-to-imagine images that captivate the reader. The line stating “a smooth purple sky” and this stain which is “spoiling the colours of the whole world” easily formulate a very distinct picture. Through consonance words like “eats” and “smears with saffron” become fiercer in the eyes of this lover as they cancel out a “smooth sky”.
Moreover, searching for the different mechanics in each of these poems makes it easier for the reader to analysis and interpret them. To begin, in “The World is Too Much with Us” the way the punctuation is fit into the poem is different since there are many semicolons between each line and one period suggesting that the poem is actually one long sentence. Then I believe the speaker to be someone who acknowledges that he too has lost connection with nature since he’s been preoccupied with other things in the world. This is proven throughout the whole poem since he talks in first person using the word “I.” The tone of this poem is angry, frustrated, and dissatisfied because of how the world has changed. The rhyme scheme is also another appealing mechanic here too since Wordsworth only uses fou...
Wordsworth's Poetry A lot of literature has been written about motherhood. Wordsworth is a well known English poet who mentions motherhood and female strength in several of his poems, including the Mad Mother, The Thorn, and The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman. This leads some critics to assume that these poems reflect Wordsworth's view of females. Wordsworth portrays women as dependent on motherhood for happiness, yet he also emphasizes female strength.
Wordsworth and Hopkins both present the reader with a poem conveying the theme of nature. Nature in its variety be it from something as simple as streaked or multicolored skies, long fields and valleys, to things more complex like animals, are all gifts we take for granted. Some never realize the truth of what they are missing by keeping themselves indoors fixating on the loneliness and vacancy of their lives and not on what beauty currently surrounds them. Others tend to relate themselves more to the fact that these lovely gifts are from God and should be praised because of the way his gifts have uplifted our human spirit. Each writer gives us their own ideals as how to find and appreciate nature’s true gifts.
Comparing Wordsworth and Keats’ Romantic Poetry. Both Wordsworth and Keats are romantic Poets, they express ideas on nature and send us the message to respect it. They say we have to admire the beauty of nature in different ways. Wordsworh uses simpler language in his poems wether to express simple or complex ideas, by which we understand he aimed his poems to lower classes. Keats instead, uses much more complex language to describe and express his ideas, so we know he aimed his poems to the educated.
Wordsworth writes, "For all poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (295). Wordsworth and Coleridge felt that earlier writings were impersonal, and detached to the common audience. Wordsworth and Coleridge believed that the upper class, were unpleasant due to the aristocracy valuing self-delight and material objects. Wordsworth wrote that a poet "illustrates the manner in which our feelings and ideas are associated in a state of excitement" (296). They felt that a poet writes within the moment of true emotion and passion. "Emotion recollected in tranquillity" is the basis for all poetry because it reflects the overflow of feelings that nature, or a memory, bring about within the heart of an individual. The difference between a Romantic poet from a neoclassical poet, is that there isn 't a period of long and deep thought. The Neoclassical artists wrote from a technical standpoint in which they deeply, and mechanically, wrote from satire. Wordsworth and Coleridge both express that being able to compose within the moment of the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" reflects the genuine emotions of the poet, as well as creates an original piece of
In both poems “Dover Beach” by Mathew Arnold and “Calm is all Nature as a Resting Wheel” by William Wordsworth, both poets use explicit imagery to make their poems an incredible work of literary art, in conveying their appreciation and love for nature.
William Wordsworth. “Lucy Gray.” English Romantic Poetry .Ed. Stanley Appelbaum. New York: Dover Publications, 1996. 33 – 4.
Romanticism looks to express feelings through the use of emotions in the natural world. The emotions of William Wordsworth and William Blake are expressed through aesthetic experiences such as roses and rainbows. Romanticism harnesses the power of imagination and seeks to connect the power of imagination and creativity. William Wordsworth’s poetry expresses powerful feelings and comes from his imagination. In Wordsworth’s works, “The World Is Too Much With Us”, “My Heart Leaps Up”, and “It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free” he is able to freely express his feelings without making the context appear artificial. Wordsworth writes pieces as a mode of expression; in his writings it is clear to see that he is merely expressing how he feels about life on a daily basis. His titles are simple and it is easy to understand what the main theme of the poem is. Similar to Wordsworth, William Blake used poetry as a mode of expression. In his writing, it is clear to see he uses his artistic side to creatively get the main theme of his poetry across. Blake’s works, “The Tyger”, “The Sick Rose”, and “London”, look to change the minds of the people around him. Both Wordsworth and Blake write to express their feelings about nature and other priceless items people take for granted.
To conclude, William Wordsworth uses form and syntax and figurative language to stress on his mental journey, and to symbolize the importance of the beauty and peace of nature. In my opinion, the poet might have written this poem to show his appreciation towards nature. The poem has a happy mood especially when the poet is discussing the daffodils. In this poem the daffodils are characterized as more than flowers, but as humans “fluttering and dancing in the breeze” (line 6). In addition, the poet mentioned himself to be part of nature since nature inspires him to write and think. Therefore, the reason that the poet wrote this poem was to express the feeling of happiness in his mental journey in nature.
He is writing the poem as if he were an object of the earth, and what it is like to once live and then die only to be reborn. On the other hand, Wordsworth takes images of meadows, fields, and birds and uses them to show what gives him life. Life being whatever a person needs to move on, and without those objects, they can't have life. Wordsworth does not compare himself to these things like Shelley, but instead uses them as an example of how he feels about the stages of living. Starting from an infant to a young boy into a man, a man who knows death is coming and can do nothing about it because it's part of life.
In William Wordsworth’s poems, the role of nature plays a more reassuring and pivotal r ole within them. To Wordsworth’s poetry, interacting with nature represents the forces of the natural world. Throughout the three poems, Resolution and Independence, Tintern Abbey, and Michael, which will be discussed in this essay, nature is seen prominently as an everlasting- individual figure, which gives his audience as well as Wordsworth, himself, a sense of console. In all three poems, Wordsworth views nature and human beings as complementary elements of a sum of a whole, recognizing that humans are a sum of nature. Therefore, looking at the world as a soothing being of which he is a part of, Wordsworth looks at nature and sees the benevolence of the divinity aspects behind them. For Wordsworth, the world itself, in all its glory, can be a place of suffering, which surely occurs within the world; Wordsworth is still comforted with the belief that all things happen by the hands of the divinity and the just and divine order of nature, itself.