Dorothy Wordsworth

I very much enjoyed reading the poetry and journal entries written by Dorothy Wordsworth. As the introduction to the author mentions, her writing is not meant to be fancy with hidden meaning. It also states that she in no way intended for her work to be published. In fact the vulnerability that she shows in her writing make her works easier to understand and very enjoyable. In addition, I found Dorothy Wordsworth's journal entries are very interesting and intriguing. Her journal entries are especially personal and convey her every thought and feelings. Her writing style also allows the reader to really see what Wordsworth say in the world around her. Because her style of writing is so personal, it allows the reader to really get to know Dorothy as a person--the way she felt and the way she appreciated nature and the world around her. This aspect of her writing is something you do not see very often. I think the fact that her journal entries were written for her personal pleasure make them very unique.

I have already mentioned that Dorothy Wordsworth became very human through writing. One way she creates such a strong connection with the reader is through her compassion for those who are less-fortunate. The fact that she even mentions them in her writing proves her sympathy for these people. While at Rydale, Wordsworth spots "...a woman of the village, stout & well dressed, begged a halfpenny--she had never she said done it before, but these hard times..." (295). While Wordsworth does not mention helping this woman, she clearly felt for her time of hardship because she writes about her encounter. Additionally, she mentions a child begging at her home: "A little girl from Coniston came to beg. She had lain out all night--her step-mother had turned her out of doors" (295). Wordsworth writes about the poor girl in her entry from May 18, 1800. She writes only a few sentences in this entry and yet still, the poor girl was one of the few things mentioned in this journal entry. She cares enough to mention the poor girl in her writing, even when she only has time to write a few lines. I got the impression from these documentations that Dorothy Wordsworth had a soft heart and would be willing to help those in need if she were able to do so. Another thought to consider is that perhaps she did help both the woman in Rydale and the small child at her door; she perhaps did not feel the need to mention her good service in her writing.

Wordsworth again shows her compassion in other references to the poor. There were at least a few times she was able to assist the person in need. For example, she met a woman on the way to Rays. The woman told Wordsworth that "...her husband had left her..." and Wordsworth "...was moved and gave her a shilling..." (297). While Wordsworth was not forced to help this woman, she took the time to hear about her misfortune and lovingly gave her money. The fact that she was "moved" by the woman's story conveys her giving spirit. The reader must also keep in mind that she did not write this in her journal with the intention of other people reading about her good works. One final example is the touching story Wordsworth shares about her encounter at the gingerbread store, Matthew Newtons. While Dorothy and William Wordsworth came to the store to buy the ingredients to make gingerbread, the store owner was "...so grateful when I paid them for it (the gingerbread) that I could not find it in my hear tot tell them were going to make Gingerbread ourselves" (298). Although Wordsworth did not intend on buying fresh gingerbread, she revered the gratitude of the store owner more than she cared about her own plans of baking gingerbread. I found this story particularly touching. It made me ask myself if I would have done the same thing in her situation. It also made me ponder the ways in which our society today is much different than that of the past. It is inspiring to read about the gracious heart of another human being, whether anyone ever knew what kind thing she did or not. She did it out the goodness of her heart and that makes her very a very admirable human.

Another reason I found Wordsworth's journal entries so enjoyable is the way she describes her encounters with nature. Much like her brother, she is obviously inspired by the beauty within the natural world. However, she writes much differently than in brother in other ways; her descriptions, while beautiful, are written in plain imagery terms that make it very easy for the reader to actually imagine. I found while reading a variety of sections of her journal entries, that I had a great visual image of what it would have been like to see what Wordsworth was actually seeing. When Wordsworth told William and John goodbye, she is walking along, she describes "a beautiful yellow, palish yellow flower, that looked thick round & double, and smelt very sweet..." (294). As I read this passage, I was actually picturing this beautiful yellow flower that Wordsworth spotted along a path. While imagery of this depth may seem meaningless at times, I think it actually creates a very strong connection between Wordsworth and the reader because you are able to leave your world behind and become a part of her world for a while. The extremely detailed images that she uses in her journal entries provide an escape from reality, which again shows her strength as a writer. What is even more interesting as that she was not trying to compel anyone...she simply loved nature and enjoyed paying attention to the details in the world around her and thus commenting on it in her journals. Another powerful image that Wordsworth shares is one of sky at the pier with her brother: "The sea was gloomy for there was a blackness over all the sky except when it was overspread with lightning which often revealed to us a distant vessel" (298). Although Wordsworth is describing a completely different scene than that of the flower, I can again imagine standing on that same pier looking out at the sea and the stormy sky. These kind of descriptions are far more powerful than they may seem on the surface and I really enjoyed being able to truly imagine what Wordsworth was experiencing in nature. I think being able to effortlessly imagine the beauty of nature without seeing a picture shows me that Wordsworth was a great writer.