Wordsworth chose for the subject of his poems the serene setting and the rustic folk because

"in that condition, the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language." This poem is unlike his other poems that typically depict the landscapes of the Lake District. The prescribed poem "Upon Westminster Bridge" reveals the pristine beauty of the city as it is untouched by the multitudes, and the sound and fury of everyday life. The poem, although written in 1802, was published in 1808. The context is Wordsworth's visit to his former French mistress Annette Vallon and their illegitimate daughter, Caroline. His sister, Dorothy Wordsworth accompanied him during the meeting. Although he wanted to marry Vallon in 1791, he had been forced to return to Britain owing to the possibility of war between France and Britain. The Treaty of Amiens (1802) enabled him to travel once again to France. However, by then, time and space had altered relationships. Now, Wordsworth wanted to marry his childhood sweetheart, Mary Hutchinson. Therefore, the primary purpose of the visit was to arrive at a decision regarding Caroline's future. As they travelled by coach to the ship dock, their brief stint at Westminster Bridge enthralled Wordsworth as he was wonderstruck at the glory of London at the crack of dawn. The Octave The poem was penned as a Petrarchan sonnet. It can be classified under his Momentary Poems as it is born out of a specific moment. In the poem, London is apostrophized as a

fair lady, and the sonnet is dedicated to her magnificence. The earth has not "to show" anything more fair. The phrase 'to show' has the meaning 'to showcase'. Besides, it also possesses the meaning 'to boast of'. The aesthetic nature of the same is so captivating that even an ordinary being could not pass untouched by the same; unless he was 'dull'. For, even those without any inherent taste for beauty could fathom this opulence. The sight is not only beautiful but also majestic. It is not only aesthetically inspiring, but emotionally 'touching.' "Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth like a garment wear The beauty of the morning; silent , bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky, All bright and glittering in the smokeless air." It is royalty personified as the city wears a garment of the beauty of the morning. Cleanth Brooks enumerates the paradoxes in the poem in his essay "The Language of Paradox". The organic beauty of Nature is foregrounded in a commercial city. The city wears a garment, yet it is bare. The garment seems to come across as pure as its birthday suit, since it described as 'silent, bare'. The poet may also signify the situation of the city at dawn: bare of the populace and signs of industrialization that mar the serenity of the city. All the

landmarks of civilization lie within its domain, "Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples." All these signify different aspects respectively: transportation, infrastructure, monuments, culture and religion. The city of London is depicted in all three dimensions as it traverses 'the fields', the 'sky' ,and as it shimmers through 'the smokeless air'. The Sestet The sestet marks the change in mood. From sheer contemplation, the poet moves to a mood of declaration. The sun is said to 'steep' or rise in full splendor. The word 'steep' is used to signify the zenith of its reach or height. Like a mountaineer, the sun is personified; he reaches his peak (aim) as signified by the word 'steep'. The satisfaction of the mountaineer-sun is internalized by Wordsworth as he senses 'a calm deep' within. The river is also apostrophized as a person who glides at his own will with a spirit that flows as freely. The poet exclaims that even the houses seem to be sleeping in all tranquility. "Never did the sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!" And the stillness is such that even the mighty heart of London seems to be 'lying still'. That is, the city appears so tranquil and silent that one cannot sense the heartbeats of the mighty

London. The verb 'lying' functions as a pun here. It has a dual implication. London is known as the commercial capital; the city has this label as its identity. The poet asserts that it is 'lying' still, uttering an untruth, as its distinctiveness lies in the serene side of it without the hustle and bustle of city life.

"Composed upon Westminster Bridge" In lines 1 through 8, which together compose a single sentence, the speaker describes what he sees as he stands on Westminster Bridge looking out at the city. He begins by saying that there is nothing "more fair" on Earth than the sight he sees, and that anyone who could pass the spot without stopping to look has a "dull" soul. The poem takes place in the "beauty of the morning," which lies like a blanket over the silent city. He then lists what he sees in the city and mentions that the city seems to have no pollution and lies "Open unto the fields, and to the sky." Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. In lines 9 through 14, the speaker tells the reader that the sun has never shone more beautifully, even on nature ("valley , rock, or hill"), and that he has never seen or felt such deep calm. He goes on to describe the way that the river (which he personifies) glides along at the slow pace it chooses. The poem ends with an exclamation, saying that "the houses seem asleep" and the heart of the city is still. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! Analysis "Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802" is an Italian sonnet, written in iambic pentameter with ten syllables per line. The rhyme scheme of the poem is abbaabbacdcdcd. The poem was actually written about an experience that took place on July 31, 1802 during a trip to France with Wordsworth's sister, Dorothy Wordsworth. The poem begins with a rather shocking statement, especially for a Romantic poet: "Earth has not anything to show more fair." This statement is surprising because Wordsworth is not speaking of nature, but of the city. He goes on to list the beautiful man-made entities therein, such as "Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples." In fact, nature's influence isn't

described until the 7th line, when the speaker relates that the city is "open to the fields, and to the sky." While the city itself may not be a part of nature, it is certainly not in conflict with nature. This becomes even more clear in the next line, when the reader learns that the air is "smokeless" (free from pollution). Wordsworth continues to surprise his reader by saying that the sun has never shone more beautifully, even on natural things. He then personifies the scene, giving life to the sun, the river, the houses, and finally to the whole city, which has a symbolic heart. The reader imagines that the city's heart beats rapidly during the day, while everything and everyone in it is bustling about, but now, in the early morning hours, the city's heart is "lying still." By using personification in his poem, Wordsworth brings a kind of spirit to the city, which is usually seen as a simple construction of rock and metal.