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William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth's poetry exhibits Romantic characteristics and for his treatment
towards romantic elements, he stands supreme and he can be termed a Romantic
poet on a number of reasons. The Romantic Movement of the early nineteenth century
was a revolt against the classical tradition of the eighteenth century; but it was also
marked by certain positive trends. Wordsworth was, of course, a pioneer of the
Romantic Movement of the nineteenth century. With the publication of Lyrical Ballads,
the new trends become more or less established. However, the reasons for why
Wordsworth can be called a Romantic poet are given below:
Imagination: Where the eighteenth century poets used to put emphasis much on wit,
the romantic poets used to put emphasis on imagination. Wordsworth uses imagination
so that the common things could be made to look strange and beautiful through the play
of imagination. In his famous Intimation Ode", it seems to his as to the child "the earth,
and every common sight" seemed "apparelled in celestial light". Here he says,
Moreover, in this poem, we find a sequence of picture through his use of imagery.
Through his imagination he says,
Similarly, in the poem, Tintern Abbey, the poet sees the river, the stream, steep and
lofty cliffs through his imaginative eyes. He was enthusiastically charmed at the joyful
sound of the rolling river. Here he says,
"Once again
Do I behold those steep and lofty cliffs
That on a wild secluded scene impress
Thoughts of more deep seclusion and connect
The landscape with quiet of the sky".
In this poem, the poet seems that the nature has a healing power. Even the recollection
of nature soothes the poet's troubled heart. The poet can feel the existance of nature
through imagination even when he is away from her. He says,
Wordsworth says nature "never did betray the heart that loved her".
Subjectivity: Subjectivity is the key note of Romantic poetry. He expresses his personal
thoughts, feelings through his poems. In Ode: Intimation of Immortality the poet
expresses his own/personal feelings. Here he says that he can't see the celestial light
anymore which he used to see in his childhood. He says,
Nature becomes all in all to the poet. The sounding cataract haunted him like a passion.
Nature was his beloved. He loved only the sensuous beauty of nature. He has also a
philosophy of nature.
Pantheism and mysticism: Pantheism and mysticism are almost interrelated factors in
the Nature poetry of the Romantic period. Wordsworth conceives of a spiritual power
running through all natural objects- the " presence that disturbs me with the low of
elevated thoughts" whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, the rolling ocean. the
living air, the blue sky, and the mind of man (Tintern Abbey)
Humanism: The romantic poets had sincere love for man or rather the spirit of man.
Wordsworth had a superabundant enthusiasm for humanity. He was deeply interested in
the simple village folk and the peasant who live in contact with nature. Wordsworth
showed admiration for the ideals that inspired the French Revolution. Emphasis in
individual freedom is another semantic characteristic. Wordsworth laments for the loss
of power, freedom and virtue of human soul.
Lyricism: Wordsworth is famous for simple fiction, bereft of artificialities and falsity of
emotion. His "Lyrical Ballads" signifies his contention that poetry is the "history or
science of feelings"
In the concluding part, it can be said that Wordsworth was a protagonist in the Romantic
Movement which was at once a revolt and a revival. He shows the positive aspects of
Romanticism with its emphasis on imagination, feeling, emotion, human dignity and
significance of Nature.
Wordsworth shows strong inspiration from nature and the environment around him. His
poem it is a beauteous evening, calm and free is a personal poem written by
Wordsworth which strongly shows his inspiration from nature. As he walks along the
beach he admires the broad sun sinking down in its tranquility. His poetry was very
much inspired by the natural world, which shows that his work was relevant to the
romantic era.
Romanticism (also the Romantic era or the Romantic period) was an artistic, literary,
musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th
century and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850.
Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well
as glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the
classical. It was partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution,[1]the aristocratic social and
political norms of the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific rationalizationof nature.
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It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature, but had a
major impact on historiography,[3]education,[4] and the natural sciences.
Romantic thinkers such as Wordsworth believed that the individual can best
understand themselves and their world when they are isolated from it, apart
from it. The belief that truth and understanding can be understood by the
individual can only happen when the individual is simply that: an individual.
Finally, the expression of the subjective experience is where real truth is
located for Wordsworth and the Romantic thinkers. As opposed to the
Neoclassical period and Enlightenment of scientific inquiry and formal models
that defined existence, the Romantics were animated by the individual and
subjectively emotional experience. When Wordsworth says, "poetry is the
spontaneous overflow of emotions," he deliberately asserts a position that
elevates emotional frames of reference to a higher state than previously
viewed.
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