Essays on William Wordsworth

If there ever was a poet that served as a representative of the Romantic Period of literature, there’s no doubt that William Wordsworth’s poetry comes to mind. His understanding of Nature continues to remain unparalleled and which is something that Coleridge himself acknowledges in his poem, To William Wordsworth, where he expresses his admiration for the latter by calling him “friend of the wise” and “teacher of the good” (Coleridge). Without a doubt, Coleridge and Wordsworth spent time writing poetry that is now considered to be the beginning of the Romantic Age, where poets took inspiration from ...

The ubiquitous echo of poetry’s yearnings to be heard throughout the annals of time, reflect mankind’s endless search for meaning whilst on earth. As such, English Literature as a formal academic discipline – and generic genre of creative expression – holds a place of often cited materials for pondering. Poetry consists of more than reading stanzas on a page that rhyme. This essay attempts to cogently analyze the poem by William Wordsworth, entitled ‘The World is Too Much with us.’ A brief background will remind the reader herein that Wordsworth’s mother died when he was only eight-years-old, and ...

Literature has the capacity to delve into varied themes and portraitures as per the perspective and vision of the literary artists. Thus, literary works can differ from one another in content and presentation only to enhance the scope and appeal of the field of art in general. As such, one can take into reckoning the short story, The Metamorphosis, penned by the stalwart literary artist, Franz Kafka that delves into the thematic content of existentialism. Again, the famous poem I wandered lonely as a Cloud (Daffodils) penned by the famous Romantic poet, William Wordsworth can be taken to be ...

Classic English Literature

The ‘Lyrical Ballads’ is a combined work of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published in the year 1789, which can be referred to as an autobiography, a philosophical work, and also a literary criticism. The fundamental principles presented in this work is the creative imagination of both the authors. The poetic principles that Wordsworth had presented in the ‘Preface’ of the 1800 edition of Lyrical Ballads essentially denounce a kind of revolution with respect to the critical notions concerning the lyrical language, the subject matter of the poetry, and also the role played by the poet. Dismissing the ...

Abstract

The Romantic era of writing is characterized by a number of reoccurring themes, one of which is the intermingling of man and nature. William Wordsworth, writing during this time, proved to be no exception to the rule. Two of his writings, “I wandered lonely as a cloud” and “Strange fits of passion have I known,” exemplify this particular theme, that of the individual experience, human emotions, and the relationship of man and nature. “I wandered lonely as a cloud,” is truly a classic from Wordsworth. He depicts a simple scenario of the poet out walking who stumbles across a ...

Analysis of William Wordsworth’s “The World is Too Much with Us”

“The World is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth is a lyrical poem written in 1802. The poem expresses Wordsworth’s emotions and feelings about the world in the times of industrialization. The disappointment in people’s preoccupation with the material world instead of cherishing nature is revealed through the form of the poem, speaker himself and figurative language. The poem has a conventional form of Petrarchan sonnet, which means that it has 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter. The rhyme of the poem differs: the first part - octave (8 lines) has the rhyme ABBAABBA, while ...

II, William Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Kubla Khan” Charles Baudelaire, “Get Drunk”

Individualism is the basic trait of romanticism. This element is evident of the production of all the poets of the period, including the selected artists. Individualism distinguishes the point of view of the poet under his perception over the political and social state of the time. It is a reflection of the visionary reality correlated reverence depicted with the use of imagery and embedded with passion and idealism. Together, these elements compose the distinguished style of each poet of the period of romanticism. These traits will ...

The poem “A slumber did my spirit seal” by William Wordsworth (1880) portrays various definitions of social feminism, nature and the role of the culture industry. Consequently, some guiding questions can be used in analyzing the portrayal of these aspects in the poem arise. These questions include; how the feminist aspect described and used in the poem? In what way are views on social matters portrayed by the author? What are the cultural aspects represented by the poem? How does the author describe the nature, natural phenomenon, its unique functions and characteristics? The poem, “A slumber did ...

Communication Part 2

The poem “A slumber did my spirit seal” by William Wordsworth (1880) portrays various aspects of social, feminism, nature and culture industry. Consequently, some guiding questions can be used in analyzing the portrayal of these aspects in the poem arise. These questions include; how is the feminist aspect described and used in the poem? In what way is the social views portrayed by the author? What are the cultural aspects represented by the poem? How does the author describe the nature, natural phenomenon, its unique functions and characteristics? The poem, “A slumber did my spirit seal” represents ...

The Romantic Period is hailed as one of the most illustrious periods of art history which has been immortalized in the innermost core of the hearts of gazillion people across the world. Describing the exquisiteness of the blossoms, William Wordsworth has quintessentially penned in the poem, Daffodils, “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.” The omnipotence of emotions and apotheosis of beauty of nature is echoed in the line of this poem. Superfluous emotion triumphs in the extracted line from the poem. Nature is presented as an elusive metaphor in the poems. Wordsworth envisages an emancipated and personal ...

William Wordsworth’s famous lyrical ballad “The Solitary Reaper” tells a story from Wordsworth’s wanderings through the Scottish Highlands (Poetryfoundation.org). As Wordsworth and his companions wander the countryside, they come across a young Scottish maiden singing to herself in a field as she cuts the grain that she sowed earlier in the season. Wordsworth seems transfixed by the beauty of her song, and he stops to listen to her sing in the field; although the initial reaction of the speaker is to the beauty of the voice and song of the young woman, the speaker—ostensibly Wordsworth himself, although this is ...

The romantic era has a significant place in literary history. Running its course from 1780 to 1850, novelists and poets alike flocked to this genre as a form of expression. It was a bold and daring way to define one’s self. Conflicting with the current trend of enlightenment, it went beyond the single-minded philosophy enlightenment had adopted, allowing novelists and poets to transcend everything they and their readers believed writing and reading to be. Human nature was unvarying, and free in its emotion. The church had long since attempted to block this humanity from the world, but romanticism attempted to join ...

‘Instructor’s Name’

‘Subject’ ‘The world is too much with us,’ by William Wordsworth Romanticism was a cultural/intellectual movement that had a profound and long lasting influence on the Europe of eighteenth century. It started during the 1700s and lasted till the mid nineteenth century. It was partly born as a reaction to the industrial revolution and the cultural and social changes brought about by the age of Enlightenment. It emphasized on love of nature and reliance of a man’s natural feelings over rationality. The movement influenced a variety of disciplines such as art, sculpture, literature, drama and music. It was deeply connected with ...

Analysis of the following poems: William Wordsworth, "The world is too much with us;"

Emily Bronte, "Often rebuked, yet Always Back Returning;" Alfred Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses" and Emily Dickinson, "I heard a Fly Buzz-when I died" Good poetry, like good music transcends time. The poetry of these five poets are legendary; they share one common thread, the mastery of using diction to stimulate the senses. One cannot study British Literature without encountering William Wordsworth. In his sonnet, yes, it is a Petrarchan sonnet, "The world is too Much with Us," he politely expresses his disgust with man’s deviation from nature. Wordsworth begins his sonnet by saying that worldly advancements have ...

Abstract

Lucy poems are a series of poems written by William Wordsworth about the girl named Lucy. She is a described as a laidback beauty that lived in the countryside. Her character is important to the poems because she is the main character in each of the poems, and the poems have to be read together in sequence in order to find out more about her. Nature is one of the themes present in each of the poems; therefore, nature holds a certain degree of significance to the Lucy poems. Majorly, nature assists the poet to develop the plot of each poem as well ...

Introduction

Connotation and denotation are two major methods used to describe the meanings of words. Connotations refer to the wide variety of negative and positive relationships that words can carry with them naturally. It is the imaginative and emotional association that the word carries. Denotation is the exact or literal meaning or definition of a given word that can be found in an English dictionary. Connotation in simple terms is a representation of the various cultural implications, social overtones, , and emotional meanings carried by a sign. Some things differently invoke associations in a person’s mind. If different people are subjected to the same ...

Presentation and Analysis of two poems – ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ by William Wordsworth and ‘Sailing’ by the writer of this essay – Reflections on the nature, tradition and reception of poetry as formed upon the readings of William Wordsworth’s ‘Preface to the Second Edition of Lyrical Ballads’ and T.S. Elliot’s ‘Tradition and the Individual Talent’ - Comparison and contrast of the two poems of the essay in terms of the extent to which the preceding one has imposed its effect on the most recent one [The author’s name]

Abstract

This paper will present you with an ...

Some poets are trailblazers and some poets are followers; very few are like William Wordsworth, one of the main innovator of the Romantic Period. Poetry was innate to William Wordsworth, he says this of his masterpiece, “Tintern Abbey;” “No poem of mine was composed under such circumstances more pleasant for me to remember than this” (Wordsworth). Wordsworth had the potential to do well at Cambridge, but after his first two placements which placed him first and second consecutively, he lost interest in his studies and several times he only did parts of his exams or none of them. ...

The first impression I got after reading William Wordsworth’s poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” is that it is about showing an increasing appreciation for nature. It seems that the author notices a hill covered in daffodils while walking along a lake. By using phrases such as “dancing in the breeze,” he describes what makes the daffodils beautiful and stand out, but that is all that he does, at least within the poem. It is surprising that noticing the daffodils is all that Wordsworth is doing, their beauty apparently means nothing to him. I believe is in the final stanza ...

In "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey", William Wordsworth asserts the timeless healing power of nature. Even distant memories of scenic beauty and of the feelings evoked help him to face the heavy and weary weight / Of all this unintelligible world with a lighter heart (lines 39-40). Compare and contrast this view with that of Christianity. William Wordsworth’s wonderful poem explores the beauty of this scenic spot in Monmouthshire, Wales where this ruined abbey was abandoned in 1536. Wordsworth indulges in the beauty of nature and observes the intrinsic magnificence of this incredible spot which is ...

Between 1650 and 1789, Neoclassicism dominated Western literature, and thereafter it was dominated by Romanticism until 1850. Typically, neoclassical pieces of literature were written in English and French, while Romanticism was international. The term neoclassicism, which is the cluster of roughly allied trends, applies to aggressive secular rationalism that dominated France in the 18th century, as well as to the whole period from Discourse on Method (1637) to 1789, when the French Revolution broke out. According to many scholars, the neoclassical period of literature transitioned into the romantic period of literature in 1798 when the “Lyrical Ballads” was ...

Romanticism is a historical era that began in the late 18th century. Its peak was around 1800 to 1850 when it had a massive influence in Europe. Romanticism is defined as an artistic and intellectual movement comprised of an individual's interest in nature and validation of high emotions and imaginations in expression. Romanticism was a rebellion against the established social classes and conventions. It was a movement established in search of personal freedom in terms of political and artistic elements. Romanticism in particular was a revolt against the age of enlightenment and a reaction to industrialization. Members of romanticism toiled to revive their history and ...

Like the Romantic Period, one of the reoccurring themes in Pope’s writing is nature. William Wordsworth a Romantic writer naturally writes about nature. Whereas Pope seeks to explain nature and man in his first epistle in his “Essay on Man”, Wordsworth seeks to glorify nature in his poem, “The Daffodils.” In Pope’s first epistle he begins as if he were in a dialogue with St. John and tries to explain the nature of man in regards to his place in the universe. He uses rhyming verses because he thought that the reader would be more attracted to this ...

What is the essence of nature, and does time impede that essence or is it a companion of nature, giving it its rhythms and courses? The Romantic poets of the eighteenth century spent a great deal of time pondering nature and time in their poetry, but none more so than William Wordsworth and John Keats. While both of them strove to understand man’s relation with nature and time, there were startling contrasts to how each of them approached the subjects. This contrast can be seen clearly in two poems, Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and Keats’ “Ode on a ...

1. In William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and of Experience," Blake attempts to dig into the very nature of existence and perception; part of the primary message of the works is that childhood is an innocent time that should be protected, but it is capable of being corrupted by the structures and rules of the adult world. As we get older and move through life, getting more experiences, we lose our innocence and start to become adults because of what the government, the church and the rich do to us.

In "The Lamb," we learn about how we ...

Imagery in William Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” and William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” Both William Shakespeare and William Wordsworth rely on nature and its beauty to denote the true state of their emotions in their poems. Shakespeare compares his beloved with the loveliness of nature to evoke visual impressions of the person’s beauty, in an effort to make an abstract notion such as love and devotion more palpable, by comparing it to something that most people agree is beautiful. Wordsworth on the other hand, utilizes the beauty of ...

In England, the ground for Romanticism was prepared in the latter half of the eighteenth century through the economic, political, and cultural transformations. The system of absolute government crumbled even earlier in Britain than elsewhere; nationalistic sentiment sharpened, imperialistic endeavors widened, and the century saw an increasing growth of periodical literature which catered to the middle classes. The ideas of neoclassical, such as decorum, order, normality of experience, and moderation were increasingly displaced by an emphasis on individual experience. The moral function of the literature was increasingly counterbalanced by an emphasis on aesthetic pleasure and the psychology of the ...

Introduction

Romantism has less attachment to romance. It is normally associated to love as an art. Nature when applied to the word romantic, it has various meanings. Nature is basically a word of art. As much as different issues concerning nature vary in a bigger way, its healing capability remains constant; healing in the sense that, it is able to affect everyone both positively and negatively. Romance brings in the attention of describing the natural phenomena. Romance sounds to be very true when compared with the Romantic painting landscape of a natural; poetry (Sunstein, 1991).

Romantic View of Nature

Most artists and poets were forced to respond ...