William Wordsworth

Wordsworth is yet another challenging poet, but I personally found his poetry very enjoyable. In reading the history of William Wordsworth, it became evident that he felt a strong connection with nature and often used nature imagery throughout his poems to evince certain themes or ideas. Upon discovering that Wordsworth adored many aspects of nature, I decided to read carefully through his poems noting the specific roles that nature played throughout various works. Nature was a predominant theme in much of Wordsworth's poetry, though I found it most vivid and useful in "The World is too Much with Us," "Lines in Early Spring," and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud."

In "The World is too Much with Us," Wordsworth uses nature to show the reader how far man has fallen from appreciating natural beauty. The speaker in the poem seems to be somewhat angry and uses this passionate emotion to teach the reader about his growing concern. The speaker begins by trying to convey that people are spending far too much time and money on material possessions: "Getting and spending, we lay waster our powers" (234). Not only does the speaker condemn materialism, but he draws a dramatic comparison with nature to further solidify his point: "Little we see in nature that is ours" (234). He seems to be frustrated that people no longer look to nature to fulfill their desires; rather, people focus on the material possessions. He says that "We have given our hearts away..." (234). To further establish his point, the speaker describes the beauty in nature that people often overlook. People take this beauty for granted and refuse to acknowledge the role God intended nature to play. The speaker seems to believe that God created the beauty in nature to bless humans, which is why the speaker is so upset that man ignores the power of nature around them: "The sea.../The Winds.../For this, for everything, we are out of tune" (234). The speaker believes that humans have completely lost touch with nature. For this reason, he is very disappointed and enraged by the behavior of those around him and their lack of respect for the God-given gift of beauty in nature. The speaker is in fact so discouraged by the world around him, that he would "...rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn" (234). The speaker conveys his anger even further by wishing he were living in a time of Pagan Gods. He believe that at the very least, if he were alive during the time of Pagans, that the people in the world around him would have respect for nature and the beauty that lies within the simplicity of nature. Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker to establish his personal views and frustration. While this poem carries a very aggressive and negative tone, Wordsworth creatively uses the dramatic tone of the speaker in the poem to further establish his true feelings about the world in which he was living. While Wordsworth loved the simplicity and beauty of nature, he seems to doubt that most others feel the same way. In this poem, Wordsworth shows his heightened respect for nature and his disappointment in the behavior and contrary beliefs of most people living in his time.

In the poem "Lines of Early Spring," Wordsworth again pays tribute to the value of nature, but in a slightly different way than he does in "The World is too Much with Us." While Wordsworth uses the voice of the speaker in "The Words is too Much with Us" to demonstrate anger with the world, the tone in "Lines of Early Spring" conveys a sense of disappointment. Wordsworth seems to show once again that there is a huge disconnect between man and nature; he also thinks that this should not be the case and that is why the tone of this poem is melancholy and somber. The speaker reflects on the way nature makes him feel, but is then discouraged: "In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts/Bring sad thoughts to the mind" (201). The speaker knows that being in nature should make him happy and ease his mind, yet he also recognizes that man nor himself no longer have the same connection with nature that they once did. For this reason, he feels sad and withdrawn. The speaker then makes reference to bond that man and nature should have together: "To her fair works did nature link/The human soul that through me ran" (201). The speaker notes that at one point in time, his soul was linked directly to nature. He continues to denote the difference in the present time with that of the past when he says, "...it griev'd my heart to think/What man has made of man" (201). At this point, the speaker recognizes that he is directly or perhaps indirectly responsible for the break between man and nature. He seems to think that the unjust actions and evil ways of man have caused the human race to be set apart from the beauty of nature. While the speaker seems to realize the beauty of nature, he cannot truly appreciate the value it holds because he is so impure in contrast that of nature. The speaker continues to describe "...every flower...the birds...the budding twigs..." (201-202), yet he still seems sad. He knows he can look around and find beauty in all aspects of nature, but continues to doubt his own ability to live freely. He is bound by the burden of his own sin and for that reason, feels unable to be one with nature again:

"If I these thoughts may not prevent,
If such be of my creed the plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?" (202)

At this point, it seems as if the speaker has given up hope and fears that he will forevermore be saddened by the ways of man. The speaker also seems to relate that being in nature is more harmful than good; if he is forced to look at all the beautiful things in nature that function without causing harm, he cannot help but remember the world and the evil nature of mankind. Wordsworth once again shows in this poem how much he appreciates the beauty of the natural world around him. While he does not write with an angry tone in this poem, his point it much the same of that in "The World is too Much with Us." He wants the world to hear his voice and know that the characteristics and serenity in nature can bring out the best in people--that if everyone were able to separate themselves from selfishness and material things, they would find peace and happiness in the simple things in life.

The last poem that I want to discuss is "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." This poem continues Wordsworth's them of the celebration of nature, but does so in a very happily. This poem's tone is much different than the poems above; it is light and happy. Wordsworth begins by comparing the speaker to a cloud--he is instantly a part of the natural world. As a cloud, he "...floats on high o'er vales and hills" and in doing so, spots a field of daffodils (282). Wordsworth furthers his positive images of nature and man in this poem by giving the daffodils life-like characteristics. In the poem, the daffodils are "Fluttering and dancing in the breeze...Tossing their heads in sprightly dance" (282). All of the images Wordsworth creates in first through third stanzas of the poem are fun and inspire a feeling of happiness and joy within the reader. The powerful imagery that Wordsworth uses to describe nature help create strong images of the daffodils and their infinite beauty--not just to the speaker in the poem, but also to the reader. Wordsworth further establishes his theme of the celebration of nature by showing the connection that is made between the speaker and nature even after he leaves the scene in the field:

"For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant of in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye...
then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils." (283)

The speaker allows the dancing daffodils to engage him in the time to come after this first encounter in the field. His mind often wonders back to that special day and all the joy that he felt in that moment again fill his heart with happiness. Because of the positive affect nature has on the speaker, Wordsworth uses yet another method to incorporate his love of nature in his poetry. I believe that nature made Wordsworth as happy as the speaker in the poem oftentimes in this life, and thus he wrote "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" to create that same feeling of joy within the reader.

While Wordsworth uses a variety of tones in these three poems, his love for nature is evident throughout. I enjoyed reading these poems because each one affected my feelings differently, yet the overall point was clear each time.