FREE ESSAY ON WORDSWORTH'S USE OF NATURE

WORDSWORTH'S USE OF NATURE

William Wordsworth was born on April 7, 1770, in Cockermouth, West Cumberland, located in
the northern part of England's Lake District. This area of England is famous for its
splendid array of natural landscape. After losing his mother when he was just eight years
old, Wordsworth was sent to live with Ann Tyson, who allowed Wordsworth to freely roam
the beautiful countryside near Esthwaite Lake. The freedom Ann Tyson gave young
Wordsworth allowed him to experience nature, and led him to a deep affinity and love for
it. As critic Matthew Arnold says in his essay on Wordsworth, "It is Wordsworth's
relationship with nature that regards him as one of the most important poets of the
Romantic period, allowing him to create great poetry because of the extraordinary power
in which he feels joy is offered in nature...and because of the power in which he shows
us this joy and renders it" (Encarta Encyclopedia online criticism). 
In 1798, the fist edition of Lyrical Ballads was published. Although the work
incorporates some of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poetry, the majority of the pomes belong
to Wordsworth. With the publication of Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth was able to publicly
proclaim his belief of the importance of nature. The following paragraphs discuss some of
Wordsworth's poems, as found in the 1802 edition of Lyrical Ballads, and how they reflect
Wordsworth's use of nature. 
The first poem I will discuss is Wordsworth's "Ode: Intimations of Immortality." The
theme of the poem deals with childhood memories of nature incorporating into the adult
mind. The poem focuses on Wordsworth's belief that life on earth is a faint silhouette of
an untainted existence recollected in childhood, yet it is forgotten through 
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the process of becoming an adult. In the first stanza, the speaker reflectively says
there was a time when all of nature seemed dreamlike, yet that time has past. In the
second stanza, the speaker says he still sees the rainbow, and the rose is still lovely.
He says the moon looks across the sky with pleasure, and the "sunshine is a glorious
birth" (1.16). In the third stanza, while listening to birds sing and watching lambs
play, the speaker is wounded with a painful thought, but the sound of a nearby waterfall
and the music of the gusting wind brings back his strength. He announces his sadness will
no longer ruin his experience. In the fourth stanza, the speaker announces to nature that
his heart takes part in the blissful celebration surrounding him, and he is wrong to feel
sullen on such a sweet May morning. However, a field in the distance and a pansy at his
feet makes him think of something that is gone" (4.53). He asks what has happened to the
visionary gleam," and wonders, "Where is it now, the glory and the dream? (4.56-57).
The speaker of the poem is at odds with nature, yet Wordsworth consciously constructed
the poem in this fashion to make the speaker an example of how unhappy a man can be if he
is not connected with nature. Understanding that his grief comes from his inability to
experience the May morning, as he would have as a child, the speaker attempts to be
joyful. However, he is only able to experience happiness when he realizes he does possess
the ability to understand nature.
My next example of Wordsworth's use of nature is found in his poem "I Wandered Lonely as
a Cloud." The speaker of the poem relates himself to a cloud. He says he is wandering
like a cloud floating above hills and valleys when he sees a host of daffodils beside a
lake. The dancing flowers flutter along the lake's shore, while the waves of the 
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lake dance beside them. The speaker says, "A poet could not but be gay,"(15) in such a
joyful company of flowers. The speaker goes on to say that he gazed and gazed, but
thought little of the wealth the scene would bring him. But now, whenever he feels vacant
or pensive, (20) the memory of the dancing daffodils flashes upon that inward eye / That
is the bliss of solitude, (21) his heart fills with pleasure, and dances with the
daffodils (24).
Literary critic Donald Davidson says "This simple poem, one of the loveliest and most
famous in the Wordsworth canon, revisits the familiar subject of nature with a
particularly simple musical eloquence" (great poets.com). The poem depicts the speaker as
a wanderer who discovers a field of daffodils, which he calls upon in memory to comfort
him when he is lonely. Wordsworth's brilliant use of reverse personification in the first
few stanzas of the poem metaphorically compares the speaker to an object of nature. While
the cloud represents the speaker, the daffodils personify human beings. Again, Wordsworth
uses an image of nature to bring happiness to the speaker. According to critic Lance
McKeon, "This technique implies an inherent unity between man and nature, making it one
of Wordsworth's most basic and effective methods for instilling in the reader the feeling
the poet so often describes himself as experiencing." (litcrit.com)
Another example of Wordsworth's use of nature comes from his sonnet "It is a Beauteous
Evening." The sonnet is about a young girl who teaches the speaker a lesson about the
relationship between nature and childhood. It begins with the speaker describing the
scenery around him. The speaker reveals in the first few lines of the 
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sonnet that it is a beautiful evening, the sun is sinking down in its tranquility and
"The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the sea (5). The speaker relates the ocean to the
mighty Being, (6) and the sound of the ocean is compared to thunder. The speaker
addresses the young girl who walks with him and tells her, though she seems untouched by
solemn thought, (10) he himself is absorbed by her divine nature. He says the young girl
worships in the Temple's inner shrine (13) merely by being, and that God is with thee
when we know it not (14).
As critic Dorothy Lang stated in her essay on Wordsworth, "This sonnet is one of the many
excellent sonnets Wordsworth wrote in the early 1800's. It is one of the most personal
and intimate in all of Wordsworth's writings, and its aura of heartfelt serenity is
genuine as anything in the Wordsworth canon" (IPL online criticism). Shortly before
Wordsworth married Mary Hutchinson, he returned to France to see his former mistress
Annette Vallon, and their child, Caroline, who was now a ten-year-old girl. Dorothy Lang
also states in her essay, "This sonnet is thought to have originated from a real moment
in Wordsworth's life, when he walked on the beach with the daughter he had not known for
a decade" (IPL online criticism).
Critic Matthew Arnold states in his essay that "It is a Beauteous Evening" is, "Unlike
many of the other sonnets of 1802, it is not charged with either moral or political
outrage; instead it is as tranquil as its theme" (Encarta Encyclopedia online criticism).
The main technique of a sonnet is to combine imagery of natural scenes with religious
imagery. The first two lines of the sonnet make the first metaphorical comparisons,
stating the evening is a holy time, (2) and quiet as a nun (2). In the last few lines, as

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the speaker observes the purity of the young girl, he says her wholesomeness does not
make her less divine (11). The message Wordsworth is relaying is that in childhood, one
is innately connected to nature and united with its present moment and natural
surroundings.
Furthering my example of Wordsworth's use of nature, I present his sonnet, "The World is
Too Much With Us." In the sonnet, the speaker angrily accuses modern society of having
lost its connection with nature and with everything that's meaningful. He says the sea
bares her bosom to the moon, (5) and the winds howl, and humanity is still out of tune.
The speaker looks coldly at the world. The speaker yearns for a world more connected with
nature, so that, standing on this pleasant lea, (11) he might see images of ancient gods
rising from the waves, a sight that would give him great pleasure. He imagines Proteus
rising from the sea, (13) and Triton blowing his wreathed horn" (14). 
According to critic Maxwell Hoskins, in his essay analyzing "The World is Too Much With
Us," "This sonnet falls in line with a number of sonnets written by Wordsworth in the
early 1800s that criticize or admonish what Wordsworth saw as the decadent material
cynicism of the time" (cliffnotes.com). Although the sonnet is relatively simple, it
angrily states that human beings are lost in materialism and are out of touch with
nature. In the last line of the sonnet, the speaker radically suggest that he should have
been raised as a pagan, so he could still see ancient gods in the actions of nature, thus
gaining spiritual comfort. 
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The familiar Wordsworthian theme of communion with nature is angrily stressed in this
sonnet. Critic Maxwell Hoskins also stated in his essay, "The sonnet is important for its
rhetorical force (it shows Wordsworth's increasing confidence with language as an
implement of dramatic power, sweeping the wind and the sea up like flowers in a bouquet),
and for being representative of other poems in the Wordsworth canon-notably 'London,
1802,' in which the speaker dreams of bringing back the dead poet John Milton to save his
decadent era" (cliffnotes.com).
My final, and best example of nature as a theme in Wordsworth's work comes from the poem
"Tintern Abbey." It opens with the speaker declaring that five years have passed since he
last visited the location and encountered its peaceful scenery. He examines the objects
he has seen before, and describes their effect upon him: the steep and lofty cliffs (5)
impress upon him thoughts of more deep seclusion (6). The speaker leans against a dark
sycamore tree and looks upon the cottage and the orchard trees bearing unripe fruit. He
sees the wreaths of smoke (17) rising up from cottage chimneys between the trees, and
imagines they might rise from vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, (20) or from the
cave of a hermit in the deep forest.
The speaker then describes how his memory of these beauteous forms (22) has worked on his
mind in his absence from them. When he was in crowded towns, or even alone, the memory of
the scene provided him with sensations sweet, / Felt in the blood, and felt along the
heart (27-28). His vision of the woods and cottages offered him tranquil restoration
(30). He was affected by these images and they influenced his actions, making him more
kind and loving. He believes the memory of the scene offered 
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him access to a mental and spiritual state in which the world seemed less of a burden,
and he becomes a living soul (46) with a view into the life of things (49). The speaker
then says the memory of the woods has affected him so strongly that he returns to the
memory in times of fretful stir (52). 
In the present moment, the speaker's memory of his first experience in the woods combines
with his present view of them, and he relishes in the memory's revival. Happily, he knows
that his present experience will provide many wonderful memories for future years. The
speaker is aware of his maturity now and realizes what he missed the first time he
encountered the scene. As a young boy, the speaker bounded o'er the mountains (68) and
through the streams. In those days, nature made up his whole world: waterfalls,
mountains, and woods gave shape to his passions, his appetites, and his love. That time
has past, he says, yet he does not mourn it, for though he cannot resume his old
relationship with nature, he has been adequately compensated by a new set of more mature
gifts. For example, the speaker can now look on nature, not as in the hour / Of
thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes / The still, sad music of humanity (89-91).
Now, the speaker can feel the presence of something more powerful from the glow of the
setting sun. He feels the energy of the ocean, the air upon his body, and now has a
deeper understanding of man. This energy seems to him a motion and a spirit that impels /
All thinking thoughts.... / And rolls through all things (100-102). It is for this
reason, the speaker still loves nature, still loves the mountains, pastures and woods,
for they harbor his purest thoughts and protect the heart and soul of his moral being
(111). 
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Even though the speaker now has a better understanding of the importance the memory of
the scene has given him, he says he would still be satisfied with the memory, for it
reminds him of the time he spent there with his sister. His "dear, dear sister, (121) is
also his dear, dear Friend (116). It is his sister's voice and mannerisms that remind the
speaker of his former self, helping him to see the man he has become.
Realizing he has grown within the five years that have passed, the speaker offers a
prayer to nature that he might continue to deeply relate with his surroundings, as he
says, Nature never did betray / The heart that loved her (122-123). Nature's power over
the mind that seeks her is so strong that it makes that mind resistant to evil tongues,
(128) rash judgments, (129) and the sneers of selfish men, (129) instilling instead a
cheerful faith (133) that the world is full of blessings. The speaker then encourages the
moon to shine upon his sister, and the wind to blow against her, and he says to her the
memory of this experience will heal her in later years, if she should feel sad or dreary.
He also tells his sister if he should die, the memory of the woods will help her to
remember the love he found in nature. He says this so his sister will remember what the
woods meant to him, though he had not seen them in five years, they became more dear to
him--both for themselves and for the fact that she is intertwined within the memory.
The theme of Tintern Abbey is best described as a childhood memory that has bonded with
the beauty of nature. According to critic Matthew Arnold, "Both generally and
specifically, this subject is hugely important in Wordsworth's work, reappearing in many
of his poems" (Encarta Encyclopedia online criticism). With this poem, Wordsworth
emphasizes the theme: that the memory of pure communion with nature in childhood works
upon the mind even in adulthood, when access to that pure communion has been 
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lost, and that the maturity of mind present in adulthood offers compensation for the loss
of that communion. Wordsworth uses the speaker's experience as an example of how humans
are capable of seeing nature, and only by creating a relationship with nature, will
humans gain the strength needed for dealing with life.
Tintern Abbey is a monologue, in which the speaker talks to himself, referencing specific
objects in the scene, and occasionally addressing others--once the spirit of nature,
occasionally the speaker's sister. Critic Donald Davidson states, "The language of the
poem is striking for its simplicity and forthrightness; the young poet is in no way
concerned with ostentation, instead speaking from the heart and in a plainspoken manner"
(great poets.com. The poem's imagery is composed of the natural setting in which the
speaker is surrounded by.
"Tintern Abbey," also includes hints of religious sentiment. Even though the speaker
never describes the Abbey in the poem, the idea of the abbey being a sacred place to the
spirit, saturates the scene as though the forest and the fields are the speaker's abbey.
Donald Davidson states, "This is reinforced by the speaker's description of the power he
feels in the setting sun and in the mind of man, which consciously links the ideas of
God, nature, and the human mind--as they are linked in much of Wordsworth's poetry"
(great poets.com).
In conclusion, "The publication of Lyrical Ballads represented a landmark moment for
English poetry; it was unlike anything that had come before, and paved the way for
everything that has come after" (Encyclopedia Britanica online). According to the theory
he set in the preface to Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth wrote poetry that resulted from the
spontaneous overflow (Wordsworth 161) of emotions. He wrote poetry in the simple language
of common people and much of his poetry originated from an emotion recollected 
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in a state of tranquility (Wordsworth 161). Wordsworth surrendered to his emotions so the
tranquility of his feelings dissolved into his poems. Critic Donald Davidson states,
"This explicit emphasis on feeling, simplicity, and the pleasure of beauty over rhetoric,
ornament, and formality changed the course of English poetry, replacing the elaborate
classical forms of Pope and Dryden with a new Romantic sensibility" (great poets.com)
"Wordsworth gave memorable expression to the romantic mindset developed by his German
predecessors and contemporaries" (Encarta Encyclopedia). Romantics focused on the
importance of emotions, love and pleasure. They stressed imagination over reason, and
believed in the spiritual superiority of nature rather than harsh mechanical shrewdness.
They believed art was created to restore a lost harmony between the individual and nature
and between nature and society. Wordsworth stated, the poet writes under one restriction
only, namely, the necessity of giving immediate pleasure (Wordsworth 165). The pleasure
derived from writing poetry was a loving acknowledgment of the beauty of the universe
(Wordsworth 165) to Wordsworth, and indicated to him that the human mind was the mirror
of the fairest and most interesting properties of nature (Wordsworth 169).
"Wordsworth's most important legacy, besides his lovely, timeless poems, is his launching
of the Romantic era, opening the gates for later writers such as John Keats, Percy Bysshe
Shelley, and Lord Byron in England, and Emerson and Thoreau in America" (Encarta
Encyclopedia).
Bibliography
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Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights.
New York: New American Library. 1993
Bronte Sisters Page. Home page. 10 June 1998
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Percy Shelley Online Resource Page. 6 Feb. 1999
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"Romanticism." Encarta Encyclopedia:
Microsoft. 2000
"Romanticism." The New Encyclopedia Britannica:
Micropaedia. 1991
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Archive. Home Page. 10 May 1999. 
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The Hand of the Poet: John Keats. Home Page. 18 Aug. 1999
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"Wordsworth." The New Encyclopedia Britannica:
Micropaedia. 1991