WILLIAM AND DOROTHY: THE POET AND LUCY

A READING OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "LUCY" POEMS

Elizabeth Gowland

B.A. (Hons.), Simon Fraser University, 1975

THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF ARTS

in the department

0f

English

0 Elizabeth Gowland 1980

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

April, 1980

All rights reserved. This work may not be

reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without permission of the author.
 APPROVAL

Name: E l izabeth Anne GOWLAND

Degree: Master o f Arts

T i t l e o f Thesis: W i l l i a m and Dorothy: The Poet and Lucy

A Reading o f W i l l i a m Wordsworth's "Lucy" Poems

Exami n i ng Commi t t e e :

Chai rperson: Paul Del any

- r - - *.. r T7T -\

Jared C u r t i s ,
Senior Supervisor

Rob Dunham,
Associate Professor

Mason H a r r i s ,
Associate Professor

June Sturrock, External Examiner

Dept. of Continuing Studies, S. F.U.

Date Approved: &5'4.@0

 PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE

I hereby g r a n t t o Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y t h e r i g h t t o lend

my t h e s i s , p r o j e c t o r extended essay ( t h e t i t l e o f which i s shown below)
t o u s e r s o f t h e Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , and t o make p a r t i a l o r
s i n g l e c o p i e s o n l y f o r such u s e r s o r i n response t o a r e q u e s t f r o m t h e
l i b r a r y o f any o t h e r u n i v e r s i t y , o r o t h e r e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n , on
i t s own b e h a l f o r f o r one o f i t s users. I f u r t h e r agree t h a t p e r m i s s i o n
f o r m u l t i p l e c o p y i n g o f t h i s work f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be g r a n t e d
by me o r t h e Dean o f Graduate S t u d i e s . I t i s understood t h a t c o p y i n g
o r p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h i s work f o r f i n a n c i a l g a i n s h a l l n o t be a l l o w e d
w i t h o u t my w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n .

T i t l e o f Thesis/Project/Extended Essay

MILL/ 4~ w b b o R o 7 ~ q :7 PET h ~ LUCY

b

A R~emivb O+ ~ O R ~ W O R T ~ /' LSu c y / POEMS

Author: -
Y s :signature)

A ~ E ; u s i r$9- / q 8 o
(date)
 iii
ABSTRACT

This t h e s i s p r e s e n t s an e x e g e s i s of each of Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems i n

t h e c o n t e x t of t h e p o e t ' s frame of mind during two of t h e most p a i n f u l p e r i o d s

in his life. The f i r s t i s t h e w i n t e r he and h i s sister Dorothy s p e n t i n

Germany i n 1798-1799, when he composed "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known,"

"She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways," "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and

"Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower." The second i s t h e unproductive

p e r i o d t h a t began i n t h e autumn of 1800 and l a s t e d u n t i l t h e end of 1801,

when t h e only new poem Wordsvorth i s known t o have composed i s "I t r a v e l l ' d

among unknown men."

My d i s c u s s i o n o f the poems' b i o g r a p h i c a l background focuses upon t h e

complex n a t u r e and o r i g i n s of Wordsworth's r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s s i s t e r .

During t h e w i n t e r of 1798-1 799 Wordsworth was i n t e n s e l y dependent upon

.........
Dorothy; t h e "Lucy" poems probably emerged o u t of a f a n t a s y about Dorothy's
- / 6 , ' t I , < / '
a'
-
/
death. The same melancholy i n t r o s p e c t i o n t h a t produced P a r t One of t h e two-

p a r t Prelude o f 1798-1799 a l s o produced t h e "Lucy" poems. Similarities

- Home a t Grasmere, which Wordsworth

between t h e e a r l y p a r t of The Recluse,

began i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800, and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men'' suggest t h a t

t h e l a t t e r was generated by Wordsworth's a t t e m p t s t o proceed w i t h t h e long

poem. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" expresses f e e l i n g s t h a t Wordsworth

could n o t t u r n i n t o a d i s c o u r s e on p a s t o r a l l i f e i n t h e s p r i n g of 1801.

wordsworth's r e t u r n t o t h e "Lucy" s e r i e s a t t h i s time s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s

r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r was on h i s mind, a s i t had been i n t h e w i n t e r of

1798-1799 and i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i s simul-

taneously a love poem t o Dorothy and a d e c l a r a t i o n of independence.

The "Lucy" poems e x p l o r e t h e e f f e c t of t h e death of a g i r l upon h e r

l o v e r . The c e n t r a l meaning of t h e poems i s contained i n t h e s p e a k e r ' s response

t o Lucy's d e a t h . The s p e a k e r ' s sorrow c o l o u r s h i s p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l

universe. The joyous v i s i o n o f t h e u n i t y o f t h e u n i v e r s e t h a t Wordsworth

c e l e b r a t e d i n "Lines w r i t t e n a few m i l e s above T i n t e r n Abbey'' i s obscured i n

t h e "Lucy" poems by t h e s p e a k e r ' s s e l f - c e n t r e d g r i e f . Wordsworth's concern

w i t h m u t a b i l i t y i n t h e "Lucy" poems foreshadows t h e i n c r e a s i n g r e l i a n c e upon

God and " t h e f a i t h t h a t l o o k s through death" t h a t h e e x p r e s s e d i n poems such

a s t h e "Ode: I n t i m a t i o n s o f Immortality" and "Resolution and Independence"

a f t e r 1802.
 Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known,
And I w i l l d a r e t o t e l l ,
But i n t h e over's e a r alone, , I If C P J .
What o n c e t o me-b e f e l .
When she I l o v ' d w a s s t r o n g and gay
And l i k e a r o s e i n June,
I t o h e r c o t t a g e bent my way,
Beneath an evening moon.

Upon t h e moon I f i x ' d my eye,

A l l over t h e wide lea;
,
-,
My h o r s e t r u d g ' d on, an$ t~e;drew nigh
Those p a t h s s o d e a r t o me&

And now we reach'd t h e orchard p l o t ,

And, a s we climb'd t h e h i l l ,
Towards t h e roof of Lucy's c o t
The moon descended ( s t i l l .
- / -
.-
r 1 n one of those ~wee
Kind Nature ' s g e n t l e s t boon f
.
lC
t dreams I s l e p t ,
/
'
And, a l l t h e while my eyes I k e p t
On t h e descending moon.

My horse m v e d on; hoof a f t e r hoof

He r a i s ' d and never s t o p p ' d
When down behind t h e c o t t a g e roof
A
--."
-
t once t h e p l a n e t dropp'd.
------

What f o n d , \ a n d w a y w a r d t h o u g h t s w i l l s l i d e f >// ,.
I n t o a Lover's head-- -
<- r, f / . f /I( n< ,,\ (,*,, ' f /
"0 mercy:" t o myself I c r i e d ,
" I f Lucy should be dead!" tq 3 ? f ; ( - -( ,,
 Song

She dwelt among t h ' u n t r o d d e n ways

Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove, --

A Maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e '\ f l

And v e r y few t o l o v e .
J
A V i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half hidden from t h e Eye! -
/
/
--Fair, a s a s t a r when o n l y one , il-
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky: -
She l i v ' d unknown, and few c o u l d know
When Lucy c e a s ' d t o be ;
But s h e i s i n h e r Grave, and, oh!
The d i f f e r e n c e t o m e .
A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l ,
I had no human f e a r s :
She seern'd a t h i s that could not f e e l
-- /
-
/ /

The touch o f e a r t h l y y e a r s .

No motion has she now, no force

She n e i t h e r hears nor sees
Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s diurnal course
With rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s !
 viii

Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower,

Then Nature s a i d , "A l o v e l i e r flower
On e a r t h was never sown;
This Child I t o myself w i l l t a k e ,
She s h a l l be mine, and I w i l l make
A Lady of my own.

Myself w i l l t o my d a r l i n g be
Both law and impulse, and with me
The G i r l i n rock and p l a i n ,
I n e a r t h and heaven, i n glade and bower, Crr I/ 11 /-- I

S h a l l f e e l an o v e r s e e i n 1 power.
To k i n d l e o r r e s t r a x n ;
- , I / ' ( ' f '
1 1 I '), '
She s h a l l be s p o r t i v e a s t h e fawn
That w i l d with g l e e a c r o s s t h e lawn
O r up t h e mountain s p r i n g s ,
And h e r s s h a l l be t h e b r e a t h i n g balm,
And h e r s t h e s i l e n c e and t h e calm
Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s .

The f l o a t i n g clouds t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l l e n d
To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend,
Nor s h a l l she f a i l t o s e e
Even i n t h e motions of t h e storm
A beauty t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy.

The stars of midnight s h a l l be d e a r

To h e r , and s h e s h a l l l e a n h e r e a r
I n many a s e c r e t p l a c e
Where r i v u l e t s dance t h e i r wayward round,
And beauty born of murmuring sound
S h a l l pass i n t o h e r face.

And v i t a l f e e l i n g s of d e l i g h t
S h a l l rear h e r form t o s t a t e l y h e i g h t ,
Her v i r g i n bosom s w e l l ,
Such thoughts t o Lucy I w i l l g i v e
While she and I t o g e t h e r l i v e
Here i n t h i s happy d e l l .

Thus Nature spake -- t h e work was done --

How soon my Lucy's r a c e was run l
She d i e d and l e f t t o me
This h e a t h , t h i s calm, and q u i e t scene,
The memory of what has been,
And nevdr more w i l l be.
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown Men,
I n Lands beyond t h e Sea;
Nor England! d i d I know t i l l then
What l o v e I bore t o t h e e .

' T i s p a s t , t h a t melancholy dream!

Nor w i l l I q u i t thy s h o r e
A second time; f o r s t i l l I seem
To l o v e t h e e more and more.

Among thy mountains d i d I f e e l

The joy of my d e s i r e ;
And s h e I c h e r i s h e d t u r n ' d h e r wheel
Beside a n English f i r e .

'13umrnings '-
shew'd -- thy n i g h t s c o n c e a l ' d
7
The bowers where Lucy p l a y ' d
I_. _ .
And-th.i~.-i-s_~ too, the l a s t green f i e l d
Which Lucy's e y e s surveyed!
 The t e x t s of Wordsworth's "Lucy1' poems t h a t a r e i n c l u d e d h e r e a r e from

L y r i c a l B a l l a d s (1800) and Poems, i n Two Volumes (1807). Unless o t h e r w i s e

n o t e d , a l l o t h e r poems quoted i n t h i s e s s a y are t a k e n from The P o e t i c a l

Works o f William Wordsworth, e d . E r n e s t de S e l i n c o u r t , r e v i s e d by Helen

D a r b i s h i r e , 5 v o l s . (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 1940-1949, v o l . I & I1 r e v .

1952).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Approval page ii

Abstract iii

Quo t a t i o n s v

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2 : GERMANY, 1 7 9 8 - 1 7 9 9
1I
Strange f i t s of passion I have known"

"She dwelt among the untrodden

ways1'

"A slumber did my s p i r i t s e a l "

II
Three years she grew i n sun
and shower"

CHAPTER 3: GRASMERE

"I t rave 11 ' d among unknown men"

CHAPTER 4: CONCLUDING REMARKS

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 -CHAPTER
--- 1: INTRODUCTION

'To s e e t h e o b j e c t as i n i t s e l f i t r e a l l y i s , ' h a s
been j u s t l y s a i d t o be t h e aim o f a l l t r u e c r i t i c i s m
whatever; and i n a e s t h e t i c c r i t i c i s m t h e f i r s t s t e p
towards s e e i n g o n e ' s o b j e c t a s i t r e a l l y i s , i s t o know
o n e ' s own impression a s i t r e a l l y i s , t o d i s c r i m i n a t e i t ,
to realise it distinctly. .. What is t h i s song o r
p i c t u r e , t h i s engaging p e r s o n a l i t y p r e s e n t e d i n l i f e o r
i n a book, t o me? -
-- Walter P a t e r , P r e f a c e t o S t u d i e s
i n t h e H i s t o r y of t h e Renaissance (1873)

T h i s t h e s i s p r e s e n t s a r e a d i n g of t h e "Lucy" poems i n t h e c o n t e x t of

Wordsworth's frame o f mind d u r i n g two of t h e most p a i n f u l p e r i o d s i n h i s l i f e :

t h e l o n e l y w i n t e r t h a t he and h i s s i s t e r Dorothy s p e n t i n Germany i n 1798-

1799, when he composed "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known," "She dwelt

I among t h e untrodden ways ," "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and "Three y e a r s

I
s h e grew i n sun and shower," and t h e unproductive p e r i o d from t h e autumn of

1800 u n t i l t h e end of 1801, when t h e only new poem Wordsworth i s known t o

have composed is "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men. 11 1

I w i l l a r g u e t h a t t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems are t h e p r o d u c t o f

I Wordsworth's deep dependence upon h i s s i s t e r and o f h i s i n a b i l i t y d u r i n g t h e

w i n t e r o f 1798-1799 t o s u s t a i n t h e joyous p e r c e p t i o n of a n o r g a n i c u n i v e r s e

which he had e x p r e s s e d i n "Lines written a few miles above T i n t e r n Abbeyu

only s i x m n t h s e a r l i e r . * They probably emerge o u t o f f a n t a s i e s about

Dorothy's d e a t h t h a t a r e r o o t e d i n wordsworth's-- c h i l d h ~ s d ~ r i -
e s--. o tfh e--- - -
-2_-

I -
d e a t h s o f h i s p a r e n t s . ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sv i s i o n o f a f a d i n g
_ _ away of t h e s e l f

i n t o a "sense sublime" o f "A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t i m p e l s / A l l t h i n k i n g

t h i n g s , a l l o b j e c t s o f a l l t h o u g h t , / And r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s " i n

" T i n t e r n ~ b b & y "i s overshadowed i n t h e "Lucy" poems by t h e s p e a k e r ' s g r i e f .

These poems e x p l o r e a c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h d e a t h , t h e end of p h y s i c a l b e i n g .

 They e x p r e s s t h e dilemma of m u t a b i l i t y and s u g g e s t a need i n Wordsworth t h a t

was l a t e r met by a s t r o n g Anglican f a i t h . Thus t h e y foreshadow Wordsworth's

anguished d e s i r e f o r t h e a s s u r a n c e o f f e r e d by an o r t h o d o x C h r i s t i a n i t y o f
3
"--.a n o t h e r and a -b e t t e r world" upon t h e d e a t h o f h i s b r o t h e r John i n 1805.

l o v e r , t h e "Lucy" poems may be s a i d ~ ! l f a l l o w t h e f l u x e s and r e f l u x e s o f t h e

-.

4
mind when a g i t a t e d by t h e g r e a t and simple a f f e c t i o n s o f o u r n a t u r e . " d % e

-poems echo----and i l l u m i n a t e each

--
o t h e r and t h i s---.---l_-___l
_______ _ -_._._I__--___ cumulative e f f e c t is-- gnhanced

by t h e i r arrangement a s a group. The f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems were o r i g i n a l l y

- -. ----- - ---_I___-- ---
p u b l i s h e d i n Volume I1 o f t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s , where "Strange

f i t s o f p a s s i o n , " "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" and "A slumber d i d my

s p i r i t seal" a r e placed together, i n t h a t order. "Three s h e grew"

f o l l o w s more than e i g h t y pages l a t e r , where i t is p l a c e d a f t e r "Ruth," t h r e e

o f t h e "Mathew" poems and "Nutting" ( t h e s e poems were a l s o composed i n Germany).

The sequence of t h e s e poems c r e a t e s a mounting s e n s e o f l o n e l i n e s s amd l o s s ;

__ --_ _ _ -

set a g a i n s t- t -h e backdrop of n a t u r e , i n which "Three_ y e a r s s h e g~e_w~~l._pilrticipa~t~.

- ---.
~~ I---

T h i s arrangement s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth was aware o f t h e t h e m a t i c u n i t y o f

much o f t h e p o e t r y he composed d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d , and p r e f i g u r i n g t h e group o f

poems c l a s s e d a s "Moods o f My Own ~ i n d "i n 1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes, a l s o

s u g g e s t s t h a t he was a l r e a d y b e g i n n i n g t o t h i n k o f h i s s h o r t poems a s p a r t s o f
5
a l a r g e r work. The 1800 arrangement o f t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems f o l l o w s

t h e i r p r o b a b l e o r d e r o f composition and i t w i l l , t h e r e f o r e , be t h e o r d e r t h a t

i s followed i n t h i s e x e g e s i s o f t h e poems.

I n A p r i l , 1801, Wordsworth i n c l u d e d a copy of "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown

men" i n a l e t t e r t o Mary Hutchinson with t h e i n s t r u c t i o n t h a t t h i s poem w a s t o

6
be read a f ter "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways." W e may conclude, t h e r e -

f o r e , t h a t t h i s poem was composed two y e a r s a f t e r t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems,

i n Grasmere. Such an assumption is s u p p o r t e d by t h e t e x t o f "I t r a v e l l ' d

 3

among unknown men": t h e poem i s w r i t t e n i n r e t r o s p e c t , seemingly r e c a l l i n g

Wordsworth's s t a y i n Germany, and t h e mood i n which he wrote t h e o t h e r "Lucy"

poems, a s a "melancholy dream" t h a t i s now p a s t . I n t h i s poem Wordsworth

o f f e r s a t r i b u t e t o h i s love f o r Dorothy, t h e source of much of h i s f e e l i n g

f o r the English landscape, b u t a t t h e same t i m e he d e c l a r e s h i s independence

from h e r . A t home i n Grasmere, Wordsworth's need of Dorothy became l e s s

i n t e n s e than i t had been i n Germany. When they f i r s t a r r i v e d i n Grasmere a t

t h e end of 1799, Wordsworth was wholly coranited t o a l i f e shared with h i s

s i s t e r and h e gave voice t o t h i s commitment i n t h e e a r l y p a r t of The Recluse,

Home a t Grasmere which he began t o compose i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800. But by 1801,

Wordsworth had begun t o t u r n away from Dorothy, and perhaps t o a l r e a d y e n t e r -

t a i n thoughts of marrying Mary Hutchinson.

11
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was n o t published u n t i l 1807 when i t

appeared i n Poems, i n Two Volumes t o g e t h e r with a n o t h e r poem about Lucy,

"Amng a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been. 117 I,

I t r a v e l 1 ' d among unknown men"

appeared with t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems f o r t h e f i r s t time i n 1815 i n -Poems

9

where i t followed "Strange f i t s of passion" and "She d u e l t among t h e untrodden

ways" i n t h e c l a s s c a l l e d "Poems on t h e A f f e c t i o n s . " This i s t h e p o s i t i o n i n

which Wordsworth s u g g e s t s t h a t t h i s poem be read i n h i s l e t t e r t o Mary

Hutchinson. "Three y e a r s she grew" and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " appear

i n t h a t o r d e r , i n "Poems of t h e Imagination" i n Poems. I w i l l d i s c u s s "I

t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i n a s e p a r a t e c h a p t e r from t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems,

i n t h e context of wordsworth's l i f e i n Grasmere.

I have taken a b i o g r a p h i c a l approach t o t h e "Lucy" poems because of t h e

emotional chord t h a t they s t r i k e i n me. The poems seem t o be deeply personal

and a s my i n t ~ r e s ti n them grew I found t h a t my i n t e r e s t i n t h e man behind

them a l s o grew: I wanted t o know more about t h e v o i c e I heard speaking t o me

 4

through t h e s e poems. The "Lucy" p o e m a r e , f o r m e , a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a very

powerful and d i s t u r b i n g dream I r e c e n t l y had i n which I w a s wrappiig my

mother i n h e r shroud. My mother, who was s t i l l c o n s c i o u s , was h e l p i n g me by

t e l l i n g me what t o do as I wrapped t h e m a t e r i a l around h e r . Most v i v i d were

my f e e l i n g s of a n g u i s h and d r e a d as I g o t c l o s e r t o t h e moment a t which I

would have t o c o v e r h e r f a c e , when s h e would no l o n g e r b e a b l e t o speak t o m e

and t o comfort me. I p e r c e i v e s i m i l a r b e r e f t and a n x i o u s f e e l i n g s i n Words-

w o r t h ' s "Lucy" poems. Although I have t r i e d t o document any a s s e r t i o n s I

make about Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s o r p e r s o n a l i t y , I have had t o r e a d between

l i n e s and my argument f i n a l l y r e s t s upon i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . Because t h e poems

mean c e r t a i n t h i n g s t o me, I have perhaps tended t o look f o r c o r r e s p o n d i n g

meanings i n Wordsworth's l i f e . It may be t h a t t h i s t h e s i s u b t i ~ m a t e lr ~

eveals

more about me t h a n i t t r u l y i l l u m i n a t e s Wordsworth's l i f e and p o e t r y .

In -
L i t e r a r y B i o g r a p h l Leon Edel p o i n t s o u t t h a t "a b i o g r a p h e r can s e t

f o r t h t h e d a t a he h a s g a t h e r e d and s t u d i e d o n l y i n t h e l i g h t of h i s own

understanding. ... He had taken i n t o h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s a g r e a t many docu-

ments about a n o t h e r ' s l i f e . And t h e book t h a t w i l l emerge w i l l b e -

h i s vision,

-
h i s arrangement, his p i c t u r e . " 8 I n refa acing my t h e s i s w i t h t h e s e o b s e r v a t i o n s

I have been i n f l u e n c e d by David B l e i c h ' s warning i n h i s book S u b j e c t i v e C r i t i -

-
cism t h a t "No m a t t e r how f u l l . . . a portrait may seem. . . and no m a t t e r how

c e r t a i n one i s of t h e s u p p o r t i n g a r t i f a c t s , t h e r e i s no f i n a l way t o d e c i d e

t h a t a p a r t i c u l a r b i o g r a p h i c a l f o r m u l a t i o n o f an a u t h o r ' s l i f e o r p e r s o n a l i t y

is o b j e c t i v e l y true."() The Wordsworth I now f e e l I know may o r may n o t b e a r

a profound resemblance t o t h e h i s t o r i c a l Wordsworth. However, my a p p r e c i a t i o n

of t h e "Lucy" poems h a s been markedly enhanced by f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h t h e circum-

s t a n c e s i n w t i c h they were w r i t t e n . My understanding o f t h e poems and of my

own r e s p o n s e s t o them have been c l a r i f i e d by l e a r n i n g a b o u t t h e p o e t ' s l i f e .

 Because I a g r e e w i t h David B l e i c h ' s s t a n c e t h a t a l l e x p l a n a t i o n s o f
1

1 . i t e r a r y works a r e i n t e r p r e t a t i v e and s u b j e c t i v e , I do n o t deny t h e v a l i d i t y

o f o t h e r c r i t i c a l approaches t o t h e "Lucyu poems. I n s t e a d , I would o b s e r v e

t h a t each c r i t i c f i n d s and b r i n g s o u t i n h i s r e a d i n g s t h a t which i s most

i m p o r t a n t t o him o r t o h e r . F o r example, Geoffrey Durrant f i n d s i t s i g n i f i c a n t

t h a t "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " s h o u l d be s e n t "by a mathematician-poet to a

philosopher-poet, i n t h e hope t h a t i t might 'amuse' him." In h i s a r t i c l e

" ~ e n o ' s Arrow: Time and Motion i n Two o f wordsworth's Lucy Poems," Durrant

d i s c u s s e s "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n " and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " i n a

p h i l o s o p h i c a l and h i s t o r i c a l c o n t e x t and he s t r e s s e s t h e i n f l u e n c e o f Newtonian

p h y s i c s on Wordsworth which he p e r c e i v e s i n b o t h o f t h e s e poems. lo 1n

--
Wordsworth's P o e t r y 1787-1814 Geoffrey Hartman f i n d s t h a t "Strange f i t s o f

passion" i s concerned w i t h t h e growth of t h e Wordsworthian i m a g i n a t i o n , which

Hartman d e f i n e s a s "consciousness of s e l f r a i s e d t o an a p o c a l y p t i c p i t c h . 1111

I n h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e poem Hartman i d e n t i f i e s Lucy w i t h t h e moon -- for

him, t h i s i s t h e c e n t r e of t h e poem: "Lucy, by t h e very f a c t of b e i n g l o v e d ,

i s something more than h e r s e l f , becomes a landscape even. . . and may n o t

appear a s only a person. The unconscious y e t n a t u r a l t r a n s f e r from Lucy t o

t h e moon. . . denotes t h e power of l o v e t o draw t h e s e l f o u t o f i t s e l f . . . . 12 I1

I n my e x e g e s i s of t h i s poem, on t h e o t h e r hand, I s u g g e s t t h a t t h e moon r e p r e -

s e n t s t h e power o f n a t u r e o v e r man. Throughout my d i s c u s s i o n of t h e "Lucy"

poems I emphasize t h e s p e a k e r ' s p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l world, which i s

coloured by h i s response t o t h e d e a t h o f Lucy. I f e e l t h a t t h e s e poems a r e

-

about l o s s and g r i e f : f o r me, t h e i r meaning is c o n t a i n e d i n t h e s p e a k e r ' s

f e e l i n g s about Lucy's d e a t h .

Hartman P e g i n s h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f Wordsworth's i m a g i n a t i o n by r e f e r r i n g t o

t h e P r e f a c e t o t h e 1800 e d i t i o n of L y r i c a l B a l l a d s i n which Wordsworth

emphasizes t h a t i t was h i s i n t e n t i o n t h a t i n t h e s e poems t h e f e e l i n g s h o u l d

 6

"give importance t o t h e a c t i o n and t h e s i t u a t i o n and n o t t h e a c t i o n and t h e

s i t u a t i o n to the feeling. "I3 Hartman goes on t o s u g g e s t t h a t we, c o n s i d e r t h e

Romantic l y r i c "as a development o f t h e surmise which t u r n e d a l l terms

d e s c r i p t i v e of m d e i n t o terms d e s c r i p t i v e o f mood."14 F e e l i n g and mood a r e

words t h a t I u s e o f t e n i n t h i s t h e s i s . For me as w e l l as for Hartman, t h e

"Lucy" poems a r e a b o u t f e e l i n g . My i n c l i n a t i o n h a s been t o look f o r t h e

s o u r c e o f t h a t f e e l i n g by t u r n i n g t o t h e p e r s o n a l d e t a i l s o f t h e p o e t ' s l i f e .
CHAPTER 2: GERMANY, 1798-1799

Wordsworth composed t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucy" poems -- "Strange f i t s of

p a s s i o n , " "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t

4eal" -- d u r i n g h i s s t a y i n G o s l a r , Germany, from October 6 , 1798, u n t i l

February 23, 1799.15 E a r l y v e r s i o n s o f "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " and "She

dwelt among t h e untrodden ways," t o g e t h e r w i t h a d r a f t o f "Nutting" and two

fragments t h a t were l a t e r i n t e g r a t e d i n t o The P r e l u d e , t h e e p i s o d e s about

t h e s t o l e n b o a t and " s k a i t i n g " (I: 81-129 and 150-185, 1798-1799 t e x t ) , were

i n c l u d e d i n a l e t t e r s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from G o s l a r by William and Dorothy

Wordsworth i n e i t h e r December 1798 o r J a n u a r y 1799. l6 Although no l e t t e r

s u r v i v e s , a n o t h e r w a s presumably s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e around t h e same time

c o n t a i n i n g "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal." A l e t t e r from C o l e r i d g e t o Thomas

Poole d a t e d A p r i l 6 , 1799, i n c l u d e d t h e t e x t o f t h i s poem which C o l e r i d g e

d e s c r i b e d as "a most sublime e p i t a p h " r e c e i v e d from Wordsworth "some months

ago. "17 The image of " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course" i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t

seal" i s r e m i n i s c e n t o f Wordsworth's r e c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e c l i f f s c o n t i n u i n g t o

wheel by h i s boyhood s e l f a f t e r he comes t o a sudden s t o p i n t h e " s k a i t i n g "

fragment. Wordsworth a l s o r e f e r s t o t h e e a r t h ' s " d i u r n a l round" i n t h a t

fragment. These similarities s u g g e s t t h a t t h e two p i e c e s o f p o e t r y were

composed c o n c u r r e n t l y and t h e r e f o r e a l l o w a more d e f i n i t e d a t i n g o f "A

slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal" t h a n could o t h e r w i s e be made from C o l e r i d g e ' s

vague r e f e r e n c e .
According t o a n o t e which Wordsworth d i c t a t e d t o I s a b e l l a Fenwick i n

1842-1843,18 "Three y e a r s s h e grew" was composed i n t h e s p r i n g of 1799, a f t e r

he and Dorothy had l e f t G o s l a r on a walking t o u r o f t h e Hartz F o r e s t , around

February 23-27, 1799.19 The l a v i s h imagery o f t h i s poem, i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e

s p a r e n e s s o f t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucyu poems, does indeed evoke t h e r e l i e f t h e

Wordsworths f e l t a t t h e end of the b i t t e r l y c o l d w i n t e r they had e x p e r i e n c e d

a t Goslar: Dorothy wrote t o C o l e r i d g e about t h e i r walking t o u r , "We observed

t h a t t h e b r i l l i a n t green of t h e earth-moss under t h e t r e e s made o u r e y e s ache

a f t e r b e i n g s o l o n g accustomed t o t h e snow. @120 However, t h e melancholy mood

i n which Wordsworth wrote t h e o t h e r poems s t i l l dominates "Three y e a r s she

grew." T h i s poem emphasized man's powerlessness a g a i n s t t h e f o r c e s of

I1
Nature ."
The Goslar e x p e r i e n c e had been an unhappy one: a s w e l l as suffering

from t h e i n t e n s e c o l d , t h e Wordsworths f e l t i s o l a t e d from t h e i r f r i e n d s and

family and i n c r e a s i n g l y a l i e n a t e d from t h e i r German neighbours. Dorothy

described t h e i r s i t u a t i o n i n a , l e t t e r t o h e r b r o t h e r Christopher s e n t a t the

beginning of February 1799 :

For more than two months p a s t we have i n t e n d e d q u i t t i n g

Goslar i n t h e c o u r s e of each week, b u t we have been s o
f r i g h t e n e d by t h e c o l d s e a s o n , t h e d r e a d f u l r o a d s , and t h e
uncovered c a r t s t h a t w e needed no o t h e r motives. .. to
induce u s t o l i n g e r h e r e . W e have had a s u c c e s s i o n of
e x c e s s i v e l y s e v e r e weather. .. and t h e c o l d of Christmas
day h a s n o t been e q u a l l e d even i n t h i s c l i m a t e d u r i n g t h e
l a s t c e n t u r y . I t was s o e x c e s s i v e t h a t when we l e f t t h e
room where we s i t we were o b l i g e d t o wrap o u t s e l v e s up i n
g r e a t c o a t s e t c . i n o r d e r n o t t o s u f f e r much p a i n from t h e
t r a n s i t i o n , though we o n l y went i n t o t h e n e x t room o r down-
s t a i r s f o r a few minutes. .. G o s l a r i s n o t a p l a c e where i t
i s p o s s i b l e t o s e e a n y t h i n g of t h e manners of t h e more
c u l t i v a t e d Germans, o r of t h e h i g h e r c l a s s e s . Its i n h a b i t a n t s
a r e a l l p e t t y t r a d e s p e o p l e : i n g e n e r a l a low and s e l f i s h r a c e ;
i n t e n t upon g a i n , and p e r p e t u a l l y of c o u r s e d i s a p p o i n t e d .
They cannot f i n d i t i n t h e i r h e a r t s t o a s k o f a s t r a n g e r a
f a i r p r i c e f o r t h e i r goods. .. Be very p a r t i c u l a r i n your
accounts of what you a r e , and have been doing. Every t h i n g
is interesting a t t h i s distance. 2 1

wordsworth's assessment o f h i s s t a y abroad as a "melancholy dream" i n

"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" echoes a d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s p h y s i c a l and

.
emotional c o n d i t i o n s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from Goslar with t h e c o p i e s o f "Strange

f i t s of passion'' and "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways":

 A s I have had no books I have been o b l i g e d t o w r i t e
i n self-defense. I s h o u l d have w r i t t e n f i v e t i m e s as much
a s I have done b u t t h a t I am p r e v e n t e d by an u n e a s i n e s s a t
my stomach and s i d e , w i t h a d u l l p a i n a b o u t my h e a r t . I
have used t h e word p a i n , b u t u n e a s i n e s s and h e a t are words
which more a c c u r a t e l y d e s c r i b e my f e e l i n g -- a t a l l e v e n t s
i t renders w r i t i n g unpleasant. Reading i s now become a
k i n d of l u x u r y t o me. When I do n o t r e a d I a m a b s o l u t e l y
consumed by t h i n k i n g and f e e l i n g and b o d i l y e x e r t i o n s of
v o i c e o r of l i m b s , t h e consequence o f t h o s e f e e l i n g s .

Wordsworth's d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s c o n d i t i o n and i t s r e l a t i o n t o h i s work i n t h i s

l e t t e r s u g g e s t s t h a t he endeavoured t o f i n d a r e l e a s e f o r t h e t h o u g h t s and

f e e l i n g s t h a t consumed him d u r i n g t h i s time by t u r n i n g them i n t o p o e t r y .

S e v e r a l y e a r s l a t e r , Wordsworth d e s c r i b e d t h e calming e f f e c t o f h i s p o e t r y

on h i s f e e l i n g s i n t h e "Ode: I n t i m a t i o n s o f I m m o r t a l i t y from R e c o l l e c t i o n s

o f E a r l y Childhood" (composed 1802-1804):

To m e a l o n e t h e r e came a thought o f g r i e f r
A t i m e l y u t t e r a n c e gave t h a t thought r e l i e f ,
And I a g a i n am s t r o n g .

S i m i l a r l y , i n 1798 Wordsworth's w r i t i n g seems t o have a c t e d as a c a t h a r s i s ,

a l t h o u g h h e s a y s t h a t he was o f t e n s o overcome by "uneasiness" and p a i n t h a t

he w a s unable t o work. N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h i s was a v e r y p r o d u c t i v e time f o r

Wordsworth. During t h e w i n t e r and s p r i n g of 1798-1799 he composed numerous

s h o r t poems i n c l u d i n g "Lucy Gray , I 8 "Ruth ," "A P o e t ' s E p i t a p h , " "The Fountain,"

"The Two A p r i l Mornings," "Matthew," "To a Sexton," "Nutting," "There w a s a

Boy," "Written i n Germany on one of t h e c o l d e s t days o f t h e c e n t u r y , " and t h e

f o u r "Lucy" poems. H e a l s o composed P a r t One o f t h e two p a r t P r e l u d e o f

The i s o l a t i o n a t G o s l a r seems t o have f l o o d e d Wordsworth's mind w i t h

memories: i n s t e a d of c o n t i n u i n g w i t h The Recluse, t h e g r e a t work he and

C o l e r i d g e had mapped o u t e a r l i e r i n 1798 a t ~ l f o x d e n Wordsworth

,~~ began t o

compose a p r e f a c e t o i t , The P r e l u d e , i n which he used t h e s e memories t o

t r a c e " t h e growth o f mental power / And l o v e o f N a t u r e ' s work" (I: 257-258,

 1798-99). Stephen P a r r i s h views t h e i s o l a t i o n a t G o s l a r a s v i t a l t o t h e com-

p o s i t i o n o f The P r e l u-
d e i n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e 1798-1799 t e x t . 2 3 However,

t h e "wondering and t h a n k f u l tones" P a r r i s h p e r c e i v e s i n t h e poem seem t o me t o

be imposed upon memories t h a t a r e d i s t u r b i n g and t e r r i b l e . A t t h e conclusion

of P a r t One, Wordsworth a s k s

need I d r e a d from t h e e
Harsh judgements i f I am s o l o t h t o q u i t
Those r e c o l l e c t e d h o u r s t h a t have t h e charm
Of v i s i o n a r y t h i n g s , and l o v e l y forms
And sweet s e n s a t i o n s t h a t throw back o u r l i f e
And make o u r i n f a n c y a v i s i b l e s c e n e
On which t h e sun i s s h i n i n g ? (I: 448-464)

But t h i s sumd.ng up seems a t odds w i t h t h e memories t h a t have a c t u a l l y s u r f a c e d

i n t h e c o u r s e of t h e poem.

A t t h e c l i m a x of P a r t One, t h e " s p o t s o f time" p a s s a g e (I: 258-374),

9

Wordsworth r e c a l l s t h r e e childhood e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t had profound and l a s t i n g

e f f e c t s upon him. I n t h e f i r s t e p i s o d e a n atmosphere of f o r e b o d i n g o r of

" b r e a t h l e s s s t i l l n e s s " i s broken by t h e sudden appearance of t h e drowned man

from beneath t h e s u r f a c e of E s t h w a i t e Lake. I n t h e e p i s o d e of t h e mouldered

g i b b e t t h e young Wordsworth i s p a r t e d from h i s a d u l t companion and h i s f e a r

seems t o l e a d him t o t h e g i b b e t mast and "a l o n g g r e e n r i d g e of t u r f . ../

t Whose shape was l i k e a grave" (312-313). Turning t o l e a v e t h i s s p o t , h e sees

I a g i r l s t r u g g l i n g a g a i n s t t h e wind t o reach t h e "naked p o o l t h a t l a y beneath

1 the h i l l s . " The p o e t comments,

It was i n t r u t h
An o r d i n a r y s i g h t b u t I s h o u l d need
Colours and words t h a t a r e unknown t o man
To p a i n t t h e v i s i o n a r y d r e a r i n e s s
Which, w h i l e I looked a l l round f o r my l o s t g u i d e ,
Did, a t t h a t t i m e , i n v e s t t h e naked p o o l ,
The beacon on t h e l o n e l y eminence,
The woman and h e r garments vexed and t o s s e d
By f h e s t r o n g wind. (312-327)
In t h e t h i r d scene Wordsworth r e c a l l s watching f o r t h e h o r s e s t h a t were t o

t a k e him and h i s b r o t h e r s home from s c h o o l f o r t h e Christmas h o l i d a y s :

Thither I repaired
Up t o t h e h i g h e s t sum mi^, 'twas a day
Stormy and rough, and w i l d , and on t h e g r a s s
I s a t e , h a l f - s h e l t e r e d by a naked w a l l ;
Upon my r i g h t hand was a s i n g l e s h e e p ,
A w h i s t l i n g hawthorn on my l e f t , and t h e r e ,
Those two companions a t my s i d e , I watched
With e y e s i n t e n s e l y s t r a i n i n g a s t h e m i s t
Gave i n t e r m i t t e n t p r o s p e c t s of t h e wood
And p l a i n beneath ( 3 4 0 - 3 4 9 )

During t h e h o l i d a y s Wordsworth's f a t h e r d i e d , and i n h i s g r i e f and bewilder-

ment t h e boy concluded t h a t h i s f a t h e r ' s death was a "chastisement" f o r h i s

s e l f i s h a n t i c i p a t i o n of t h e h o l i d a y s :

when I c a l l e d t o mind
That day s o l a t e l y passed when from t h e c r a g
I looked i n such a n x i e t y of hope,
With t r i t e r e f l e c t i o n s of m o r a l i t y
Y e t w i t h t h e d e e p e s t p a s s i o n I bowed low
To God, who t h u s c o r r e c t e d my d e s i r e s . ...
( 355-3601

Each of t h e s e gloomy e p i s o d e s is concerned with t h e e f f e c t of an en-

c o u n t e r w i t h d e a t h upon Wordsworth's childhood s e l f . They a r e f i l l e d w i t h

t e r r o r , l o n e l i n e s s and g u i l t . The e p i s o d e s b u i l d i n f o r c e a s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

involvement i n c r e a s e s : t h e t h i r d and most powerful memory combines t h e

atmosphere of foreboding and t h e l o n e l y " v i s i o n a r y d r e a r i n e s s " o f t h e o t h e r

s c e n e s t o g i v e t h e s e f e e l i n g s a d i r e c t , p e r s o n a l meaning. The n a r r a t o r i s no

l o n g e r an o n l o o k e r ; i n s t e a d of a s t r a n g e r , i t is h i s f a t h e r who i s dead. The

memory of "the wind and s l e e t y r a i n . . . the b l e a k music of t h a t o l d s t o n e

w a l l , " Wordsworth t e l l s us, was one t h a t he o f t e n r e t u r n e d t o , t o "drink / A s

a t a f o u n t a i n " o r t o r e f r e s h h i s s e n s e of g u i l t about h i s f a t h e r ' s d e a t h .

T h i s memory, he b e l i e v e s , h a s c o n t i n u e d t o r e v e r b e r a t e i n h i s subconscious
0

mind and h a s deep c o n n e c t i o n s w i t h t h e growth of h i s mental o r i m a g i n a t i v e

power :
 I do n o t doubt
T h a t i n t h i s l a t e r time when s t o r m and r a i n
Beat on my roof a t m i d n i g h t , o r by day
When I am i n t h e woods, unknown t o m e
The workings of my s p i r i t t h e n c e a r e b r o u g h t .
(370-374)

Wordsworth's a p p a r e n t l y i d y l l i c e a r l y c h i l d h o o d w a s t r a g i c a l l y d i s r u p t e d

by t h e d e a t h o f h i s mother i n 1778, when h e was less t h a n e i g h t y e a r s o l d .

The young Wordsworth f a m i l y was s u b s e q u e n t l y broken up when Dorothy was s e n t

t o l i v e w i t h h e r m o t h e r ' s c o u s i n a n d h e r b r o t h e r s were p l a c e d under t h e r i g i d ,

unsympathetic c a r e o f t h e i r maternal grandparents, o n l y r e t u r n i n g t o t h e i r

f a t h e r ' s home f o r h o l i d a y s . Wordsworth's f a t h e r , John Wordsworth, had been a

busy man who d o e s n o t seem t o have h a d much time t o s p e n d w i t h h i s c h i l d r e n .

I n h e r b i o g r a p h y o f Wordsworth,Mary Moorman s u g g e s t s t h a t when John Wordsworth

d i e d f i v e y e a r s l a t e r , i n 1783, "The r e a l l o s s s u s t a i n e d by t h e Wordsworth

children. . . was p e r h a p s l e s s t h a t o f a b e l o v e d p e r s o n t h a n o f a happy

home. ... During t h e two o r t h r e e f o l l o w i n g y e a r s t h e c o n t r a s t between

l i f e a t Cockermouth a n d l i f e w i t h t h e i r unloved g r a n d p a r e n t s a t P e n r i t h w a s

bitter. . . ."24 The g u i l t f e e l i n g s Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s i n The P r e l u d e

p e r h a p s d e r i v e d from a s e n s e of r e s e n t m e n t t o w a r d s a f a t h e r who seemed t o have

abandoned him.

Dorothy and h e r b r o t h e r s were r e u n i t e d i n t h e summer o f 1787 when s h e t o o

came t o l i v e w i t h t h e i r g r a n d p a r e n t s . A t t h i s t i m e she and William rediscovered

t h e l o v i n g a f f i n i t y t h e y had s h a r e d a s s m a l l c h i l d r e n . A poem from t h i s

p e r i o d , "The Vale o f E s t h w a i t e , " c e l e b r a t e s Wordsworth's renewed l o v e f o r h i s

sister i n a p a s s a g e which b e g i n s w i t h a r e c o l l e c t i o n o f h i s f a t h e r ' s d e a t h

t h a t seems a n e a r l y v e r s i o n o f t h e " s p o t s of t i m e " p a s s a g e from t h e 1798-1799

~ r e l u d e . ' ~ The p o e t t h e n moves t o r o m a n t i c s p e c u l a t i o n s a b o u t h i s own d e a t h .

Imagining h i m k e l f upon h i s d e a t h b e d w i t h o u t t h e c o m f o r t o f "a m o t h e r ' s arm,"

h e t u r n s t o h i s sister:
 For I must n e v e r s h a r e
A tender p a r e n t ' s guardian c a r e ;
S u r e , from t h e w o r l d ' s unkind a l a r m ,
R e t u r n i n g t o a m o t h e r ' s arm,
Mist-eyes awhile u p r a i s e t h e head
E l s e - s i n k i n g t o D e a t h ' s j o y l e s s bed,
And when by p a i n , by Death d e p r e s s e d
Ah! s u r e i t g e n t l e r s i n k s t o r e s t .
A s when a B a l l , h i s d a r l i n g t o y ,
Tossed upward by some w a t c h f u l boy
Meets i n i t s q u i c k d e c l i n i n g c o u r s e
The well-known hand t h a t gave i t f o r c e ,
S p r i n g s up a g a i n w i t h f e e b l e bound
Then s o f t e r f a l l s upon t h e ground.
S i s t e r , f o r whom I f e e l a l o v e
What warms a B r o t h e r f a r above,
On you, a s s a d s h e marks t h e s c e n e ,
Why does my h e a r t s o fondly l e a n ?
Why b u t because i n you i s g i v e n
A l l , a l l my s o u l would wish from Heaven?
Why b u t because I f o n d l y view
A l l , a l l t h a t Heaven h a s claimed, i n you?

I have s t r o n g r e s e r v a t i o n s about F.W. Bateson's hypothesis of an inces-

tuous l o v e between William and Dorothy Wordsworth. H i s argument t h a t they

were w e l l aware of t h e dangerous n a t u r e of t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p does n o t con-

v i n c e m e , b u t some of h i s p o i n t s a r e well-taken: t h e i n t e n s i t y of t h e f e e l i n g s

t h e Wordsworths had f o r each o t h e r i s r e a d i l y a p p a r e n t from W i l l i a m ' s p o e t r y

26
and from Dorothy's j o u r n a l s . However, t h e i r l o v e f o r each o t h e r i s , I f e e l ,

e x p r e s s e d with a n innocence t h a t is perhaps no l o n g e r p o s s i b l e i n t h i s p o s t -

Freudian age. There may very w e l l have been a s e x u a l element i n t h e i r r e l a -

tionship -- a f t e r b e i n g p a r t e d i n c h i l d h o o d , t h e y met a g a i n a s a d u l t s and

almost as s t r a n g e r s -- l i k e t h e legend of t h e hermaphrodite i n P l a t o ' s

Symposium, two h a l v e s t o make t h e p e r f e c t whole. But I do n o t t h i n k t h a t such

a n a t t r a c t i o n between them was e v e r a d m i t t e d o r even t h a t t h e y were c o n s c i o u s l y

aware o f i t . Wordsworth's marriage t o Mary Hutchinson i n 1802 seems a repudia-

t i o n of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p h e h a d w i t h h i s s i s t e r , f o r Dorothy and William

Wordsworth's e l a t i o n s h i p was i n many ways l i k e a marriage: t h e sense of

c l o s e n e s s and companionship they s h a r e d , t h e i r commitment t o a l i f e t o g e t h e r

 and t o William's p o e t r y s u g g e s t S h a k e s p e a r e ' s "marriage of t r u e minds." But

i n c o n t r a s t t o h i s a f f a i r w i t h Annette Vallon and t h e a n x i e t y and f r u s t r a t i o n

Wordsworth must have f e l t a t b e i n g p r e v e n t e d , o s t e n s i b l y by c i r c u m s t a n c e s ,

from t a k i n g any r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e i r c h i l d , 2 7 h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h

Dorothy allowed Wordsworth t o r e c o v e r something of t h e b l i s s f u l s e c u r i t y of

h i s e a r l y childhood. The i n t e n s i t y o f h i s l o v e f o r h i s s i s t e r probably had

i t s s o u r c e i n Wordsworth's g r i e f a t t h e d e a t h s of h i s p a r e n t s w h i l e he was a

child: t h e v o i d t h a t t h e i r d e a t h s l e f t , e s p e c i a l l y h i s m o t h e r ' s , was now

f i l l e d by Dorothy.

I n t h e l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole i n which C o l e r i d g e e n c l o s e d a copy of "A

slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l , " C o l e r i d g e commented t h a t t h e poem l i k e l y o r i g i n -

a t e d i n a f a n t a s y about t h e d e a t h of Dorothy Wordsworth:

Oh! t h i s s t r a n g e , s t r a n g e scene-;hi f t e r ,
Death! t h a t g i d d i e s one with i n s e c u r i t y , and s o
u n s u b s t a n t i a t e s t h e l i v i n g Things t h a t one h a s
g r a s p e d and handled! / Some months ago Wordsworth
t r a n s m i t t e d t o m e a most sublime E p i t a p h / whether
i t had any r e a l i t y , I cannot say.-- Most p r o b a b l y ,
i n some gloomier moment he had f a n c i e d t h e moment
i n which h i s s i s t e r might d i e . 2 8

Many c r i t i c s a r e i n c l i n e d t o d i s c o u n t t h i s remark, a r g u i n g t h a t t o i n s i s t upon

a real i d e n t i t y f o r Lucy a s Dorothy -- o r a s Annette Vallon o r a childhood

sweetheart -- i s t o be r e d u c t i v e and i r r e l e ~ a n t . ~ ' But g i v e n C o l e r i d g e ' s

c l o s e f r i e n d s h i p w i t h t h e Wordsworths and h i s awareness of t h e i r s i t u a t i o n i n

G o s l a r , h i s remark does seem t o me t o p r o v i d e a v a l u a b l e i n s i g h t i n t o t h e mood

i n which Wordsworth might have begun t h e "Lucy" series. I n Wordsworth's

d e p r e s s e d s t a t e d u r i n g t h a t t e r r i b l e w i n t e r , n i g h t m a r e s about t h e d e a t h of
I

1. t h e sister whose companionship h e r e l i e d upon s o h e a v i l y might very w e l l have

I p r e y e d upon h i s mind: w i t h o u t Dorothy's s a v i n g p r e s e n c e , Wordsworth would

have been a l o n e is a c o l d , h o s t i l e world. H i s l i f e would be l i k e t h a t of t h e

d e s o l a t e Fly whose e x i s t e n c e h e d e s c r i b e s i n " w r i t t e n i n Germany on one of

t h e c o l d e s t days of t h e century":

H i s s p i n d l e s s i n k under him, f o o t , l e g , and thigh!

H i s e y e s i g h t and h e a r i n g a r e l o s t ;
Between l i f e and death h i s blood f r e e z e s and thaws;
And h i s two p r e t t y p i n i o n s of b l u e dusky gauze
Are glued t o h i s s i d e s by t h e f r o s t .

No b r o t h e r , no mate h a s he n e a r him -- while I

Can draw warmth from t h e cheek o f my l o v e ;
A s b l e s t and a s g l a d , i n t h i s d e s o l a t e gloom,
A s i f green sumner g r a s s were t h e f l o o r o f my room,
And woodbines were hanging above.

I n support of h i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of Lucy with Dorothy, F.W. Bateson

c i t e s a fragment of "Nutting" which addresses Lucy:

Ah! what a c r a s h was t h a t ! with g e n t l e hand

--
Touch t h e s e f a i r h a z e l s My beloved ~ r i e n d !
Though ' t i s a s i g h t i n v i s i b l e t o thee
From such rude i n t e r c o u r s e t h e woods a l l s h r i n k
A s a t t h e blowing of Astolpho's horn.
Thou, Lucy, a r t a maiden ' i n l a n d bred' t

And thou h a s t known 'some n u r t u r e ' ; b u t i n t r u t h

I f I had m e t t h e e here with t h a t keen look
Half c r u e l i n i t s eagerness, those cheeks
Thus [word i l l e g i b l e ] flushed w i t h a tempestuous bloom,
I might have almost deem'd t h a t I had p a s s ' d
A houseless being i n a human shape,
An enemy of n a t u r e , h i t h e r s e n t
From regions f a r beyond t h e Indian h i l l s . ... 30

A v e r s i o n of "Nutting" was a l s o included i n t h e l e t t e r t o Coleridge from

Gosler t h a t contained "Strange f i t s of passion," "She dwelt among t h e

untrodden ways" and t h e Prelude fragments. Like t h e published t e x t , and

u n l i k e t h e fragment quoted above, t h i s v e r s i o n of "Nutting" does n o t address

Lucy. But t h e r e i s a s t r o n g echo of "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways"

i n these l i n e s :

The v i o l e t s of f i v e seasons re-appear

And f a d e , unseen by any human eye. ...
The concluding admonition t o a "dearest Maiden" i n "Nutting" i s reminiscent

of WordswortQ1s a d d r e s s t o h i s s i s t e r a t t h e end of "Tintern Abbey." As i n

"Tintern Abbey," Wordsworth draws on t h e p a s t i n "Nutting" t o i l l u n i n a t e t h e

p r e s e n t f o r h i s companion. Wordsworth had i n t e n d e d " ~ u t t i n g " a s p a r t o f

The P r e l u d e , b u t s u b s e q u e n t l y & c i d e d n o t t o use i t i n t h a t poem. 31 -

The

P r e l u d e is a d d r e s s e d t o C o l e r i d g e . Perhaps we may r e a s o n a b l y suppose t h a t

t h e Maiden a d d r e s s e d i n "Nuttingf' -- who i s c a l l e d Lucy i n t h e fragment

q u o t e d above -- is Wordsworth's o t h e r "beloved ~ r i e n d "and c o n f i d a n t e ,

Dorothy.

'1 ,"
F u r t h e r evidence f o r a n i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f Lucy w i t h Dorothy i s provided

by "Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been." Wordsworth composed t h i s

poem i n 1802 a b o u t an i n c i d e n t t h a t "took w lace," h e t o l d C o l e r i d g e , "about

seven y e a r s ago between Dorothy and me. "32 I n 1802 he c a l l e d t h e g i r l i n

t h e poem " ~ m m a I,I a pseudonym he f r e q u e n t l y used f o r Dorothy. When he

p u b l i s h e d t h e poem i n 1807, "~mma" w a s khanged t o " ~ u c y " and t h e poem was

p l a c e d b e s i d e "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men." A t l e a s t i n retrospect, there

w a s an a s s o c i a t i o n i n Wordsworth's mind between t h e "Lucy" poems and h i s

f e e l i n g s f o r Dorothy.

I n t h e p r e c e d i n g pages I have s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e "Lucy" poems emerged

o u t o f a t e r r i b l e and perhaps r e c u r r e n t f a n t a s y a b o u t Dorothy's d e a t h , and

o u t of t h e complex n a t u r e and o r i g i n s o f Wordsworth's l o v e f o r h e r . By

e x p l o r i n g t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h upon h e r l o v e r , Wordsworth spoke h i s

own f e e l i n g s and f e a r s . However, s i n c e , u n l i k e The P r e l u d e , t h e "Lucy" poems

are n o t e x p l i c i t l y a u t i o b i o g r a p h i c a l , I w i l l r e f e r t o t h e "I" o f t h e s e poems

a s t h e s p e a k e r i n s t e a d o f as Wordsworth.

A p a t t e r n o f f f b l i n d n e s s ' f t o Lucy's m o r t a l i t y , followed by a t r a g i c

awareness emerges i n t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucy" poems. Each sets p r i o r h e e d l e s s -

n e s s and subsequent knowledge i n o p p o s i t i o n , b u t by means o f t h i s r e p e t i t i v e

s t r u c t u r e Wo~;dsworth d e m o n s t r a t e s a "growth o f mental power . ' I I n "strange

f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known" t h e s p e a k e r apprehends t h e p o s s i b i l i t y (and by

i m p l i c a t i o n , t h e i n e v i t a b i l i t y ) o f Lucy's d e a t h , b u t b a c k s away from t h e

knowledge t h a t o v e r t a k e s him. I n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden

ways" he tries t o e x p r e s s t h e " d i f f e r e n c e " Lucy's d e a t h h a s meant

t o him: now t h a t s h e i s dead t h e s p e a k e r t r i e s t o evoke h e r

l i v i n g p r e s e n c e , b u t he can o n l y r e - c a p t u r e a n e l u s i v e i m p r e s s i o n

of h e r . "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " p l a c e s t h e s p e a k e r ' s

p a i n f u l p e r s o n a l f e e l i n g s a b o u t Lucy's d e a t h i n t h e c o n t e x t o f

man's p l a c e i n n a t u r e ' s u n i v e r s e . The l i v i n g Lucy was p a r t o f a

u n i v e r s e governed by t i m e ; i t i s only a f t e r s h e i s dead t h a t Lucy

need n o t s u f f e r change, because s h e h a s become p a r t o f an i n a n i m a t e

and u n f e e l i n g realm o f " t h i n g s ."

The p a t t e r n o f epiphany i s less e x p l i c i t i n " ~ h r e ey e a r s s h e

grew," b u t t h e r e i s s t i l l a s t r o n g s e n s e o f " b e f o r e and a f t e r " i n

t h e s p e a k e r ' s e v o c a t i o n o f t h e p a s t time o f Lucy's l i f e , which i s

s e t a g a i n s t t h e p r e s e n t moment from which s h e i s a b s e n t i n t h e l a s t

stanza:

Thus N a t u r e spake -- t h e work was done --

How soon my Lucy's r a c e was run!
She d i e d , and l e f t t o me
T h i s h e a t h , t h i s calm, and q u i e t s c e n e ;
T h i s memory o f what h a s been,
And n e v e r more w i l l be.

I n "Three y e a r s s h e grew" Lucy's l i f e i s r e c a l l e d i n t h e c o n t e x t o f

h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h "Nature." The wider f o c u s o f t h i s poem and

o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " perhaps e x p l a i n s Wordswo r t h ' s

p l a c i n g them i n "Poems of t h e Imagination" i n 1815 w h i l e a s s i g n i n g

t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems t o "Poems o f t h e A f f e c t i o n s " .

 -- - - - -FITS OF
"STRANGE - P.A.S S I O-N 1 -HAVE
- - -KNOWN"
--- -

Of a l l t h e "l.ucy" poems, o n l y " S t r a n g e f i t s of is

recognizeably o l y r i c a l -
ballad. Although u n l i k e most t r a d i t i o n a l

b a l l a d s n o t h i n g a c t u a l l y h i ~ p p e n s , t h e a t m o s p h e r e 01 t h e poem
/ ----- 3
arouses an expectation of traged
- The s p e a k e r i n t r o d u c e s h i s t a l e

by d e s c r i b i n g h i s e x p e r i e n c e as " S t r a n g e f i t s o f p a s s i o n I have

known. . . .": u s i n g t h e word " s t r a n g e u e v o k e s t h e t r a d i t i o n a l

b a l l a d world o f t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l o r t h e mysterious. This e f f e c t is

h e i g h t e n e d a s h e g o e s o n t o c o n f i d e t h a t h e " w i l l d a r e t o t e l l / But
--

i n t h e L o v e r ' s ear a l o n e , / What o n c e t o me b e f e l l . " These l i n e s

i n t i m a t e t h a t i t is d a n g e r o u s t o s p e a k of t h i s e x p e r i e n c e . Perhaps
9

t h e n a r r a t o r f e a r s t h a t by s p e a k i n g of h i s p r e m o n i t i o n o f L u c y ' s

d e a t h h e wil.1 make i t happen. In the e a r l y version s e n t t o Coleridge

from G o s l a r , t h e poem h a s a f i n a l s t a n z a i n which w e a r e t o l d t h a t

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s f e a r s have come t o p a s s :

Once, when my l o v e was s t r o n g and g a y ,

And l i k e a r o s e i n J u n e ,
I t o h e r c o t t a g e b e n t my way,
Beneath t h e e v e n i n g ?loon.

Upon t h e moon I f i x e d my e y e
A l l o v e r the wide l e a :
My h o r s e t r u d g ' s o n , and we drew n i g h
Those p a t h s s o d e a r [ t o ] me.
3
And now I ' v e r e a c h e d t h e o r c h a r d - p l o t ,
And as w e c l i m b e d t h e h i l l ,
Toward's t h e r o o f o f Lucy's c o t
The moon descended s t i l l .

I n o n e o f t h o s e s w e e t dreams I s l e p t ,
Kind n a t u r e ' s g e n t l e s t boon,
&d a l l t h e w h i l e my e y e s I k e p t
On t h e d e s c e n d i n g moon.
 My h o r s e moved o n ; hoof a f t e r hoof
H e r a i s e d and never s t o p p e d ,
When down behind t h e c o t t a g e roof
At once t h e p l a n e t dropp'd.

Strange a r e the fancies t h a t w i l l s l i d e

I n t o a l o v e r ' s head,
"0 mercy" t o myself I c r i e d
I f Lucy should be dead!"

I told her this: her laughter l i g h t

Is r i n g i n g i n my e a r s ;
And when I t h i n k upon t h a t n i g h t
My e y e s a r e dim with t e a r s .

-
A " f i t of p a s s i o n " is g e n e r a l l y used t o d e s c r i b e an act_ committed

i n a moment o f abandon o r d u r i n g a momentary l o s s of s e l f c o n t r o l .

The s p e a k e r t e l l s u s he h a s had " f i t s " o f p a s s i o n , which s u g g e s t s t h a t

he h a s f e l t t h i s way more than once, a l t h o u g h he goes on t o d e s c r i b e a

s i n g l e occasion.

The second word o f t h e opening p h r a s e , " f i t s , " p o s s e s s e s a

number o f c o n n o t a t i o n s which b e a r upon t h e meaning o f t h e poem. A

" f i t " commonly d e n o t e s a t r a n s i t o r y a f f l e c t i o n o r paroxysm o f h y s t e r i a

--
o r lunacy. The major e f f e c t o f " f i t s " , t h e r e f o r e , i s t o reduce t h e

i n t e n s e emotional e x p e r i e n c e s u g g e s t e d by t h e use o f "passion" (which

"Strange f i t s " m o d i f i e s ) t o a momentary a t t a c k of madness o r a l o s s o f

s e l f - c o n t r o l t h a t h a s s i n c e been thrown o f f , o r s o t h e s p e a k e r

endeavours t o persuade us. A " f i t " may a l s o d e s c r i b e a b o d i l y s t a t e

o r a f f l i c t i o n t h a t p r e s a g e s d e a t h , a l t h o u g h t h i s use o f t h e word is,

34
and was i n Wordsworth's time, a r c h a i c : a s he goes on w i t h h i s s t o r y ,

t h e s p e a k e r ' s " f i t s " a r e r e v e a l e d t o be a mental c r i s i s t h a t i s

grounded i n o r foreshadows t h e p h y s i c a l f a c t o f d e a t h . This archaic

C
 20

usage s u g g e s t s t h e language o f t h e o l d t r a d i t i o n a l b a l l a d s . A "fit"

is a l s o a p a r t of a poem o r a song -- a stanza o r a canto. This

meaning s u g g e s t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s e f f o r t t o r e g a i n c o n t r o l o v e r h i s

f e e l i n g s ; he a d m i t s h i s "passion" t o u s a b i t a t a t i m e , i n s t a n z a s ,

o r i n " f i t s and starts". If h i s t e l l i n g of h i s "passion" i s

s t r u c t u r e d , perhaps i t may be c o n t r o l l e d .

"Passion" is used by t h e s p e a k e r t o d e f i n e a d i s t u r b i n g premonition

of h i s s w e e t h e a r t ' s d e a t h , and i s t h u s s e t a g a i n s t h i s l o v e f o r Lucy:

d e a t h , n o t Lucy, f i l l s h e r l o v e r w i t h "passion". Although w e commonly

use "passion" t o imply s e x u a l l o v e , and t h e c l o s e p r o x i m i t y of "passion"

and "Lover" i n t h i s s t a n z a t e n d s t o b r i n g t h i s usage t o mind, t h e word

h a s i t s o r i g i n s i n " s u f f e r i n g , " e s p e c i a l l y t h e s u f f e r i n g of C h r i s t on

t h e c r o s s , and is c l o s e l y t i e d , t h e r e f o r e , t o l i f e and d e a t h , and t o

l i f e a f t e r d e a t h o r redemption. But i n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e " ~ u c y " poems,

Lucy's d e a t h r e v e a l s h e r t o be a c r e a t u r e o f a p h y s i c a l u n i v e r s e . The

l o v e r ' s "passion" is indeed a n a n t i c i p a t i o n o f e t e r n i t y , b u t i t is t h e

c y c l i c a l realm o f e a r t h ' s " d i u r n a l course" ("A slumber d i d my s p i r i t

s e a l " ) t h a t he i s u l t i m a t e l y c o n f r o n t e d w i t h , r a t h e r t h a n t h e s p i r i t u a l

realm of God.

"Passion" i s c l o s e l y l i n k e d with p a s s i v i t y : one s u f f e r s p a s s i o n ,

o r i s a c t e d upon by i t . Thus, t h e s p e a k e r i n t r o d u c e s h i s s t o r y i n t h e

p a s s i v e v o i c e o r t e l l s us what "once t o me b e f e l l " . Lucy's l o v e r

endeavours t o r e p r e s s h i s "passion," b u t i t becomes c l e a r i n t h i s poem

and i n t h e o t h e r s t h a t t h i s is a "passion" t h a t cannot b e overcome o r

ignored -- man must be p a s s i v e i n t h e f a c e o f d e a t h , i n t h e end he can

35
]be n o t h i n g 5lse
 I n t h e opening l i n e s o f t h e second s t a n z a t h e s p e a k e r recalls

how Lucy seemed t o him a s he set o u t f o r h e r c o t t a g e : "When s h e I

l o v ' d was s t r o n g and gay/ and l i k e a r o s e i n June. . . ." The use o f

t h e p a s t t e n s e h e r e ("When s h e I l o v ' d was. .. .") i m p l i e s t h a t Lucy

i s no l o n g e r " s t r o n g and gay:" T h i s s u g g e s t i o n t h a t Lucy's y o u t h , i f

n o t h e r l i f e , is now o v e r is s t r e n g t h e n e d by h e r e q u a t i o n w i t h "a r o s e

i n June". The a s s o c i a t i o n o f t r a n s i e n c e and decay w i t h r o s e s i s (and

was i n 1798) a comam p o e t i c i s m . Wordsworth's o p i n i o n s a b o u t " p o e t i c

36
d i c t i o n " e x p r e s s e d i n t h e 1800 P r e f a c e s u g g e s t t h a t he a n t i c i p a t e d a

p a r t i c u l a r r e s p o n s e from h i s r e a d e r by u s i n g such a p h r a s e : t h e use

o f such ready o r u n i n s p i r e d (and hence "unpassionate") words t o

d e s c r i b e Lucy r e i n f o r c e s my i m p r e s s i o n t h a t i n t e l l i n g h i s s t o r y t h e

n a r r a t o r i s a t t e m p t i n g t o diminish t h e e f f e c t o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e . But

when t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f r o s e s and June w i t h t r a n s i e n c e i s coupled w i t h

t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e p a s t t e n s e , t h i s a p p a r e n t complacency i s

undercut. The l o v e r ' s t r a n q u i l i t y is exposed a s f a l s e . He i n a d v e r t e n t l y

7
r e v e a l s t h e t r u t h of h i s "fond and wayward thoughts":

dead now, s h e i s a t l e a s t changed from what s h e w a s , and a t some time i n

i f Lucy i s n o t
I
t h e f u t u r e she w i l l d i e .

Because I have argued t h a t t h e "LUCY" poems e x p r e s s Wordsworth's

own f e e l i n g s o r f e a r s , some comment about t h e p o e t ' s c o n s c i o u s i n t e n t

v e r s u s h i s empathic involvenrent w i t h h i s n a r r a t o r seems c a l l e d f o r h e r e .

Wordsworth's i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f p o e t r y w i t h p a s s i o n i n t h e P r e f a c e t o t h e

1800 e d i t i o n of L y r i c a l B a l l a d s s u g g e s t s t h a t each o f h i s poems e x p r e s s e s

a p r o j e c t i o n o f h i s own r e s p o n s e s i f he were t o be p l a c e d i n a p a r t i c u l a r
37
s i t u a t i o n of c i r c u m s t a n c e . A t l e a s t a t t h e moment o f w r i t i n g , Wordsworth

seem t o c l a i m i n t h e P r e f a c e , t h e f e e l i n g s e x p r e s s e d i n a l l o f h i s poems

a r e h i s own. On t h e o t h e r hand, Wordsworth's n o t e t o "The Thorn" i n t h e

 22

t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s a b o u t h i s use o f a f i r s t p e r s o n

n a r r a t i v e " t o show t h e manner i n which men c l e a v e t o t h e same i d e a ; and

t o f o l l o w t h e t u r n s o f p a s s i o n , always d i f f e r e n t y e t n o t p a l p a b l y

d i f f e r e n t , by which t h e i r c o n v e r s a t i o n i s swayed1', s u g g e s t s a p r e c e d e n t

f o r d i s t i n g u i s h i n g between p o e t and n a r r a t o r i n t h e "Lucy" poems. As

w e l l , t h e s e poems have been v e r y c a r e f u l l y c r a f t e d . Wordsworth's

penchant f o r r e v i s i o n i s a p p a r e n t from Dorothy's j o u r n a l s i n which s h e

f r e q u e n t l y remarks upon t h e p a i n Wordsworth s u f f e r e d a s a consequence

38
o f r e v i s i n g h i s poems. A s w e l l , C o l e r i d g e complained i n h i s notebook

i n 1803 t h a t Wordsworth's " c o r r e c t i o n s , coming o f n e c e s s i t y s o o f t e n ,

a t t h e end o f e v e r y 14 o r 20 l i n e s --
o r whatever t h e poem might chance
39
t o be -- wore him o u t . .I1.. S e p a r a t i n g Wordsworth's c o n s c i o u s i n t e n t

and empathic involvement i n t h e "Lucy" poems, which ( i n c o n t r a s t t o

I1
The Thorn") a r e much more " l y r i c a l " than they a r e " b a l l a d s " , seems

neither e n t i r e l y possible nor desirable. However, I w i l l assume t h a t

t h e f i n i s h e d o r p u b l i s h e d poem may be d i s t i n g u i s h e d from t h e i n i t i a l

spontaneous o u t p o u r i n g and t h a t Wordsworth was w e l l aware o f t h e

i m p l i c a t i o n s o f u s i n g a p h r a s e such a s " l i k e a r o s e i n June" t o d e s c r i b e

Lucy.

The f o r e b o d i n g e q u a t i o n o f Lucy w i t h t h e b r i e f f l o w e r i n g o f r o s e s

is echoed i n h e r l o v e r ' s r i d e t o h e r c o t t a g e "beneath a n e v e n i n g moon,"

40
o r beneath a moon t h a t i s s e t t i n g . The moon i s one o f t h e major images

man h a s o f t h e c y c l e s o f n a t u r e : b i r t h , d e a t h and renewal. The moon

waxes and wanes, and t h e n waxes a g a i n . The moon, however, remains

unchanged throughout i t s cycle: t h e change o c c u r s i n o u r p e r c e p t i o n

o f t h e moon, r a t h e r t h a n i n t h e moon i t s e l f . But once Lucy i s dead, l i k e

t h e r o s e s h e w i l l be gone f o r e v e r as a p a r t i c u l a r o r i n d i v i d u a l e n t i t y .

O r a s Ben Jonson w r o t e ,

Suns t h a t s e t , may r i s e a g a i n :
But i f once w e l o s e t h i s l i g h t
' T i s with us p e r p e t u a l n i g h t . 4 1

The use o f "bent my wayn t o d e s c r i b e t h e r i d e r ' s s e t t i n g o f f towards

LUCY'S c o t t a g e s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s journey i s going t o be a d i f f i c u l t one

and t h a t he w i l l have t o s t r u g g l e t o reach t h e c o t t a g e . The r i d e r seems

t o b e a r t h e g r e a t weight o f t h e moon upon h i s back, j u s t a s he l a t e r b e a r s

t h e burden o f h i s a n x i e t y about Lucy's d e a t h . Juxtaposing the r i d e r ' s

movement w i t h t h a t of t h e moon's each o f t h e f o u r middle s t a n z a s slows

down o r impedes t h e r i d e r ' s p r o g r e s s . The moon moves always ahead of t h e

r i d e r ; he i s unable t o c a t c h up. Looking back upon h i s j o u r n e y , i t seems

t o t h e s p e a k e r t h a t i f o n l y he c o u l d have reached Lucy's c o t t a g e b e f o r e

\

t h e moon dropped behind i t , he might have e s c a p e d t h e shocked awareness

o f Lucy's m o r t a l i t y t h a t t h e moon's mvement t r i g g e r e d - and t h u s ,

p e r h a p s , saved Lucy. But a s he r e l i v e s h i s j o u r n e y , he knows he could

n o t move q u i c k l y enough, j u s t a s he is now unable t o evade h i s f e a r . He

r i d e s towards Lucy a s though he were moving i n a dream:

I n one o f t h o s e sweet dreams I s l e p t ,

Kind Nature ' s g e n t l e s t boon!

The e f f e c t of e n d l e s s movement, a s i f i n a dream o r a t r a n c e , is

i n c r e a s e d by t h e r e p i t i t i o n o f t h e word "and" a s t h e n a r r a t o r d e s c r i b e s

h i s j o u r n e y , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e r e p e a t e d r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e moon's

"descending" and such p h r a s e s a s "my h o r s e t r u d g e d on", "my h o r s e moved

on'' and "hoof a f t e r hoof/ He r a i s ' d and n e v e r s t o p p ' d . . . ." The

running-on qf a thought from one l i n e t o t h e n e x t , a d e v i c e used

 24

throughout t h e poem ( f o r example, "And a l l t h e w h i l e my e y e s I k e p t / On

t h e descending moon") a l s o slows down t h e poem's rhythm i n sympathy w i t h

t h e r i d e r ' s slow p r o g r e s s .

The l i n e s "I t o h e r c o t t a g e b e n t my way/ Beneath a n e v e n i n g moon"

a l s o s u g g e s t t h a t t h e r i d e r bows down t o t h e moon. T h i s impression becomes

s t r o n g e r two s t a n z a s l a t e r , when t h e s p e a k e r r e f e r s t o "Kind N a t u r e ' s

g e n t l e s t boon" (my i t a l i c s ) : "Nature's" power t o g r a n t "boons" i m p l i e s

t h a t man i s h e r v a s s a l . The "boon" Nature g r a n t s is t h e "sweet dream1' o f

heedlesslwss. The r i d e r is j o l t e d o u t o f t h i s dream by a sudden f e a r f o r

Lucy's l i f e when t h e moon, N a t u r e ' s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e , d r o p s behind Lucy's

cottage. H e i s made suddenly and p a i n f u l l y aware o f d e a t h , t h e power t h a t

Nature h o l d s o v e r man.

The man and t h e moon converge upon Lucy's c o t t a g e bnd they a l s o seem
--- I

t o rnerge i n t o one a n o t h e r i n t h e d i s t o r t e d s y n t a x o f "Upon t h e moon I

f i x ' d my e y e , / A l l o v e r t h e wide l e a " i n s t a n z a t h r e e . Does " A l l o v e r

t h e wide l e a " r e f e r t o t h e moon's l i g h t , o r t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s eye? Although

t h e s p e a k e r ' s premonition o f Lucy's d e a t h seems t o be t r i g g e r e d by an

o u t s i d e agency, t h e moon, h i s f e a r f o r Lucy a c t u a l l y emerges o u t o f t h e

d e p t h s o f h i s own s u b c o n s c i o u s , t o change h i s "sweet dreams" i n t o nightmare

and t o t h e r e b y shock him awake. The r i d e r does n o t r a c e a g a i n s t t h e moon

b u t a g a i n s t h i s own mind. H i s < n a b i l i t y t o r e a c h Lucy's c o t t a g e b e f o r e t h e

moon d r o p s behind i t s u g g e s t s t h a t he i s no l o n g e r a b l e t o c o n t r o l o r

repress h i s fear.

The word " f i x ' d " i n t h e f i r s t l i n e o f s t a n z a t h r e e ("Upon t h e moon I

f i x ' d my eye:') s u g g e s t s a mesmerized c o n c e n t r a t i o n upon t h e moon: Lucy's

l o v e r r i d e s towards h e r c o t t a g e s t a r i n g " f i x e d l y 1 ' a t t h e f o r e b o d i n g

moon. But i n s p i t e o f t h e r i d e r ' s c l o s e a t t e n t i o n t o t h e moon's

r e l e n t l e s s movement t o w a r d s I,ucyls c o t t a g e , i t n e v e r t h e l e s s seems t o

I1
drop s u d d e n l y , o r a t once" b e h i n d t h e c o t t a g e r o o f . The p r o s p e c t o f

Lucy's d e a t h seems sudden a n d unexpected b e c a u s e a 1 though t h e s p e a k e r

h a s presumably bestowed t h e c l o s e a t t e n t i o n o f a l o v e r upon Lucy -- or

p e r h a p s -b e c a u s e h e h a s s o l o v i n g l y d o t e d upon h e r -- he h a s b l i n d e d

himself t o the e f f e c t o f the passage of t i m e .

The slow-moving r e g u l a r i t y t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e s t h e r i d e r ' s j o u r n e y

comes t o a n a b r u p t s t o p a s t h e moon d r o p s b e h i n d Lucy's c o t t a g e :

My h o r s e moved o n ; hoof a f t e r hoof

He r a i s ' d and n e v e r s t o p p ' d
When down b e h i n d t h e c o t t a g e roof
At o n c e t h e p l a n e t d r o p p l d .

The r i d e r i s j o l t e d o u t o f h i s "sweet dreams ." Yet i n t h e l i n e s t h a t

immediately f o l l o w , h i s sudden epiphany is l a b e l l e d "fond a n d wayward

t h o u g h t s " t h a t " --
s l i d e / i n t o a 1,over's head" (my i t a l i c s ) : desiring to

r e t u r n t o h i s former dream-like s t a t e , t h e s p e a k e r seems t o deny h i s

rude awakening. Hence, t h e s l o w , g e n t l e rhythm o f t h e rest of t h e poem

i s k e p t up i n t h e f i n a l s t a n z a :

What f o n d and wayward t h o u g h t s w i l l s l i d e

I n t o a Lover's head
I1
--
0 mercy!" t o myself I c r i e d ,
"If Lucy s h o u l d b e dead!"

The s p e a k e r ' s r e f e r e n c e t o h i m s e l f i n t h e t h i r d p e r s o n i n t h e second

l i n e of t h i s s t a n z a ( " I n t o a L o v e r ' s head"), i n c o n t r a s t t o h i s use o f t h e

f i r s t p e r s o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e rest o f t h e poem, s u g g e s t s t h a t h e is t r y i n g

t o d i s t a n c e h i m s e l f from t h i s e x p e r i e n c e o r t o r e p r e s s t h e s e "fond a n d

wayward t h o u g h t s . I 1 With h i s r a t h e r mechanical r e s p o n s e o f "0 mercy!'' the

s p e a k e r s e e k t o a t t e m p t t o c o n t a i n h i s e x p e r i e n c e by e x p r e s s i n g h i s
response t o i t i n f a m i l i a r and t h e r e f o r e " s a f e " terms. A t t h e same

time, however, " 0 mercyI" evokes a n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h p r a y e r , s u g g e s t i n g

the s e r i o u s n a t u r e of these thoughts. This association with prayer

s u g g e s t s i n r e t r o s p e c t t h a t " t h e I n v e r " t o whom t h e s p e a k e r s a y s t h a t

he w i l l " d a r e t o t e l l " h i s "passion" i n s t a n z a one i s C h r i s t , who a l o n e

w i l l l i s t e n t o and understand t h e s p e a k e r ' s s u f f e r i n g . Similarly, the

s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s "fond and wayward thoughts" o r h i s "Strange

f i t s o f passion" evoke a n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h Henry Vaughan's v i s i o n o f

heaven i n "They a r e a l l gone i n t o t h e world of l i g h t " :

And y e t , a s a n g e l s i n some b r i g h t e r dreams

C a l l t o t h e s o u l when man doth s l e e p ,
So some s t r a n g e thoughts t r a n s c e n d o u r wonted themes,
And i n t o g l o r y peep. 42

But God's p r e s e n c e i s n o t f e l t i n t h e u n i v e r s e o f t h e "Lucy" poems.

Nature i s t h e c o n t r o l l i n g f o r c e h e r e : "boons" a r e g r a n t e d o r r e f u s e d a t

her pleasure. I f t h e s p e a k e r ' s c r y i s r e a d a s a p r a y e r t o God, i t seems

doomed t o remain unanswered. I f i t i s a p r a y e r t o N a t u r e , i t seems

doomed t o r e b u f f , f o r d e a t h i s an undeniable and unavoidable f a c t o f l i f e

i n Nature's universe. "0 mercy!' t o myself I c r i e d " may be r e a d a s a

p l e a t o a g r e a t e r power, s o u n d l e s s l y exp e s e d , b u t i t a l s o i m p l i e s t h a t
i
t h e s p e a k e r a s k s f o r mercy from h i m s e l f , o r from h i s i m a g i n a t i o n -- the
43
s o u r c e , f o r Wordsworth, of "deep f e e l i n g s " such a s t h e s e . But t h e poem

ends w i t h t h e u n r e m i t t i n g l i n e " ' I f Lucy s h o u l d be dead! '" These words,

towards which t h e poem h a s been always moving, overshadow a l l t h a t h a s

been s a i d b e f o r e .
"SHE DWELT AMONG THE
.---- UNTRODDEN
------- WAYS"-
The use of f l o w e r imagery t o evoke o n e ' s beloved is a t r a d i t i o n a l

t e c h n i q u e of E n g l i s h l o v e p o e t r y which Wordsworth makes use of i n "Strange

f i t s of passion." H e a l s o u s e s i t i n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways,"

comparing Lucy t o "A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e . " Frances Ferguson s u g g e s t s

t h a t by a v o i d i n g " t h e s p e c i f i c s o f cheeks and , r o s e s 1 ' and l i k e n i n g Lucy t o

44
an e n t i r e f l o w e r , Wordsworth i n c r e a s e s Lucy's anonymity. These " s p e c i f i c s "

were, i n f a c t , used by Wordsworth t o d e s c r i b e Lucy i n t h e e a r l y v e r s i o n o f

"She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from G o s l a r :

r-
1.--.
Ny hope was o n e , from c i t i e s f a r

She
Nursed on a lonesome h e a t h :
Her l i p s were red as r o s e s a r e ,
Her h a i r a woodbine wreath.

lived- among t h e untrodden ways

Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove,
A maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e
And v e r y few t o l o v e ;

A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half-hidden from t h e eye:
F a i r as a star when o n l y one
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky!
7

And s h e was g r a c e f u l a s t h e broom

\
I
I
That f l o w e r s by C a r r o n ' s s i d e ;
But slow d i s t e m p e r checked h e r bloom,
/
\- And on t h e Heath s h e d i e d .

Long time b e f o r e h e r head l a y low

Dead t o t h e world was s h e :
But now s h e ' s i n h e r g r a v e , and Oh!
The d i f f e r e n c e t o m e !

Wordsworth s u b s e q u e n t l y removed some s i g n i f i c a n t d e t a i l s from t h i s

v e r s i o n o f "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" : t h e p u b l i s h e d poem no

l o n g e r t e l l s us t h a t Lucy s u f f e r e d from "distemper"

. - o r t h a t s h e was a
--

l o n g time dfiing. What a r e l e f t a r e t h e b a r e bones. Lucy l i v e d , and s h e

 died. Beside t h e t e r r i b l e f a c t t h a t Lucy is dead, t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s

s u r r o u n d i n g h e r d e a t h seem u n i q o r t a n t . The r e s u l t o f removing t h e s e

d e t a i l s from t h e poem i s i n c r e a s e d poignancy: Lucy's absence i s much

more f e l t . The comparisons o f Lucy t o a v i o l e t and t o a s t a r a r e now

set a t t h e c e n t r e o f t h e poem; r a t h e r t h a n b e i n g p a r t o f a c a t a l o g u e o f

h e r b e a u t y , t h e y now seem t o e x p r e s s h e r e s s e n c e . The image o f Lucy i s

a t once less s u p e r f i c i a l than t h e " s p e c i f i c s " o f h e r l i p s and h a i r and

harder t o grasp. Now t h a t s h e is dead, Lucy's l o v e r t r i e s t o " p r a i s e "

h e r l i v i n g p r e s e n c e , b u t he can o n l y evoke an e l u s i v e i m p r e s s i o n of

what s h e once was.

I n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a Lucy's way of l i f e is evoked w i t h images of

q u i e t and t r a n q u i l l i t y , b u t t h e s e r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f Lucy a r e c o l o u r e d by

her death. The e f f e c t o f u s i n g "dwelt" ( i n s t e a d o f " l i v e d " , for

example) i s t o emphasize h e r impermanenc

\ - -- Lucy r e s i d e d o r l i n g e r e d

f o r a t i m e among "Th' untrodden ways ." T h i s l a t t e r p h r a s e c o n j u r e s up

images o f a r u r a l remoteness o r o f a s o l i t a r y , u n h u r r i e d way of l i f e .

We a r e a l s o t o l d t h a t Lucy dwelt "Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove. ... 1I

Because t h e Dove is a symbol o f t h e Holy S p i r i t , Lucy's d w e l l i n g b e s i d e

" t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove" s u g g e s t s t h a t s h e , t o o , was p u r e and v i r t u o u s .

---.- -- -

The p h r a s e s u g g e s t s t h a t Lucy dwelt n e a r God, t h e s o u r c e o r t h e "springs"

o f t h e Holy S p i r i t and t h a t Lucy's q u i e t , r u r a l l i f e was t h e r e f o r e p u r e r

-- --
and h o l i e r t h a n i t c o u l d have been i f s h e had l i v e d among t h e well-trodden

ways o f town. Lucy's d w e l l i n g b e s i d e t h e " s p r i n g s " o r t h e b e g i n n i n g s of

--
t h e River Dove a l s o s u g g e s t s h e r youth. Lucy's innocence, s i m p l i c i t y and

v i r t u e , as w e l l a s h e r youth, a r e a l s o i m p l i e d by t h e one r e f e r e n c e t o h e r

a s a "Maid" i n t h e t h i r d l i n e o f t h i s s t a n z a . T h i s i m p r e s s i o n o f Lucy's
v i r t u e o r g o d l i n e s s c o n j u r e s up t h e o l d maxim, s h e d i e d young b e c a u s e s h e

was t o o good f o r t h i s world -- u s u a l l y used i n r e t r o s p e c t , a f t e r t h e d e a t h

o f a c h i l d o r a young p e r s o n .
_C_-
Because o f h e r y o u t h , Lucy's d e a t h--i.s

unexpected and a l l t h e more s h a t t e r i n g f o r h e r l o v e r : t h e promise c o n t a i n e d

- - -- __ _- . - -
-+ --
i n " t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove" o f a c a l m l y f l o w i n g r i v e r i s n o t m i r r o r e d i n Lucy's

l i f e , which e n d s j u s t as i t is b e g i n n i n g .

The r a t h e r c i r c u i t o u s l i n e s "A Maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e /

And v e r y few t o love'' a l s o h i n t a t Lucy's s i t u a t i o n i n l i f e , t e l l i n g us

t h a t Lucy l i v e d i n i s o l a t i o n , w i t h a s m a l l c i r c l e o f i n t i m a t e s who l o v e d

her. More s i g n i f i c a n t l y , t h e s e l i n e s imply a d i s t i n c t i o n between t h e

f e e l i n g s t h e s p e a k e r h a d f o r Lucy when s h e was a l i v e a n d t h e f e e l i n g s h e

i s l e f t w i t h now t h a t s h e i s dead: when Lucy was a l i v e , h e r f a m i l y and

f r i e n d s d i d not "praise" h e r , they loved h e r . " P r a i s e " s u g g e s t s worship

o r t h e o f f e r i n g o f hynms t o a remote d i v i n i t y and t h e s p e a k e r seems t o

d i s t i n g u i s h t h i s from t h e l o v e he a n d a few o t h e r s f e l t f o r Lucy. But

now t h a t Lucy is dead, s h e can no l o n g e r be l o v e d ; s h e can o n l y be p r a i s e d .

T h i s poem was g i v e n t h e t i t l e o f "Song" i n t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l

B a l l a d s , p e r h a p s b e c a u s e i t is a hymn o f p r a i s e t o Lucy. Now t h a t s h e i s

dead, t h e s p e a k e r remembers Lucy as more t h a n t h e s i m p l e "Maid" he l o v e d .

H e w o r s h i p s h e r as

A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half h i d d e n from t h e Eye!
-- F a i r , as a star when o n l y one
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky!

These two images r e p r e s e n t Lucy a s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y lowly a n d d e l i c a t e ,

g l o r i o u s a n d remote. Lucy's b e a u t y s p a n s t h e n e a r a n d t h e f a r a n d

e x p r e s s e s t h e u n i t y of t h e u n i v e r s e : h e r beauty enconpasses t h e a n t i p o d e s
45
o f t h e u n i v d r s e and shows them t o be m i r r o r images o f e a c h o t h e r . The
 v i o l e t is h a l f hidden by t h e s t o n e ; t h e g l o r y of t h e s i n g l e s t a r is

a b o u t t o be obscured by c o u n t l e s s o t h e r s . The s t a r shows up a g a i n s t t h e

darkened sky; t h e v i o l e t i s c o n t r a s t e d a g a i n s t t h e mossy s t o n e . But

although t h e s e images of t h e v i o l e t and t h e s t a r seem i n t e n d e d a s a t r i b u t e

t o Lucy, t h i s " p r a i s e 1 ' h a s a hollow r i n g . I t is undercut by t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s

w i t h m u t a b i l i t y t h a t b o t h images evoke: t r y i n g t o r e c a p t u r e Lucy's b e a u t y ,

h e r l o v e r can o n l y e x p r e s s i t i n terms t h a t s u g g e s t h e r d e a t h . A violet

blooms, and t h e n s h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s w i t h e r s away. The "mossy s t o n e " t h a t

h a l f h i d e s t h e v i o l e t s e r v e s t o emphasize t h e f r a i l t y o f t h e f l o w e r , and

o f Lucy's l i f e . Like a s t a r , a s t o n e i s a r e l a t i v e l y permanent o b j e c t , i n

--
contrast to a violet. The moss t h a t grows on t h e s t o n e s u g g e s t s a c o o l ,

moist g r e e n n e s s , such a s one might f i n d by a s p r i n g , b u t a s G e f f r e y Durrant

46
p o i n t s o u t , i t a l s o s u g g e s t s a g r a v e s t o n e . The s p e c i a l b e a u t y o f a s t a r

"when o n l y one/ Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky" l a s t s o n l y a s h o r t time, b e f o r e

there are countless others. Placed within the context of the e t e r n a l

' v a s t n e s s o f t h e u n i v e r s e , l i k e t h e v i o l e t by t h e s t o n e , t h e image o f t h e

s i n g l e s h i n i n g s t a r emphasizes t h e q u i c k passage o f Lucy's l i f e .

The c i r c u i t o u s n e s s o f t h e f i r s t s t a n z a o f t h e poem is m i r r o r e d i n

the l a s t stanza: i f Lucy " l i v ' d unknown", how could even a "few" know

when s h e "ceas'd t o be"? The e f f e c t o f t h e s e l i n e s i s t o s u g g e s t a

r e l u c t a n c e on t h e s p e a k e r ' s p a r t t o s t a t e d i r e c t l y t h a t Lucy i s dead.

The d e s c r i p t i o n o f Lucy's d y i n g a s h e r c e a s i n g t o be a l s o echoes t h e

q u i e t anonymity o f Lucy's l i f e t h a t i s evoked i n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a ; Lucy

does n o t d i e s o much a s s l i p o u t o f l i f e . "Few c o u l d know", p e r h a p s ,

because Lucy's d e a t h i s such a q u i e t d i m i n i s h i n g of l i f e . By

i t a l i c i z i n g " l i v ' d l ' ( t h i s i s o n l y done i n t h e 1800 v e r s i o n o f t h e poem),

h e r l o v e r s t r e s s e s t h a t Lucy w i l l n o t remain unknown now t h a t s h e i s dead:

h i s poem o r song o f " p r a i s e " t o h e r is t o e n s u r e t h a t more t h a n a few w i l l

know about Lucy.

The o b l i q u e n e s s o f t h e s e l i n e s c o n t r a s t s s h a r p l y w i t h t h e f l a t

statement t h a t follows: "But s h e is i n h e r Grave. . . ." The

-- -s-p-.e---a k e r
seems t o s t e e l himself t o admit t h i s t e r r i b l e r e a l i t y . In h i s grief a t
- -- - - - -- ------- - & .

Lucy's d e a t h , t h e s p e a k e r h a s set himself a p a r t

-__ - -- o n l y a "very few"

even n o t i c e t h a t Lucy h a s " c e a s ' d t o be". The l o n e l i n e s s he f e e l s now

t h a t Lucy i s dead is emphasized by t h i s and a l s o by t h e r e s t r a i n t of

t h e f i n a l words o f t h e poem: "and, Oh!/ The d i f Eerence t o me." Leaving

s o much unsaid i n t h e s e l i n e s h a s t h e p a r a d o x i c a l e f f e c t o f conveying t h e

s p e a k e r ' s anguish and d e s o l a t i o n i n a very powerful and c o n v i n c i n g way.

Defining t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h on h i s l i f e a s simply t h e " d i f f e r e n c e "

i t has made t o him s u g g e s t s a pent-up emotion o r g r i e f t h a t i s t o o

profound o r t o o d e v a s t a t i n g t o be d e s c r i b e d , a l t h o u g h a s I have t r i e d t o

demonst r a t e , t h i s " d i f f e r e n c e " a f f e c t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s memory o f Lucy and

i n t e r f e r e s w i t h h i s e v o c a t i o n of h e r i n t h i s e l e g y .

I n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " t h e s p e a k e r l o o k s back upon t h e

II
sweet dream" of h e e d l e s s n e s s t o Lucy's m o r t a l i t y from which he was

f i r s t awoken by h i s premonition o f h e r d e a t h i n "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n . "

The f i r s t s t a n z a o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " s u g g e s t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s

r e p r e s s i o n o f h i s awareness o f Lucy's m o r t a l i t y i n t h e o t h e r poem. While

Lucy was a l i v e , he was a b l e t o i g n o r e t h e e f f e c t s o f t h e passage of t i m e

o r t o deny t h a t Lucy c o u l d f e e l "The touch of e a r t h l y y e a r s . " I n "A

slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " t h i s knowledge i s c a l l e d "human f e a r s , : "

These f e a r s a r e o n l y a d m i t t e d a f t e r LUCY'S d e a t h by t h e s p e a k e r ' s

awakened " s p i r i t , " t h e f a c u l t y t h a t makes him human o r d i s t i n g u i s h e s

him from animals and from "things1' which do n o t f e e l time o r change.

Wordsworth a l s o makes t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n i n one o f t h e "Matthew" poems,

"The Fountain" ( a l s o composed a t C o s l a r i n 1798-1799). I n t h i s poem

Matthew c o n t r a s t s men's misery w i t h t h e unchanging n a t u r e o f a stream

and with t h e b i r d s ' b l i t h e ignorance of t h e e f f e c t o f time:

'No check, no s t a y , t h i s S t r e a m l e t f e a r s ;
How m e r r i l y i t goes!
' T w i l l murmur on a thousand y e a r s ,
And flow a s i t now flows.

'And h e r e , on t h i s d e l i g h t f u l day,
I cannot choose b u t t h i n k
How o f t , a v i g o r o u s man, I l a y
Beside t h i s f o u n t a i n ' s b r i n k

'My e y e s a r e dim w i t h c h i l d i s h t e a r s ,
Ny h e a r t i s i d l y s t i r r e d ,
For t h e same sound i s i n my e a r s
Which i n t h o s e days I h e a r d .

'The b l a c k b i r d amid l e a f y t r e e s ,
The l a r k above t h e h i l l ,
L e t l o o s e t h e i r c a r o l s when they p l e a s e ,
Are q u i e t when t h e y w i l l .

'With Nature n e v e r do they wage

A f o o l i s h s t r i f e ; they s e e
A happy youth, and t h e i r o l d age
Is b e a u t i f u l and f r e e ;

'But w e a r e p r e s s e d by heavy laws;

And o f t e n g l a d no more,
We wear a f a c e o f j o y , because
We have been g l a d o f y o r e .

The s p e a k e r ' s " s p i r i t " i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " may be

d e f i n e d as h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o r h i s imagination which, as Wordsworth t e l l s

us i n The ~ f e l u d e ,is most o f t e n "unsealed" by p a i n and f e a r . After the

" s t o l e n boat" e p i s o d e (I: 80-129, 1798-99) t h e p o e t c o n c l u d e s :

 Ah! n o t i n v a i n ye Beings o f t h e h i l l s !
And ye t h a t walk t h e woods and open h e a t h s
By moon o r s t a r - l i g h t , t h u s from my f i r s t dawn
Of childhood d i d ye l o v e t o i n t e r t w i n e
The p a s s i o n s t h a t b u i l d up o u r human s o u l ,
Not with t h e mean and v u l g a r works o f man,
But w i t h high o b j e c t s , w i t h e t e r n a l t h i n g s ,
With l i f e and n a t u r e , p u r i f y i n g t h u s
The elements o f f e e l i n g and o f thought,
And s a n c t i f y i n g by such d i s c i p l i n e
Both p a i n and f e a r , u n t i l w e recognize
A grandeur i n t h e b e a t i n g s of t h e h e a r t .
(I: 130-142)

S i m i l a r l y , the g l o r i o u s v i s i o n d e s c r i b e d i n " T i n t e r n Abbey" o n l y f o l l o w s

t h e p o e t ' s apprehension of "The s t i l l , s a d music of humanity":

For I have l e a r n e d
To look on n a t u r e , n o t a s i n t h e hour
Of t h o u g h t l e s s youth; b u t h e a r i n g o f t e n t i m e s
The s t i l l , s a d music o f humanity,
Nor h a r s h n o r g r a t i n g , though of ample power
To c h a s t e n and subdue. And I have f e l t
A presence t h a t d i s t u r b s me with t h e j o y
Of e l e v a t e d t h o u g h t s ; A s e n s e sublime
Of something f a r more deeply i n t e r f u s e d ,
Whose d w e l l i n g is t h e l i g h t of s e t t i n g s u n s ,
And t h e round ocean and t h e l i v i n g a i r ,
And t h e b l u e s k y , and i n t h e mind of man:
A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t impels
A l l t h i n k i n g t h i n g s , a l l o b j e c t s of a l l t h o u g h t ,
And r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s .

The l a s t t h r e e l i n e s o f t h i s e x c e r p t from " T i n t e r n Abbey" a r e echoed

i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal.:'! However, i n " T i n t e r n Abbey" t h e landscape

is a l i v e with a "presence" o r with "A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t impels. ..

-- --
and r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s " whereas i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l , "

because Lucy is dead, t h e landscape a l s o seems t o be dead: the "things"

t h a t t h i s landscape c o n t a i n s a r e inanimate and i n e r t . They are "Rolled

around i n e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course,': b u t no motion o r s p i r i t r o l l s through

them. I n " f i n t e r n Abbey" t h e p o e t d e f i n e s h i m s e l f a s a " t h i n k i n g thing"

and f e e l s a c l o s e harmony betwen himself and a l l o t h e r t h i n g s . Instead of

t h i s "sense sublime" of t h e u n i t y o f men's minds w i t h t h e i n a n i m a t e

u n i v e r s e , t h e s p e a k e r o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " f i n d s h i m s e l f s h u t

o u t from t h e u n i v e r s e of t h i n g s with which Lucy h a s merged. Because Lucy

is remote, t h e l a n d s c a p e a l s o seems remote. H i s l o n e l y s p i r i t awakens i n

a seemingly empty u n i v e r s e .

The s p e a k e r ' s i m a g i n a t i o n i s "unsealed" o r r e l e a s e d by h i s g r i e f , b u t

LUCY'S s p i r i t , on t h e o t h e r hand, h a s been s e a l e d by t h e e n d l e s s slumber o f

death. There is no s u g g e s t i o n i n t h e poem t h a t Lucy's s o u l l i v e s on a f t e r

t h e d e a t h o f her body: Lucy "seem'd a thing" when s h e was a l i v e ; now t h a t

s h e i s dead s h e is a t h i n g . There is no t r a c e of t h e d i v i n e i n t h e u n i v e r s e

o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l ." Instead of ascending to a s p i r i t u a l

p l a n e o f b e i n g a f t e r d e a t h , Lucy h a s descended down t h e c h a i n o f b e i n g , t o

t h e l e v e l o f v e g e t a b l e and m i n e r a l s o r of "rocks and s t o n e s and trees."

Because t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h upon h e r l o v e r i s a t e r r i b l e l o s s , h i s

v i s i o n o f d e a t h ' s consequences f o r Lucy is a l s o a b l e a k one. The r e p e a t e d

n e g a t i v e s of t h e f i r s t two l i n e s o f s t a n z a two emphasize t h a t dying

r e p r e s e n t s a l o s s f o r Lucy a s w e l l a s f o r h e r l o v e r : "No motion h a s s h e

now, no f o r c e / She n e i t h e r h e a r s n o r sees. . . ." Like t h e "rocks and

s t o n e s and trees," Lucy no l o n g e r walks o r runs now t h a t s h e is dead; n o r

does s h e b r e a t h e o r speak o r laugh. Lucy h a s no " f o r c e " anymore: she is

without v i t a l i t y o r "spirit.',' She no l o n g e r h e a r s o r sees o r f e e l s .

Lucy no l o n g e r h a s nmtion o r f o r c e because s h e i s no l o n g e r a f f e c t e d

o r "touched" by " e a r t h l y y e a r s . " Lucy's c o r p s e i s "Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s

d i u r n a l course" b u t t h i s motion no l o n g e r impels Lucy. The e a r t h s t i l l

t u r n s , b u t Lucy is s t i l l . The image of t h e e a r t h ' s r e g u l a r movement

c o n t r a s t s with and e n p h a s i z e s t h e s t i l l n e s s o r permanence o f t h e

inanimate o b j e c t s i t c a r r i e s a l o n g w i t h i t . Now t h a t Lucy i s dead, t h e

s p e a k e r is compelled t o recognize t h a t s h e i s a l s o p a r t o f t h i s e t e r n a l

r e p ~i t i o n .

The correspondence between t h e "thing" Lucy seemed t o be i n l i f e ,

d e s c r i b e d i n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a , and t h e t h i n g s h e a c t u a l l y is now t h a t s h e

is dead, described i n t h e second s t a n z a , i s emphasized by t h e p a r a l l e l

s t r u c t u r e of t h e two s t a n z a s . Each s t a n z a b e g i n s with two s h o r t s t a t e m e n t s ,

and each s t a n z a b u i l d s towards t h e t h i r d and f o u r t h l i n e s , which a r e

enjambed. The corresponding o b s e r v a t i o n s about Lucy t h a t t h e t h i r d and

f o u r t h l i n e s c o n t a i n a r e given added weight because o f t h e i r l e n g t h , i n

c o n t r a s t t o t h e b r i e f s t a t e m e n t s t h a t come b e f o r e . Aided by t h e r e g u l a r i t y

o f t h e poem's rhyme scheme, t h e r e p e t i t i v e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e two s t a n z a s

imparts a sense o f an i n e x o r a b l e proceeding towards t h e f i n a l l o n e l y v i s i o n

o f Lucy's k i n s h i p w i t h "rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s . "

Using " d i u r n a l " r a t h e r than t h e s i m p l e r word " d a i l y " t o d e s c r i b e t h e

e a r t h ' s course c r e a t e s an impression o f majesty and power which c o n t r a s t s

w i t h t h e g e n t l e image i n s t a n z a one of "The touch of e a r t h l y y e a r s ."

Because t h e e f f e c t o f time was s o i m p e r c e p t i b l e o r g e n t l e , t h e s p e a k e r w a s

a b l e t o ignore i t . By i g n o r i n g time t h e s p e a k e r seems t o p i t t h e puny

powers of h i s wishes a g a i n s t i t o r t o t r y t o h a l t t h e " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l

course." The f o o l i s h n e s s of h i s former s t a t e of mind i s t h e r e f o r e

emphasized by t h i s f i n a l image of t h e e a r t h ' s r e g u l a r and r e l e n t l e s s

revolutions. Counting time i n y e a r s i n s t a n z a one and i n days i n s t a n z a

tw3 suggest both t h e s p e a k e r ' s i n c r e a s e d awareness o f t i m e ' s passage and

h i s unhappihess and l o n e l i n e s s now t h a t Lucy i s dead. Time hangs more

h e a v i l y on h i s hands now. When Lucy was a l i c e , t h e y e a r s passed q u i c k l y

and i m p e r c e p t i b l y ; now t h a t she i s dead, he i s aware o f t h e passage o f

 each day.

The s t a t e l y m a j e s t y suggested by " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course" i s

echoed i n t h e rhythm of t h i s l i n e . The l o n g vowel sounds, t h e d i p t h o n g

i n "round", t h e s e p a r a t i o n o r pause between t h e "i" and t h e "u" i n

"diurnal1', t h e r e p i t i t i o n o f "r", "1" and "sf' sounds and t h e pause one

t e n d s t o make between " e a r t h ' s " and " d i u r n a l " a l l slow t h e r e a d e r down and

add f o r c e t o t h e image t h a t t h i s l i n e c o n t a i n s . The dominant sounds of t h i s

line -- I1
r " , 11s " and "nl' -- a r e r e p e a t e d i n t h e poem's l a s t l i n e . This

r e p i t i t i o n of sound u n i f i e s t h e l a s t two l i n e s and t h e r e f o r e i n c r e a s e s t h e

f o r c e o f t h e image of Lucy's u n i t y with t h e u n i v e r s e of " t h i n g s . " For t h e

P o e t i c a l Works o f 1832 Wordsworth i n s e r t e d commas i n t o t h i s l i n e -- "r o c k s ,

and s t o n e s , and t r e e s ." These pauses g i v e t h e l i n e a weighted emphasis

which i m p a r t s a t e r r i b l e f i n a l i t y t o t h i s image.

Lucy's having taken h e r p l a c e with t h e "rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s "

reminds us t h a t s h e is now i n t h e ground -- i n h e r grave. The l e x i c a l

r e p e t i t i o n o f "rocks and s t o n e s " emphasizes t h a t Lucy's c o r p s e i s an

II
inanimate "thing. But u n l i k e a rock o r a s t o n e , Lucy's c o r p s e w i l l n o t

remain v i r t u a l l y unchanged by time: i t w i l l decay and t u r n t o d u s t , t o

become p a r t of t h e e a r t h from which t r e e s can grow. Extending t h e p h r a s e

"rocks and s t o n e s " t o i n c l u d e " t r e e s " h a s t h e e f f e c t o f l e s s e n i n g t h e

b l e a k n e s s of t h i s image s i n c e although they do n o t " f e e l , " trees a r e

nevertheless l i v i n g things. They grow and change. T r e e s a l s o "die"

every winter, t o be reborn i n t h e spring. They belong t o t h e s e a s o n a l

c y c l e s o f n a t u r e , which a r e a s permanent i n t h e i r r e p e t i t i o n as a r e r o c k s

and s t o n e s . Lucy's d e a t h awakens h e r l o v e r ' s imagination o r " s p i r i t " by

f o r c i n g him t o r e c o g n i z e t h a t Lucy i s p a r t of t h i s e n d l e s s c y c l e , b u t t h i s
 37

u n d e r s t a n d i n g is overshadowed by t h e knowledge t h a t s h e i s l o s t t o him.

"THREE YEARS SHE GREW I N SUN AND SHOWER"

While t h e f o c u s o f "Three y e a r s s h e grew i n s u n and shower" i s

- _o- s t e n s i b l y upon t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f Lucy and "Nature,"

- - _ __ _-- ---
the d e t a i l s of t h i s
1- -- --- - ..

r e l a t i o n s h i p a r e p r e s e n t e d by h e r l o v e r , from h i s p o i n t o f view. Like t h e

------I-.-- ---- C ___-__--_ ----____ -------
f i r s t t h r e e Lucy poems, t h i s poem i s concerned w i t h t h e s p e a k e r ' s f e e l i n g s

about Lucy's d e a t h : t h e b i t t e r n e s s of h i s g r i e f i s r e v e a l e d by h i s

c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of Nature a s a domineering and powerful b e i n g . In the

P r e f a c e t o L y r i c a l Ball* (1800) Wordsworth s i n g l e s o u t p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n

a s a p a r t i c u l a r l y deplorable l i t e r a r y device:

I n t h e s e Poems I propose t o myself t o i m i t a t e and, a s f a r

a s i t i s p o s s i b l e , t o adopt t h e very language o f men, and
I do n o t f i n d t h a t such p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n s make any r e g u l a r
o r n a t u r a l p a r t o f t h a t language. I wish t o keep my
r e a d e r i n t h e company o f f l e s h and blood. 47

By p e r s o n i f y i n g Nature i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew, " t h e r e f o r e , Wordsworth

seems t o have gone a g a i n s t h i s own c r e e d . However, l i k e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

r a t h e r mechanical comparison o f Lucy t o a " r o s e i n June" i n " s t r a n g e f i t s

of p a s s i o n , " t h e s p e a k e r ' s use o f " p o e t i c d i c t i o n " i n t h i s poem r e v e a l s

much about h i s s t a t e of mind.

The l o v e l y images of Lucy's l i f e w i t h Nature a r e s i m u l t a n e o u s l y used

t o demonstrate N a t u r e ' s imperiousness: "The f l o a t i n g c l o u d s t h e i r state

s h a l l l e n d / To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend"; "The stars o f midnight s h a l l

be d e a r / T o + h e r . . . ." Nature commands and i t i s s o . T h i s i s a power

t h a t cannot be denied:
 Three y e a r s s h e grew i n sun and shower,
Then Nature s a i d , "A l o v e l i e r flower
On e a r t h was n e v e r sown;
T h i s C h i l d I t o myself w i l l t a k e ,
She s h a l l be mine, and I w i l l make
A Lady of my own.

N a t u r e ' s p o s s e s s i v e n e s s i s emphasized i n t h e s e l i n e s by t h e f i r s t person

pronouns Nature uses w h i l e c l a i m i n g Lucy. The greedy, demanding power

o f Nature o v e r r i d e s t h e f u t i l e c l a i m t h a t t h e s p e a k e r makes t o Lucy i n t h e

l a s t s t a n z a o f t h e poem:

Thus Nature spake -- t h e work was done --

How soon my I.ucyls r a c e was run!

These l i n e s from t h e l a s t s t a n z a are r e m i n i s c e n t o f Genesis: "And

God s a i d , l e t t h e r e be l i g h t : and t h e r e was l i g h t . " (I:3) They s u g g e s t

t h a t N a t u r e ' s power i s a s g r e a t a s God's, o r t h a t i n t h e u n i v e r s e o f t h e s e

poems Nature i s t h e governing f o r c e . And Nature i s everywhere: "In earth

and heaven, i n g l a d e and bower. . . ." I n s t e a d o f God's, N a t u r e ' s w i l l i s

t o "be done i n e a r t h , as i t i s i n heaven" (Matthew VI:10).

The opening l i n e s of "Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower" t e l l us

...
A -
t h a t Lucy had been n u r t u r e d by t h e n a t u r a l world from h e r b i r t h o r =the
___----
t h r e e y e a r s b e f o r e Nature n o t i c e d and d e s i r e d h e r : "Then Nature s a i d , ' A
-A __--------
l o v e l i e r flower/ On e a r t h was n e v e r sown. .. .I' Lucy becomes N a t u r e ' s

"Lady": s h e i s r a i s e d i n s t a t i o n , from one f l o w e r among many t o N a t u r e ' s

consort. Lucy i s s i n g l e d o u t by Nature f o r p a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n :

Myself w i l l t o my d a r l i n g be
Both law and impulse, and w i t h me
The G i r l i n rock and p l a i n ,
I n e a r t h and heaven, i n g l a d e and bower,
S h a l l f e e l a n o v e r s e e i n g power
To k i n d l e o r r e s t r a i n .
*
 J 39
A l l Lucy's d e s i r e s o r "impulses" w i l l o r i g i n a t e w i t h o r be"kindledW

by N a t u r e ' s "overseeing power.'' Her a b i l i t y t o govern o r t o " r e s t r a i n "

them w i l l a l s o come from Nature. Lucy w i l l be wholly i n f l u e n c e d by

Nature and Nature w i l l bestow h i s kingdom upon h e r , t o s e r v e h e r : "The

f l o a t i n g clouds t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l lend/ To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend

.... II
N a t u r e ' s promises a r e r e m i n i s c e n t o f p a s t o r a l l o v e p o e t r y such

as Marlow's "The P a s s i o n a t e Shepherd t o H i s Love," i n which t h e shepherd

o f f e r s h i s sweetheart " a l l the pleasures. . ./ That v a l l e y s , g r o v e s , h i l l s ,

48
and f i e l d s , / Woods o r s t e e p y mountain y i e l d s . ' ' A l l t h e b e a u t y of t h e

n a t u r a l world i s given t o Lucy because Lucy belongs wholly t o Nature, and

h e r own b e a u t y d e r i v e s e n t i r e l y from s e n s o r y e x p e r i e n c e :

Nor s h a l l s h e f a i l t o -.see
Even i n t h e motions of t h e s t o r m
A b e a u t y t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy. ...
And b e a u t y born of murmuring sound
Shall pass i n t o her face.

And v i t a l f e e l i n g s of d e l i g h t
S h a l l r e a r h e r form t o s t a t e l y h e i g h t ,
Her v i r g i n bosom s w e l l . ... (my i t a l i c s )

Lucy's d e a t h f o r c e s h e r l o v e r t o an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f h e r p h y s i c a l

n a t u r e o r t o a r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t Lucy belonged t o N a t u r e , who w i l l n o t

s h a r e h e r w i t h h e r human l o v e r . A s he l o o k s back upon Lucy's l i f e , i t

seems t o t h e s p e a k e r t h a t he l o s t Lucy t o Nature: t h e poem i s n o t u n l i k e

a l o v e r ' s complaint w i t h Nature r e p r e s a t e d as a more powerful and t h e r e f o r e

v i c t o r i o u s r i v a l who h a s t a k e n Lucy from t h e s p e a k e r . _-But&possessing

-.
--.__ -.-

Luw,&i~.llrq-.@
-. ~ t r o y ~her. A t t h e same time t h a t s h e i s endowed w i t h t h e
..
_.
,'
 beauty o f t h e n a t u r a l world, Lucy a l s o r e c e i v e s h e r doom: the end-result

of N a t u r e ' s l o v e f o r Lucy seems t o be t h a t Lucy's "race" is t h e s o o n e r run.

Although everyone belongs t o Nature -- everyone d i e s e v e n t u a l l y -- death

seems t o have come s o o n e r f o r Lucy because h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Nature

was e s p e c i a l l y c l o s e . I f Lucy had been less l o v e l y , t h e s p e a k e r i m p l i e s ,

she might have e s c a p e d N a t u r e ' s n o t i c e and s t i l l be a l i v e .

N a t u r e ' s r e f e r e n c e t o Lucy as a f l o w e r i n s t a n z a one r e c a l l s t h e

1

<omparisons t h a r o s e i n "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " and w i t h a

v i o l e t i n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways.

- 7 .+>-
A s i n t h e o t h e r poems,
/--.

the co n associ tion ty

_--kc?y- y./-
-
L',

'

beauty bestowed
-L' - (
.
, ,

on Lucy w a s f l e e t i n g .
'
/
-
of Lucy's l--i f e i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew."
-
\-
----''_,-
Like
.-__-- t h e b e a u t y o f f l o w e r s , t h e
L a t e r i n t h e poem, t h e ominous l i n e s
_--- -
-----

"While s h e and I t o g e t h e r l i v e / Here i n t h i s happy d e l l " ( s t a n z a s i x ) a l s o

s u g g e s t t h e t r a n s i e n c e o f Lucy's l i f e , a s w e l l a s p r o v i d i n g a b i t t e r c o n t r a s t

with t h e f i n a l image o f t h e s p e a k e r a l o n e on t h e h e a t h . Many o f t h e images

o f Lucy's l i f e w i t h Nature a r e images of motion: t h e s e images c u l m i n a t e i n

11
t h e s p e a k e r ' s r e f e r e n c e t o Lucy's l i f e a s a race" i n t h e l a s t s t a n z a and

they emphasize, t h e r e f o r e , t h a t even while Lucy w a s s o v i b r a n t l y a l i v e , h e r

l i f e was q u i c k l y p a s s i n g :

She s h a l l be s p o r t i v e a s t h e fawn
That w i l d w i t h g l e e a c r o s s t h e lawn
O r up t h e mountain s p r i n g s . ...
The f l o a t i n g c l o u d s t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l l e n d
To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend,
- s h a l l she f a i l t o see
Nor
Even i n t h e motions o f t h e s t o r m
A b e a u t y t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy.
 ... and s h e s h a l l l e a n h e r e a r
To many a s e c r e t p l a c e
Where r i v u l e t s dance t h e i r wayward round,
And beauty born o f murmuring sound
S h a l l pass i n t o h e r face.

Lucy's t i r e l e s s motion a l s o s u g g e s t s h e r y o u t h f u l n e s s and echoes t h e

d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e p o e t ' s boyhood i n " T i n t e r n Abbey":

When l i k e a r o e
I bounded o ' e r t h e mountains, by t h e s i d e s
Of t h e deep r i v e r s , and t h e l o n e l y streams,
Where e v e r n a t u r e l e d . ...
Unlike most of t h e o t h e r images o f Lucy, s h e i s a l s o d e s c r i b e d i n

s t a n z a t h r e e as p o s s e s s i n g "the b r e a t h i n g balm,/ . . . the s i l e n c e and t h e

calm/ Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s . " These l i n e s c o n t r a s t w i t h t h e image o f

Lucy a s " s p o r t i v e as t h e fawn" i n t h e same s t a n z a and t h e r e f o r e s u g g e s t a

range o f l o v e l i n e s s t h a t i s r e m i n i s c e n t of t h e images o f t h e v i o l e t and t h e

s t a r i n "she dwelt among t h e untrodden ways." The image o f Lucy's

p o s s e s s i n g "the s i l e n c e and t h e calm/ Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " a l s o

foreshadows h e r d e a t h and t h e "calm, and q u i e t scene" s h e b e q u e a t h s t o h e r

lover. The d e s c r i p t i o n of Lucy a s " t h e b r e a t h i n g balm& . . . Of mute

i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " s u g g e s t s t h a t s h e was t h e l i v i n g embodiment o f t h e i r

soothing q u a l i t i e s . Like t h e mountains o r trees o r c l o u d s , Lucy's p r e s e n c e

could calm and q u i e t e n h e r l o v e r ' s s p i r i t . But a f t e r h e r d e a t h , Lucy i s

no l o n g e r " t h e b r e a t h i n g balm. . ./ Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " (my i t a l i c s )

-- s h e h a s become one o f them. To t h e s p e a k e r , "This h e a t h , t h i s calm, and

q u i e t scene" seems a s a d reminder "of what h a s b e e n , / And n e v e r more w i l l be. "

I n c o n t r a s t t o t h e images of movement and o f s e n s o r y l i f e t h a t f i l l t h e

rest o f t h e poem, we a r e f i n a l l y t o l d t h a t Lucy's "race w a s run": Lucy h a s

stopped running, s h e i s dead, and, because Lucy i s s t i l l , t h e l a n d s c a p e

a l s o seems s t i l l , a "calm and q u i e t scene." Like t h e f i r s t l i n e o f t h e

l a s t s t a n z a , "Thus Nature spake -- t h e work was done --,I1 t h e image of

LUCY'S "race" being"runt' h a s a b i b l i c a l t o n e . I t is reminiscent of t h i s

famous passage from E c c l e s i a s t e s :

I r e t u r n e d , and saw under t h e s u n t h a t t h e r a c e i s

not t o t h e s w i f t , nor the b a t t l e t o the s t r o n g ,
n e i t h e r y e t bread t o the w i s e , nor y e t r i c h e s t o
men of understanding, nor y e t f a v o u r t o men o f s k i l l ;
b u t t i m e and chance happeneth t o them a l l . (1X:ll)

The t r a n q u i l a c c e p t a n c e o f t h e bounds o f time t h a t I s e n s e i n t h i s

passage i s n o t a c h i e v e d by t h e s p e a k e r of "Three y e a r s s h e grew," however.

Although t h e r e f e r e n c e t o t h e "calm and q u i e t scene" t h a t Lucy l e a v e s h e r

l o v e r s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e s p e a k e r ' s a t t i t u d e t o h e r d e a t h i s one o f a c c e p t a n c e

and r e p o s e , a s does h i s simple s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d s t a t e m e n t , "She d i e d , " t h i s

impression i s undercut by t h e n o s t a l g i c l a s t l i n e s o f t h e poem. Lucy

l e a v e s t h e s p e a k e r a l o n e on t h e h e a t h w i t h "The m e w r y o f what h a s been/

And never more w i l l be. "

I have argued t h a t because Lucy is dead, t h e l a n d s c a p e o f "A slumber

d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " a l s o seems dead: i t i s u n f e e l i n g , unresponsive and

--
inanimate. I n "Three y e a r s s h e grew" t h e s p e a k e r d e s c r i b e s t h e world i n
-.
which Lucy l i v e d and, l i k e t h e landscape o f " T i n t e r n Abbey," t h a t world i s

f i l l e d w i t h motion and s p i r i t . The kingdom t h a t Nature bestows upon Lucy

i s f u l l o f movement and d e l i g h t . Perhaps t h e c o n t r a s t between t h e land-

s c a p e s o f t h e s e two "Lucy" poems may be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e changing

circumstances i n which Wordsworth composed t h e poems: "A slumber d i d my

s p i r i t s e a l " was composed d u r i n g t h e b i t t e r l y c o l d w i n t e r a t G o s l a r ;

"Three y e a r e s h e grew" was composed i n t h e s p r i n g , a f t e r t h e Wordsworths

 43

had l e f t Goslar. However, i n s p i t e o f t h e warm promise o f s p r i n g and

t h e knowledge t h a t he was on h i s way home t o England, Wordsworth's mood

does n o t seem t o have a p p r e c i a b l y l i g h t e n e d . The f i g u r e o f Nature i n

"Three y e a r s s h e grew" is domineering and p o s s e s s i v e , and a l t h o u g h t h i s

poem does n o t end on s o d e s o l a t e a n o t e as "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal,'.'

t h e tone o f t h e l a s t s t a n z a i s n o t d i s s i m i l a r .
CHAPTER
-- 3: GRASMERE
----

It
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was probably composed i n A p r i l , 1801:

Wordsworth i n c l u d e d t h i s poem i n a l e t t e r he wrote t o Mary Hutchinson on

A p r i l 29, 1801, w i t h t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s t h a t i t s h o u l d be read a f t e r "She

dwelt among t h e untrodden ways." Like "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways",

"I t r a v e l l 'd among unknown men" emphasizes t h e importance of p l a c e : the

s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n of where Lucy dwelt i n both poems c o l o u r s h i s

e v o c a t i o n o f Lucy. Reading t h e poems i n t h i s sequence, t h e l o v e f o r

England t h a t t h e s p e a k e r e x p r e s s e s i n "I t r a v e l l Id among unkown men" grows

o u t of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Lucy and t h e l a n d s c a p e t h a t i s s u g g e s t e d i n

II
She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways". "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was

f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n 1807 when i t appeared w i t h a n o t h e r poem a b o u t Lucy,

"Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been," i n Poems, i n Two Volumes,

although t h e r e is e v i d e n c e t h a t Wordsworth had i n t e n d e d t o p u b l i s h i t i n t h e

1802 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s a f t e r "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and

49
then changed h i s mind. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" e v e n t u a l l y

appeared w i t h t h e o t h e r "Lucyt' poems i n t h e --

Poems o f 1815 i n t h e p o s i t i o n

Wordsworth had d e s i g n a t e d i n 1801, a f t e r "She dwelt among t h e untrodden

ways. I'

I n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" Wordsworth seems t o l o o k back

upon t h e t e r r i b l e w i n t e r he and Dorothy s p e n t i n i s o l a t i o n i n Germany and

t o c o n t r a s t t h a t melancholy time with a p r e s e n t t h a t i s happy and s e r e n e .

"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" e x p r e s s e s a c o n f i d e n c e t h a t i s s i m i l a r

t o t h e optimism w i t h which Wordsworth concluded " T i n t e r n Abbey" i n

J u l y , 1798. The theme o f t h e c o n t i n u i t y o f t h e l a n d s c a p e o r o f p l a c e

a s a b r i d g e between p a s t and p r e s e n t i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men"

i s r e m i n i s c e n t o f Wordsworth's admonition t o h i s s i s t e r a t t h e end of

t h e earlier poem:

Nor, perchance --
I f I s h o u l d be where I no more can h e a r
Thy v o i c e , n o r c a t c h from t h y w i l d e y e s t h e s e gleams
Of p a s t e x i s t e n c e -- w i l t t h o u t h e n f o r g e t
That on t h e banks o f t h i s d e l i g h t f u l s t r e a m
W e s t o o d t o g e t h e r ; and t h a t I , s o long
A worshipper o f N a t u r e , h i t h e r came
Unwearied i n t h a t s e r v i c e ....
Nor w i l t thou t h e n f o r g e t ,
That a f t e r many wanderings, many y e a r s
Of absence, t h e s e s t e e p woods and l o f t y c l i f f s ,
And t h i s green p a s t o r a l l a n d s c a p e , were t o me
More d e a r , b o t h f o r themselves and f o r thy sake!

However, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" a l s o l o o k s back on a t i m e

of c r e a t i v e s u c c e s s from one f i l l e d w i t h f r u s t r a t i o n . The w i n t e r o f 1798-

1799 was a h i g h l y p r o d u c t i v e time f o r Wordsworth; "I t r a v e l l ' d among

unknown men" i s t h e o n l y new poem he i s known t o have completed d u r i n g a

l o n g s i l e n c e t h a t began i n t h e summer o f 1800 and l a s t e d u n t i l November,

50
1801. By comparing h i s p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n w i t h t h e p a s t , Wordsworth seems,

t h e r e f o r e , t o s e e k t o r e a s s u r e himself a b o u t h i s l i f e i n Grasmere and t o

t h u s overcome t h e m a l a i s e t h a t g r i p p e d him i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.

I have s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems were a n e x p r e s s i o n

o f Wordsworth's i n t e n s e l o v e f o r Dorothy and r e f l e c t t h e i r s i t u a t i o n d u r i n g

t h e w i n t e r o f 1798-1799. These poems seem t o m e t o emerge o u t o f t h e same

i n t r o s p e c t i p n t h a t produced P a r t One o f t h e two p a r t P r e l u d e . S i m i l a r i t i e s

 -
between t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e f i r s t p a r t o f The R e c l u s e , Home a t Grasmere,
51
which was w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800, and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown

men" s u g g e s t t o me t h a t t h i s l y r i c was g e n e r a t e d by ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sa t t e m p t s

t o proceed w i t h Home a t Grasmere i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801. I n a book about

Wordsworth's p o e t r y o f 1800 John Dings d e s c r i b e d Home a t Grasmere as"a

d i v i d e d poem." H e s u g g e s t s t h a t two impulses l a y behind Wordsworth's

composition o f t h e poem: t o write a b o u t h i m s e l f and t o d e s c r i b e t h e

52
p a s t o r a l l i f e . A number o f s h o r t p a s t o r a l poems s u c h as "Michael" and

"The w rot hers" seem t o have grown o u t o f Wordsworth's i n t e n t i o n , s t a t e d

a t t h e end o f t h e e a r l y s e c t i o n o f Home a t Grasmere, t o "look f o r man"

b u t t h e l i n e s w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800 a r e c h i e f l y a l y r i c a l

o v e r f l o w i n g o f powerful and i n t i m a t e f e e l i n g . Wordsworth b e g i n s h i s

I1
g r e a t argument" o f t h e harmony between t h e Mind o f Man and t h e e x t e r n a l
53
World w i t h a c e l e b r a t i o n o f h i s l o v e f o r Grasmere and f o r Dorothy. The

impulse t o w r i t e a b o u t h i m s e l f i n Home a t Grasmere seems t o have been

54
s t r o n g e r t h a n t h e impulse t o "give p i c t u r e s o f Nature, Man and Society.'!

Wordsworth a l s o gave way t o t h e urge t o w r i t e a b o u t h i m s e l f i n "I

t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men": t h i s poem seems t o g i v e e x p r e s s i o n t o

f e e l i n g s t h a t Wordsworth could n o t t u r n i n t o philosophy i n t h e s p r i n g of

1801, Wordsworth's r e t u r n t o t h e "Lucy" s e r i e s a t t h i s t i m e s u g g e s t s t h a t

h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r was on h i s mind, a s i t had been i n t h e

w i n t e r o f 1798-1799 and i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800.

L But t h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p was n o t t h e same a s i t had once been. In

r
Germany and d u r i n g t h e e a r l y months a t Grasmere, Dorothy had been t h e
I

c e n t r e of ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sl i f e . I n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801 Wordsworth was a t

home i n Grasmere and i n c l o s e c o n t a c t w i t h f r i e n d s s u c h as C o l e r i d g e and

 47
t h e Hutchinson s i s t e r s and he w a s less dependent upon h i s s i s t e r ' s l o v e

and s u p p o r t . Wordsworth d i d n o t f o r m a l i z e h i s engagement t o Mary

Hutchinson u n t i l A p r i l , 1802, b u t t h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p had probably begun

t o e s t a b l i s h i t s e l f i n t h e s p r i n g of 1801. When he married Mary i n

October, 1802, Wordsworth grew up: he s t e p p e d o u t o f t h e childhood world

he had r e g a i n e d i n h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r and assumed the r o l e

o f an a d u l t . I n "I t r a v e l l ' d m n g unknown men" Wordsworth seems t o o f f e r

s i m u l t a n e o u s l y a l o v e poem t o Dorothy, t h e s o u r c e o f s o much of h i s f e e l i n g

f o r t h e E n g l i s h l a n d s c a p e , and a d e c l a r a t i o n o f h i s independence.

During t h e i d y l l i c months f o l l o w i n g W i l l i a m and Dorothy Wordsworth's

a r r i v a l i n Grasmere a t t h e end of 1799, Wordsworth composed numerous s h o r t

poems and a l s o made a j u b i l a n t s t a r t upon Home a t Grasmere. But d u r i n g t h e

summer o f 1800 Wordsworth found himself i n c r e a s i n g l y f r u s t r a t e d i n h i s

a t t e m p t s t o compose p o e t r y . I n J u l y he wrote t o J o s i a h Wedgewood t h a t

"ill h e a l t h h a s f o r some time rendered l i t e r a r y l a b o u r n o t a d v i s e a b l e f o r

55
me." I n September.Dorothy d e s c r i b e d Wordsworth's poor h e a l t h and i t s

r e l a t i o n t o h i s work i n a l e t t e r t o a f r i e n d :

William's h e a l t h i s by no means s t r o n g , and h e

h a s w r i t t e n a g r e a t d e a l s i n c e we f i r s t went t o
Al foxden, namely d u r i n g t h e y e a r p r e c e d i n g o u r going
i n t o Germany, w h i l e we were t h e r e , and s i n c e o u r
a r r i v a l i n England, and he w r i t e s w i t h s o much f e e l i n g
and a g i t a t i o n t h a t i t b r i n g s on a s e n s e o f p a i n and
i n t e r n a l veakness a b o u t h i s l e f t s i d e and stomack which
now o f t e n makes i t i m p o s s i b l e f o [ r ] h i m t o [writelwhen
h e i s i n mind and f e e l i n g s i n such a s t a t e t h a t he
c o u l d do i t w i t h o u t d i f f i c u l t y . 56

During t h e summer and autumn of 1800, Wordsworth b u s i e d himself

p r e p a r i n g t h e second e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s f o r p u b l i c a t i o n . He

wrote t h e P t e f a c e t o t h e second e d i t i o n a t t h i s time. Wordsworth's

b.

d e f i n i t i o n o f "good poetry" a s " t h e overflow of powerful f e e l i n g s " i n

t h e P r e f a c e s u g g e s t s t h a t he b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e s o u r c e of h i s p o e t r y l a y
i n t h e d i s t u r b a n c e s of " f e e l i n g and a g i t a t i o n t t t h a t Dorothy d e s c r i b e d i n

h e r l e t t e r , b u t by c o u r t i n g such a s t a t e o f mind Wordsworth t r o d a r a z o r ' s

edge. Overwhelmed by pain and weakness, wordsworth is n o n e t h e l e s s s a i d t o

be "in mind and f e e l i n g s i n such a s t a t e t h a t he c o u l d [ w r i t e ] w i t h o u t

d i f f i c ~ l t y . ,I~r o~n i c a l l y , t h e s t a t e of mind t h a t w a s supposedly most

conducive t o composing p o e t r y could a l s o make composition i m p o s s i b l e .

111 h e a l t h continued t o o p p r e s s Wordsworth throughout t h e autumn

of 1800. References i n Dorothy's j o u r n a l t o Wordsworth's a t t e m p t s t o

m r k a r e i n t e r s p e r s e d with r e f e r e n c e s t o h i s n o t f e e l i n g w e l l :

(October 19) Wm worked a l l morning a t t h e s h e e p f o l d ,

b u t i n vain. H e l a y down i n t h e a f t e r n o o n t i l l 7 o ' c l o c k ,
b u t could n o t s l e e p . I s l e p t , my head b e t t e r -- he
unable t o work.
(October 21) Wm had been u n s u c c e s s f u l i n t h e morning
a t the sheepfold.
(October 23) Wm was n o t s u c c e s s f u l i n composition i n
t h e evening.
(October 27) Wm could not compose much, f a t i g u e d
himself with a l t e r i n g .
(October 31) Wm very s i c k and very ill.
(November 1) Wmbetter.
(November 4 ) Wm s a d l y t i r e d .
(November 7) Wm s t i l l unwell.
(November 23) Wm n o t w e l l .
(November 26) Wm very w e l l and h i g h l y p o e t i c a l
(December 6 ) Wm was n o t w e l l , had laboured u n s u c c e s s f u l l y . .
Wm t i r e d and n o t w e l l . 5 7

No r e g u l a r r e c o r d of t h e e v e n t s o f 1801 s u r v i v e s . Dorothy's j o u r n a l b r e a k s

o f f on December 22, 1800, and does n o t resume u n t i l October 10, 1801.

However, t h e r e a r e r e f e r e n c e s i n family l e t t e r s t o W o r d s w r t h ' s problems

w i t h h i s h e a l t h and h i s work which suggest t h a t t h e p a t t e r n of f r u s t r a t i o n

and d e p r e s s i o n recorded by Dorothy i n h e r j o u r n a l continued. In a l e t t e r

t o Anne T a y l o r d a t e d A p r i l 9, 1801, Wordsworth w r o t e , "I have t a k e n a

house i n t h e Vale o f Grasmere, . . . and

I l i v e w i t h my sister, meaning,
58
i f my h e a l t h w i l l permit m e , t o devote my l i f e t o l i t e r a t u r e ."
A t the

end of A p r i l , i n t h e same l e t t e r i n which Wordsworth s e n t Mary Hutchinson

a copy o f "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," Dorothy wrote [William] i s

always v e r y ill when he t r i e s t o a l t e r an o l d poem, b u t new composition

does n o t h u r t him s o much. I hope he w i l l soon be a b l e t o work w i t h o u t

h u r t i n g himself." However, t h e n e x t month Dorothy wrote t o C o l e r i d g e :

"Poor W i l l i a m ! We have p u t a s i d e a l l t h e manuscript poems, and i t i s

a g r e e d between us t h a t I am n o t t o give them up t o him even i f he a s k s f o r

59
them. "

Dorothy's l e t t e r s t e l l us t h a t Wordsworth was preoccupied w i t h

We know from a l e t t e r s e n t i n A p r i l , 1801,

r e v i s i o n i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.
60
t o Thomas Poole t h a t Wordsworth had added so& l i n e s t o " ~ i c h a e l ' . ' ' A

series o f l e t t e r s from John Wordsworth t o Dorothy s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth

- and -
was a l s o working on The Recluse The P r e l u d e . A t t h e end o f March John
61
wrote t h a t he was "glad t o h e a r t h a t Wm [was] g o i n g on w i t h t h e r e c l u s e . "

A month l a t e r he thanked Dorothy f o r sending him c o p i e s o f Wordsworth's

62
poems, e s p e c i a l l y " t h e c o r r e c t i o n s i n t h e . . . poem t o Coleridge."

C r i t i c a l o p i n i o n i s d i v i d e d as t o whether by " t h e r e c l u s e " John

Wordsworth a c t u a l l y meant The Prelude s i n c e h i s r e f e r e n c e i n t h e second

l e t t e r t o t h e "poem t o C o l e r i d g e l ' probably r e f e r s t o The P r e l u d e . The

e d i t o r of John Wordsworth's l e t t e r s , C a r l Ketcham, a r g u e s t h a t "WW, DW,

and C o l e r i d g e thought o f The P r e l u d e a s p a r t of The R e c l u s e , though n o t

63
t h e main p a r t . " Ketcham's o p i n i o n i s s u p p o r t e d by a l e t t e r s e n t from
r
C o l e r i d g e t o Wordsworth i n O c t o b e r , 1799, i n which C o l e r i d g e confused

The Recluse and The P r e l u d e :

 I l o n g t o see what you have been doing. 0 l e t i t be
t h e t a i l - p i e c e of 'The Recluse!' f o r of n o t h i n g b u t 'The
Recluse' can I h e a r p a t i e n t l y . That i t i s t o be a d d r e s s e d
t o me makes m e more d e s i r o u s t h a t i t s h o u l d n o t be a poem
o f i t s e l f . To be a d d r e s s e d , as a beloved man, by a t h i n k e r ,
a t t h e c l o s e o f such a poem a s 'The R e c l u s e ' . . .
is the
only e v e n t I b e l i e v e , c a p a b l e of i n c i t i n g i n me a n h o u r ' s
vanity. d4

C o l e r i d g e seems t o be r e f e r r i n g h e r e t o P a r t Two o f The P r e l u d e of

1798-1799, which Wordsworth completed i n t h e autumn o f 1799. A t t h e end

o f P a r t Two Wordsworth a d d r e s s e s C o l e r i d g e a s " ~ y~ r i e n d "and "MY b r o t h e r

. . . in t h i s my deep devotion" (496, 508-9).

However, i n October 1979 Wordsworth had n o t y e t begun Home a t Grasmere:

The P r e l u d e o r t h e p r e f a c e t o The Recluse was a l l t h a t he had s o f a r

produced. The two poems were less l i k e l y t o be con•’used a f t e r Wordsworth

had s t a r t e d The Recluse p r o p e r , Home a t Grasrnere, i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800.

Mark Reed a r g u e s , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t i f John Wordsworth's remark a b o u t 'the

r e c l u s e ' was a r e f e r e n c e t o -
The P r e l u d e , i t " r e p r e s e n t s a c o n f u s i o n o f t h e

' r e c l u s e ' and t h e poem on Wordsworth's own l i f e u n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e

65
f a m i l y ' s u s u a l terms f o r d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e works ."
Reed s u g g e s t s t h a t

Wordsworth probably worked on The Recluse and on The P r e l u d e i n t h e s p r i n g

of 1801, and h e u s e s a t h i r d l e t t e r from John t o Dorothy, i n whic%.ohn

s a i d t h a t he l i k e d " t h e a d d i t i o n s and c o r r e c t i o n s i n t h e l o n g [poem] ," t o
67
s p e c u l a t e t h a t The P r e l u d e I , 55-271 (1805) may have been w r i t t e n a t t h i s
68
time. Jonathan Wordsworth and Stephen G i l l a l s o f e e l t h a t John Wordsworth

would n o t have confused The Recluse and The P r e l u d e and a r g u e t h a t

Wordsworth was p r o b a b l y " a t t e m p t i n g t o g e t [on] w i t h Home a t Grasmere b u t

allowed h i d e l f t o b e s i d e t r a c k e d i n t o r e v i s i o n o f -
1799 [The P r e l u d e , 69

1798-17991, p a r t of which S a r a Hutchinson was engaged i n w r i t i n g out."

 51

Support f o r b e l i e v i n g t h a t Wordsworth was a t work on Home a t Grasmere,

a p a r t o f The Recluse, i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801 seems t o me t o be p r o v i d e d by

a comparison o f Home a t Grasmere with t h e one poem Wordsworth is known t o

have w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men". I n an

a n a l y s i s of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f W o r d s w r t h ' s s h o r t poems t o h i s l o n g poem,

J a r e d C u r t i s s u g g e s t s t h a t f r e q u e n t l y f o r Wordsworth " t h e s h o r t poems

became a remedy, a r e l e a s e , a r e f r e s h i n g and p l e a s u r e - g i v i n g employment

a r i s i n g almost i n recompense f o r t h e p o e t ' s discouragement and i r r e s o l u t i o n

o v e r t h e 'work o f l e n g t h and l a b o u r . "' C u r t i s goes on t o p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e

typical short
7 8oem d e a l s w i t h " t h e very same concerns t h a t had g e n e r a t e d t h e

l a r g e r work." T h i s i s t r u e o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between P a r t One o f t h e two-

p a r t Prelude and many o f t h e s h o r t poems w r i t t e n a t G o s l e r . Much t h e same

r e l a t i o n s h i p e x i s t s between t h o s e p a r t s of Home a t Grasmere w r i t t e n i n t h e

s p r i n g of 1800 and t h e s h o r t poems w r i t t e n a t t h a t t i m e , and a l s o between t h e

e a r l y Home a t Grasmere and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men."

I n t h e l i n e s o f Home a t Grasmere t h a t were composed i n 1800 Wordsworth's

l o v e f o r Grasmere i s i n t e r t w i n e d with h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy. The j o y he f e e l s

i n Grasmere r e f l e c t s h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy and h i s commitment t o t h e l i f e t h e y

w i l l share there. Home a t Grasmere opens w i t h t h e p o e t ' s s o l i t a r y

r e f l e c t i o n s upon h i s boyhood d i s c o v e r y of t h e Vale o f Grasmere b u t h i s

d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s p r e s e n t h a p p i n e s s t h e r e emphasizes t h a t i t is a s h a r e d

happiness. H i s t r i b u t e t o Grasmere s t a r t s w i t h a t r i b u t e t o " ~ m m a " ( t h e

name h e g i v e s t o Dorothy i n t h e poem):

 Mine e y e s d i d n e ' e r
Rest on a l o v e l y o b j e c t , n o r my mind
Take p l e a s u r e i n t h e midst o f happy thought,
But e i t h e r She whom now I have, who now
Divides w i t h me t h i s loved abode, w a s t h e r e
O r not f a r o f f . Where'er my f o o t s t e p s t u r n e d ,
Her v o i c e w a s l i k e a hidden Bird t h a t s a n g ;
The thought o f h e r was l i k e a f l a s h o f l i g h t
O r an unseen companionship, a b r e a t h
O r f r a g r a n c e independent of t h e wind :
I n a l l my g o i n g s , i n t h e new and o l d
Of a l l my m e d i t a t i o n s .... (85-115)

Wordsworth then compares Grasmere t o Edan and i n v i t e s u s , t h e r e f o r e , t o

i d e n t i f y him and h i s s i s t e r w i t h Adam and Eve (117-128). L a t e r , he

d e s c r i b e s himself and Emma as b i r d s , echoing t h e comparison of Emma's

v o i c e t o a "hidden B i r d t h a t sang" i n t h e l i n e s quoted above. They a r e

"Two of a s c a t t e r e d brood t h a t could n o t b e a r / To l i v e i n l o n e l i n e s s . "

and h e r e c a l l s how "Remembering much and hoping more, [ t h e y ] found means/

To walk a b r e a s t , though i n a narrow p a t h , / With undivided s t e p s " (177-179).

A f t e r d e s c r i b i n g t h e i r journey t o g e t h e r t o Grasmere and Dove C o t t a g e , "a

home w i t h i n a home. . , o u r l o v e w i t h i n a love,'' t h e p o e t u s e s a p a i r of

swans a s an emblem of h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s sister and of t h e i r love f o r

each o t h e r :

-- two, a l o n e l y p a i r
Of milk-white Swans. Ah, why a r e t h e y n o t h e r e ?
To s h a r e i n t h i s d a y ' s p l e a s u r e ? From a f a r
They came, l i k e Emma and myself, t o l i v e
Together h e r e i n peace and s o l i t u d e ,
Choosing t h i s V a l l e y , they who had t h e c h o i c e
Of t h e whole world. ..
b u t t o us
They were more d e a r than may be w e l l b e l i e v e d ,
Not o n l y f o r t h e i r beauty and t h e i r s t i l l
And p l a c i d way o f l i f e and f a i t h f u l l o v e
Inseparable, not f o r these alone,
But t h a t t h e i r s t a t e s o much resembled o u r s ;
They a l s o having chosen t h i s abode;
They s t r a n g e r s , and we s t r a n g e r s ; they a p a i r ,
And w e a s o l i t a r y p a i r l i k e them. (322-341)
An ominous n o t e c r e e p s i n t o t h e poem h e r e , f o r t h e swans a r e missing.

Wordsworth f a n c i e s t h a t a shepherd may have s h o t one o f them and he u s e s

t h i s p o s s i b i l i t y t o emphasize t h e depth of h i s l o v e f o r h i s s i s t e r and

t h e i r commitment t o each o t h e r : "haply b o t h a r e One d e a t h , and

t h a t were mercy given t o both" (356-357).

Dorothy's Grasmere j o u r n a l p r o v i d e s us w i t h a v i v i d and i n t i m a t e

s e n s e o f h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h e r b r o t h e r and o f t h e e m o t i o n a l c l o s e n e s s

i n which t h e y l i v e d . Her dependence upon him and t h e i n t e n s i t y of h e r

love f o r him is r e v e a l e d by h e r d e p r e s s i o n when Wordsworth was away from

home i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800:

(May 4) My h e a r t was s o f u l l t h a t I c o u l d h a r d l y speak

To W. when I gave him a f a r e w e l l k i s s . I s a t e a l o n g time upon a
s t o n e a t t h e margin of t h e l a k e , and a f t e r a f l o o d o f t e a r s my
h e a r t was e a s i e r . The l a k e looked t o m e , I knew n o t why, d u l l and
melancholy, and t h e w e l t e r i n g on t h e s h o r e s seemed a heavy sound.
(June 4) I l i n g e r e d o u t of doors i n t h e hope of h e a r i n g my
Brother's tread.
(June 5 ) I would n o t go f a r from home, e x p e c t i n g my B r o t h e r s .
(June 6 ) No William! I s l a c k e n e d my pace as I came n e a r home,
f e a r i n g t o h e a r t h a t he was n o t come. I l i s t e n e d t i l l a f t e r one
o ' c l o c k t o e v e r y b a r k i n g dog, c o c k - f i g h t i n g and o t h e r s p o r t s : i t
w a s M r . Rowrick's opening.
(June 7) I d i d n o t l e a v e home, i n t h e e x p e c t a t i o n o f Wm. and
John, and s i t t i n g a t work t i l l a f t e r 11 o ' c l o c k I h e a r d a f o o t go
t o t h e f r o n t o f t h e house, t u r n round and open t h e g a t e . It was
William! 71

F.W. Bateson s p e c u l a t e s t h a t "some s o r t o f understandingm had probably

been reached be tween Wordsworth and Mary Hutchinson d u r i n g t h e Wordsworth's

s t a y a t t h e Hutchinson f a m i l y farm between May and December, 1799,

72
"presumably w i t h Dorothy1s consent. " However, Wordsworth's d e s c r i p t i o n

o f h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Dorothy i n Home a t Grasmere, e s p e c i a l l y h i s

comparison bf them t o a p a i r of swans, s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s d e e p e s t commitment

a t t h a t time was t o Dorothy and t h e r e f o r e t h a t marriage t o Mary

Hutchinson cannot have been a n y t h i n g m r e than a very vague p o s s i b i l i t y .

I n t h e o n l y o t h e r s e c t i o n o f Home a t Grasmere t h a t can be c o n f i d e n t l y d a t e d

t h e s p r i n g of 1800, Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s John Wordsworth, C o l e r i d g e , and

Mary and S a r a Hutchinson a s t h e b r o t h e r s and s i s t e r s of "our h e a r t s "

(859-874). These words would seem oddly chosen i f t h e y d e s c r i b e d

Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s f o r h i s f u t u r e w i f e .
I n 1805 Wordsworth r e c a l l e d
73
t h a t h e had "no t h o u g h t s of marrying" i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800.

Mary Hutchinson v i s i t e d Dove Cottage i n March, 1800. John Wordsworth

was a l s o t h e r e a t t h a t time and he seems t o have formed an a t t a c h m e n t t o

her. It seems u n l i k e l y t h a t he would have been k e p t i n ignorance of any

spoken arrangement between Mary and h i s b r o t h e r . Recalling that spring

visit a f t e r J o h n ' s d e a t h i n 1805, Mary wrote t o C a t h e r i n e Clarkson "John

74
w a s t h e f i r s t who l e d me t o e v e r y t h i n g t h a t I l o v e i n t h i s neighbourhood."

Dorothy r e c a l l e d "John used t o walk with [Mary ] e v e r y where and t h e y were

exceedingly a t t a c h e d t o each o t h e r . " Dorothy a l s o remembered Mary's

75
" t e n d e r l o v e of John and. .. i n t i m a t e knowledge of h i s v i r t u e s . " Even

W i l l i a m wrote t o h i s b r o t h e r Richard "Mary. ..

loved John w i t h h e r whole
76
s o u l . " John Wordsworth l e f t Grasmere on a s e a voyage i n J a n u a r y , 1801.

He wrote f r e q u e n t l y t o Mary u n t i l he r e c e i v e d a l e t t e r from h e r i n

September, 1802, presumably t e l l i n g him of h e r engagement t o h i s b r o t h e r

William. Although J o h n ' s l e t t e r s t o Mary were v e r y o f t e n a b o u t h i s

b r o t h e r ' s p o e t r y , which s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e bond between them may have been

t h e i r mutual i n t e r e s t i n William, t h e tone of h i s l e t t e r s was deeply

affectionate. John d i d n o t w r i t e s o warmly even t o h i s s i s t e r Dorothy.

L

I n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o The L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth Carl Ketcham o b s e r v e s

77
t h a t o n l y Mary w a s "thou" t o John. I n February 1801 John w r o t e , "my d e a r
 55
Mary t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t h a t thou c a n s t w r i t e but what w i l l g i v e

-
me p l e a s u r e and t o be with t h e e I read they l e t t e r s o v e r a dozen times
78
i n a day. .. 1'
I n John's l a s t s u r v i v i n g l e t t e r t o Mary Hutchinson,

dated September 12, 1802, he used l i n e s from h i s b r o t h e r ' s poem

"Michael" t o e x p r e s s h i s f e e l i n g s :

I have been reading your L e t t e r over and over again

My d e a r e s t Mary till t e a r s have come i n t o my eyes and I know
n o t how t o e x p r e s s my s e l f thou a r ' t k i n d and d e a r
creature But what e v e r f a r e Befal me I s h a l l l o v e thee to
t h e last and b e a r thy memory with m e t o t h e grave. 79

Although an understanding may have been reached during Mary's

v i s i t t o Grasmere i n November and December, 1801, a sequence of e n t r i e s

i n Dorothy's j o u r n a l suggest t h a t wordsworth's d e c i s i o n t o marry Mary

was not f i n a l l y resolved u n t i l March, 1802. These e n t r i e s a r e a l s o

r e l e v a n t h e r e f o r t h e i n s i g h t they o f f e r i n t o t h e Wordsworths'

r e l a t i o n s h i p and Dorothy's f e e l i n g s :

(March 17) I went and s a t e w i t h W. and walked

backwards and forwards i n t h e o r c h a r till d i n n e r t i m e . He
read me h i s poem. ..
A f t e r d i n n e r w e made a p i l l o w of my
shoulder -- I read t o him and my Beloved s l e p t .
(March 21) William was very unwell t h i s evening. W
e
had a sweet and tender conversation. I wrote t o Mary and Sara.
(March 22) We t a l k e d a good d e a l about C. and o t h e r
i n t e r e s t i n g t h i n g s . We resolved t o s e e Annette, and t h a t Wm
should go t o Mary. 80

William l e f t t o go t o Mary on A p r i l 7. On A p r i l 12 Dorothy received

a j o i n t l e t t e r from Wordsworth and Mary Hutchinson, presumably

t e l l i n g h e r t h a t they were o f f i c i a l l y engaged:

( A p r i l 12) Walked t o T. Wilkinson's and s e n t f o r

l e t t e r s . The woman brought me one from W i l l i a m and Mary. I t
was a s h a r p , windy n i g h t . Thomas Wilkinson came with m e t o
Barton, and questioned me l i k e a c a t e c h i z e r a l l t h e way. Every
q u e s t i o n was l i k e t h e snapping of a l i t t l e t h r e a d about my
h e a r t - I was s o f u l l of thought o f my half-read l e t t e r and
o t h e r t h i n g s . I was glad when he l e f t m e . Then I had time t o
 look a t t h e moon while I was t h i n k i n g o v e r my own t h o u g h t s ...
A t t h i s time W i l l i a m , as I found t h e n e x t day, was r i d i n g by
himself between M i a l e h a m and Barnard C a s t l e , having p a r t e d
from Mary. I r e a d o v e r my l e t t e r when I g o t t o t h e house. 81

While Wordsworth was r i d i n g between Middleham and Barnard C a s t l e

he composed a poem about Dorothy, "Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had

been." Upon h i s r e t u r n t o Dove Cottage, Wordsworth s e n t t h i s poem i n

a l e t t e r t o C o l e r i d g e , adding t h a t "The i n c i d e n t o f t h i s poem took

p l a c e about seven y e a r s ago between Dorothy and me." After he l e f t

Mary Hutchinson, Wordsworth's mind had been on h i s s i s t e r :

Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been,

Had n o t e d w e l l t h e s t a r s , a l l f l o w ' r s t h a t grew
About h e r home, b u t She had never s e e n
A Glow-worm, n e v e r once -- and t h i s I knew.

While I was r i d i n g on a stormy n i g h t ,

Not f a r from h e r abode, I chanced t o spy
A s i n g l e Glow-worm once; and a t t h e s i g h t
Down from my Horse I l e a p t --
g r e a t joy had I.

I l a i d t h e Glow-worm g e n t l y on a l e a f ,
And b o r e i t w i t h me through t h e stormy n i g h t
I n my l e f t hand -- without dismay o r g r i e f
Shining, a l b e i t with a f a i n t e r l i g h t .

When t o t h e Dwelling of my Love I came,

I went i n t o t h e Orchard q u i e t l y ,
And l e f t t h e Glow-worm, b l e s s i n g i t by name,
Laid s a f e l y by i t s e l f , beneath a t r e e .

The whole n e x t day I hop'd and hop'd w i t h f e a r :

A t n i g h t t h e Glow-worm shone beneath t h e tree;
I l e d my Emma t o t h e p l a c e , -- 'Look heg3'! --
0 joy i t w a s f o r h e r , and joy f o r me!

Given t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n which i t was composed, "Among a l l

l o w l y t h i n g s " seems i n t e n d e d t o o f f e r Wordsworth's a s s u r a n c e o f h i s

continued
-, l o v e t o Dorothy a f t e r h i s marriage. The poem is n o t a very

good one:L It h a s a p l o d d i n g q u a l i t y t h a t reduces t h e e x p e r i e n c e t h a t

i s described t o unintended self-parody. The b e s t l i n e s a r e t h e f i r s t

and t h e l a s t , which have a n o s t a l g i c tone s u g g e s t i n g t h a t t h e speaker

r e c a l l s a b i t t e r s w e e t memory of a l o v e now l o s t . Wordsworth published

t h i s poem only once, i n 1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes, where he placed

i t beside "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," having changed "Emma" t o

"Lucy". The n o s t a l g i c e f f e c t of "Among a l l l o v e l y things1' is heightened

by i t s a s s o c i a t i o n with Lucy.

"Among a l l l o v e l y things1' and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" frame

t h e period during which Wordsworth probably made up h i s mind t o marry

Mary Hutchinson. I t i s u n l i k e l y t h a t t h i s d e c i s i o n was a sudden one.

Although Wordsworth included Sara Hutchinson i n almost e v e r y t h i n g he s a i d

t o Mary i n t h e l e t t e r of A p r i l 29, 1801, t h e a f f e c t i o n a t e tone of t h e

l e t t e r s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e i r f r i e n d s h i p was deepening:

W e a r e very happy t o have such good news of your h e a l t h

mind you take c a r e of yourself and c o n t r i v e t o grow f a t not a s
Dorothy does f a t one day and l e a n a n o t h e r , but f a t and j o l l y
f o r h a l f a y e a r t o g e t h e r . Dorothy and I s a t two hours i n John's
f i r g r o v e t h i s morning, 'twas a burning h o t day b u t t h e r e we had
a d e l i c i o u s cool breeze. How we wished f o r o u r d e a r f r i e n d s , you
and Sara! You w i l l r e c o l l e c t t h a t t h e r e is a g a t e j u s t a c r o s s
t h e road, d i r e c t l y o p p o s i t e t h e f i r g r o v e ; t h i s g a t e was always a
f a v o u r i t e s t a t i o n o f o u r s ; we love i t f a r more now on S a r a ' s
account. You know t h a t i t commands a b e a u t i f u l p r o s p e c t ; Sara
carved h e r cypher upon one of i t s b a r s , and w e c a l l i t h e r g a t e .
W e w i l l f i n d o u t another place f o r your cypher, b u t you must
come and f i x upon t h e place y o u r s e l f . How we long t o s e e you my
d e a r Mary.

Dorothy's assurance t o Mary i n t h e same l e t t e r t h a t Mary d i d n o t i n t r u d e

i n t o t h e i r l i f e a l s o s u g g e s t s t h a t Mary's r e l a t i o n s h i p with Wordsworth

was growing c l o s e r : "Do n o t f e a r dear Mary," Dorothy t o l d h e r , "That you

83
e v e r w r i t e too o f t e n ; o r can w r i t e too o f t e n . " Wordsworth's marriage

was bound t o a f f e c t h i s c l o s e r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s sister. ~orothy's

remark t o Mary s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e y were a l r e a d y aware o f t h i s and were

endeavouring t o overcome any c o n s t r a i n t s t h a t t h e y might have f e l t .

Although Dorothy accompanied William and Mary on t h e i r honeymoon and

a f t e r w a r d s l i v e d with them i n Dove C o t t a g e , h e r d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e

wedding day i m p l i e s t h a t s h e p e r c e i v e d h e r b r o t h e r ' s marriage a s a

s e p a r a t i o n f o r them. Dorothy's account o f h e r own d i s t r a u g h t b e h a v i o u r

r e v e a l s t h a t s h e was deeply u p s e t by t h e marriage:

On Monday, 4 t h October, 1802, my b r o t h e r William was

married t o Mary Hutchinson. I s l e p t a good d e a l of t h e n i g h t and
r o s e f r e s h and w e l l i n t h e m r n i n g . A t a l i t t l e a f t e r 8 o ' c l o c k
I saw them go down t h e avenue towards t h e church. W i l l i a m had
p a r t e d from me u p s t a i r s . When t h e y were a b s e n t my d e a r l i t t l e
Sara prepared the breakfast. I k e p t myself as q u i e t a s I c o u l d ,
b u t when I saw t h e two men running up t h e walk, coming t o t e l l
us t h a t i t was o v e r , I could s t a n d i t no l o n g e r , and threw myself
on t h e bed, where I l a y i n s t i l l n e s s , n e i t h e r h e a r i n g o r s e e i n g
a n y t h i n g t i l l S a r a came u p s t a i r s t o me, and s a i d , 'They a r e
coming'. T h i s f o r c e d me from t h e bed where I l a y , and I moved, I
knew n o t how, s t r a i g h t forward, f a s t e r t h a n my s t r e n g t h c o u l d 84
c a r r y m e , t i l l I m e t my beloved William, and f e l l upon h i s bosom.

P l a c e d i n t h i s c o n t e x t , t h e c o n f i d e n t t o n e o f "I t r a v e l l ' d among

unknown men," i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e d e s o l a t i o n o f t h e e a r l i e r "Lucy" poems,

s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth had a l r e a d y begun t o t u r n away from h i s i n t e n s e

r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Dorothy i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801. It seems t o m e i r o n i c a l

t h a t Wordsworth s h o u l d send t h i s poem t o h i s f u t u r e w i f e . By marrying

Mary Hutchinson Wordsworth "snapped t h e t h r e a d s " t h a t bound Dorothy's

h e a r t t o h i s , b u t Dorothy's p l a c e was n o t t a k e n by Mary. "I t r a v e l l ' d

among unknown men" seems t o m e t o be a t r i b u t e t o Dorothy i n which

Wordsworth d e c l a r e s t h a t h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy i s t h e s o u r c e o f much o f h i s

f e e l i n g f o r t h e l a n d s c a p e , and a t t h e same time a d e c l a r a t i o n o f s e l f -

reliance. I n Home a t Grasmere t h e p o e t states t h a t i f o n e o f t h e swans

t h a t emblemize h i m s e l f and "Ennual' i s dead, t h e n "haply b o t h a r e gone,/

 59

One d e a t h and t h a t were mercy t o them both" (356-357). The s p e a k e r o f

"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" l o o k s forward c o n f i d e n t l y t o a f u t u r e

without Lucy, i n which he w i l l l o v e England "more and more .!I As he had

once committed himself t o Lucy, s o he now commits h i m s e l f t o t h e English

l a n d s cape.

A s i n Home a t Grasmere, l o v e f o r a woman and l o v e f o r a p l a c e a r e

i n t e r t w i n e d i n "I t r a v e l l ' d a m n g unknown men." The s p e a k e r ' s l o v e f o r

England grows from h i s l o v e f o r Lucy; Love of Lucy forms a bond between

him and England. The s o l i t a r y s p e a k e r i s n o t l o n e l y among England's

mountains and green f i e l d s because t h e landscape o f f e r s a l i n k w i t h t h e

past. The joy he had f e l t w i t h Lucy h a s been transformed i n t o j o y i n

t h e p l a c e where Lucy dwelt. Love of p l a c e h a s r e p l a c e d h i s l o v e f o r

Lucy.

"I TRAVELL'D AMONG UNKNOWN MEN"

I n a r e v e r s a l o f t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems i n which t h e s p e a k e r

looks back upon an i d y l l i c p a s t when he was u n d i s t u r b e d by "human f e a r s "

f o r Lucy, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" opens w i t h t h e s p e a k e r ' s

r e c o l l e c t i o n of h i s l o n e l y t r a v e l s abroad a f t e r Lucy's d e a t h , which l e d

him t o r e a l i z e t h e l o v e he f e e l s f o r England. The image o f t h e s o l i t a r y

t r a v e l l e r among "unknown men" emphasizes t h e s p e a k e r ' s s e n s e o f i s o l a t i o n

and anonymity w h i l e h e was away from England. Although he was among men,

t h e s p e a k e r f e l t a l o n e , f o r t h e s e men were "unknown" t o him and l i k e w i s e ,

he was a s t r h g e r t o them. A f t e r t r a v e l l i n g through t h e s e unnamed "Lands

beyond t h e Sea," t h e s p e a k e r r e t u r n s t o England, t h e one p l a c e t h a t i s home.

H i s l o n e l i n e s s , he d i s c o v e r s , can be e a s e d by a p l a c e r a t h e r t h e n by

men ' s company.

These l i n e s emphasize t h e importance of "knowing" o r o f f a m i l i a r i t y :

t h e unknown Men and Lands cause t h e s p e a k e r t o r e a l i z e o r t o "know" t h e

depth of h i s l o v e f o r England. A s t r o n g s e n s e o f homecoming i s c r e a t e d i n

t h i s s t a n z e and t h i s becomes t h e dominant mood o f t h e poem. I n t h e last

l i n e of s t a n z a one t h e s p e a k e r r e f e r s t o h i s l o v e f o r England a s t h e l o v e he

"bore to" England o r b o t h f e l t and c a r r i e d w i t h him from beyond t h e s e a .

The s p e a k e r r e t u r n s t o f a m i l i a r p l a c e s which remind him of Lucy and s h o u l d ,

t h e r e f o r e , a l s o remind him of h i s l o s s . I n s t e a d , t h e landscape o f f e r s

comfort; i t s c o n t i n u i t y i s a b r i d g e between t h e p r e s e n t and t h e p a s t .

The s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n of h i s wanderings abroad a s a "melancholy

dream" i n t h e f i r s t l i n e of s t a n z a two echoes t h e r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e p a s t

as aUsweet dream" and a s a"s1umber" i n "Strange f i t s o f passion" and "A

slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l . " However, i n t h e e a r l i e r poems t h e s p e a k e r

w a s shocked o u t o f a "slumbering" h e e d l e s s n e s s by t h e h a r s h r e a l i t y o f

Lucy's death. I n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" he r e c o v e r s from t h e

mood of l o n e l y g r i e v i n g t h a t dominates t h e e a r l i e r poems, a s i f i t had

been a dream. Now t h a t he h a s r e t u r n e d t o England, t h e r e c e n t p a s t h a s

f a d e d away l i k e a "melancholy dream." The l o v e h e f e l t f o r Lucy awakens

w i t h i n him, transformed i n t o l o v e f o r Lucy's home.

I n modern E n g l i s h t h e f a m i l i a r form, " t h e e , " i s u s u a l l y used i n

prayers o r i n love poetry. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i s a l o v e poem,

a d d r e s s e d i n a tone t h a t s u g g e s t s worship, t o a p l a c e i n s t e a d of a woman.

The s p e a k e r d e c l a r e s t h a t h i s wandering, o r p h i l a n d e r i n g , among o t h e r

Lands h a s o n l y caused him t o r e a l i z e t h e depth o f h i s l o v e f o r England.

J u s t as he may once have pledged h i s l o v e t o Lucy, now he pledges i t t o

England. "Nor w i l l I q u i t t h y s h o r e / A second time," he vows, " f o r

s t i l l I seem/ To l o v e t h e e more and more .I1

The s p e a k e r ' s d e c l a r a t i o n of h i s l o v e f o r England seems a v a r i a t i o n

of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Nature and Lucy i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew."

I n s t e a d o f a l o v e t r i a n g l e c o n s i s t i n g of Lucy, t h e s p e a k e r and h i s r i v a l ,

Nature, i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" t h e s p e a k e r r e p l a c e s Lucy w i t h

England i n h i s a f f e c t i o n s . The f i g u r e o f England i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among

. --

unknown men" i s roughly p a r a l l e l t o t h e powerful f i g u r e o f Nature i n

"Three y e a r s s h e grew." The mountains and t h e "green f i e l d ( s ) " belong

t o England; England d i r e c t e d t h e morning l i g h t t o r e v e a l and t h e darkness

of n i g h t t o conceal " t h e bowers where Lucy p l a y ' d . . ." Unlike Nature,

England was n o t " l a w and impulse" t o Lucy. I n t h e e a r l i e r poem t h e

s p e a k e r p r e s e n t s Nature a s a demanding, imperious f i g u r e who t a k e s Lucy

from h e r l o v e r , l e a v i n g him a l o n e on an empty h e a t h w i t h "The memory o f

what h a s been,? And n e v e r more w i l l be." England, on t h e o t h e r hand, is

a p l a c e , n o t a f o r c e o r a power. I n s t e a d of a s s o c i a t i o n s w i t h time and

chance, England s u g g e s t s home and comfort. The image o f Lucy s p i n n i n g

"Beside an E n g l i s h f i r e " evokes a simple, r u r a l e x i s t a n c e and s u g g e s t s

warmth and c h e e r , i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o n e l y t r a v e l s abroad.

The s p e a k e r f i n d s s o l a c e f o r Lucy's death i n h i s l o v e f o r England,

Lucy's home. Because he once f e l t "The j o y o f . . . desire" among

England's mountains, he a s s o c i a t e s t h a t joy w i t h t h e mountains. Because

he had once "cherished" Lucy by an English f i r e s i d e , i t seems t o him

t h a t England must a l s o have c a r e d f o r Lucy: Lucy was s h e l t e r e d among

England's mountains; England's mornings showed and England's n i g h t s

concealed o r p r o t e c t e d Lucy's bowers.

 "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" p r e s e n t s a much less e t h e r e a l b u t

no l e s s ambiguous image of Lucy than t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems. This is

p a r t l y t h e r e s u l t o f t h e ambiguous s y n t a c t i c a l s t r u c t u r e o f t h e t h i r d

stanza. "The j o y o f my d e s i r e " may r e f e r t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s f e e l i n g s f o r

Lucy, o r i t may r e f e r t o a more g e n e r a l i z e d f e e l i n g o f j o y t h a t he had

experienced a s a s o l i t a r y wanderer among ~ n g l a n ds' mountains. The

s p e a k e r seems t o t u r n from h i s r e c o l l e c t i o n o f " t h e j o y o f my d e s i r e " t o

r e c a l l h i s g e n t l e r c h e r i s h i n g of Lucy. Lucy may have been t h e o r i g i n a l

o b j e c t o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s d e s i r e , b u t t h e p a s s i o n he r e c a l l s seems d i f f u s e d

o r unfocused and embraces t h e landscape as w e l l a s Lucy. The cozy domestic

image o f Lucy s p i n n i n g b e s i d e t h e f i r e seems a t v a r i a n c e w i t h t h e w i l d

s e n s u a l f e e l i n g s t h a t t h e s p e a k e r e x p e r i e n c e d among t h e mountains.

A t t h e same time, t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of s e x u a l f u l f i l l m e n t i n t h e

s p e a k e r ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Lucy i s h i n t e d a t by Lucy's d o m e s t i c i t y and

by t h e echo of t h e marriage vow i n h i s use of "cherished" t o d e s c r i b e

85
h i s r e l a t i o n t o Lucy. S i m i l a r l y , i n s t a n z a f o u r t h e r e f e r e n c e t o t h e

concealing n i g h t s h a s a s e x u a l c o n n o t a t i o n , b u t t h i s impression i s

d i s p e l l e d i n t h e n e x t l i n e i n which we a r e t o l d t h a t Lucy used h e r

bowers f o r p l a y . Like t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e , England's c o n c e a l i n g n i g h t s

were t o p r o t e c t and t o n u r t u r e Lucy and t h u s t o "cherish" h e r .

The n a t u r e o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Lucy is, t h e r e f o r e ,

r a t h e r ambiguous: t h e sensuous s i d e of h i s f e e l i n g s seems s e t a p a r t

from Lucy, who seems an i n n o c e n t child-wife. I f t h e poem emerged, a s I

have argued, o u t o f Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s f o r h i s s i s t e r , t h i s ambiguity

perhaps d e r i v e s from t h e s e x u a l taboos of a s i s t e r - b r o t h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p

which was, n o n e t h e l e s s , i n s o many ways l i k e a marriage. The r e s u l t

of t h i s ambiguous a v o c a t i o n o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e f o r Lucy i n "I

 63

t r a v e l l ' d a m n g unknown men" is t o s u g g e s t t h a t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p with

Lucy was one o f promise t h a t ended i n Lucy's d e a t h r a t h e r t h a n

fulfillment. Promise i s s u g g e s t e d by t h e s p e a k e r ' s d e s i r e , by Lucy's

innocence and by t h e r e f e r e n c e i n t h e l a s t s t a n z a t o t h e l ' l a s t green

field/ Which Lucy's eye surveyed." R e t u r n i n g t o England, t h e s p e a k e r

r e t u r n s t o t h e home he s h a r e d w i t h Lucy and a l t h o u g h Lucy i s dead, he

can f e e l himself s t i l l connected t o h e r by t h e c o n t i n u i n g s u c c e s s i o n of

m r n i n g s and n i g h t s and whenever h e l o o k s upon England's green f i e l d s .

The c o n t i n u i t y o f t h e l a n d s c a p e p r o v i d e s a l i n k w i t h t h e p a s t , b u t t h e

promise of s p r i n g t h a t is s u g g e s t e d by t h e f i n a l image o f t h e g r e e n

f i e l d a l s o o f f e r s hope f o r t h e f u t u r e . The promise t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e

f o r Lucy once h e l d i s now c o n t a i n e d i n h i s l o v e f o r t h e c o u n t r y Lucy

knew.
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUDING REMARKS

By t h e e a r l y s p r i n g of 1802 Wordswurth had begun composing p o e t r y

a g a i n , a f t e r t h e long s i l e n c e of 1800-1801. A t t h i s t i m e he wrote a

It
number of s h o r t n a t u r e l y r i c s such a s "To a Cuckoo," "TO a Skylark,

t h e celandine and t h e d a i s y poems and t h e two b u t t e r f l y poems. Like "1

t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," most of t h e s e poems a r e concerned with t h e

c o n t i n u i t y o f p a s t and p r e s e n t and s e v e r a l of them, i n c l u d i n g "Among a l l

l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been," a r e n o s t a l g i c t r i b u t e s t o Dorothy's r o l e

i n t h e p o e t ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p with n a t u r e . For example, i n one of t h e

b u t t e r f l y poems, "Stay n e a r me," t h e s i g h t of t h e b u t t e r f l y reminds

Wordsworth of t h e p a s t and b r i n g s h i s memories of e a r l y childhood once

more t o l i f e :

Thou b r i n g ' s t , gay Creature a s thou a r t !

A solemn image t o my h e a r t ,
My F a t h e r ' s Family!

Oh! p l e a s a n t , p l e a s a n t were t h e days,

The time, when i n o u r c h i l d i s h p l a y s
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased t h e B u t t e r f l y !
A very h u n t e r d i d I rush
Upon t h e prey: -- with l e a p s and s p r i n g s
I follow' d on from brake t o bush;
But She, God l o v e her! f e a r e d t o brush
The d u s t from o f f i t s wings. 86

Two o t h e r poems t h a t Wordsworth began t o compose i n t h e s p r i n g and

summer of 1802, t h e "Ode: I n t i m a t i o n s of Immortality" and "Resolution

!I
and Independence,. c a s t doubt upon t h e "answer" t h a t t h e poet had found

i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" t o t h e f e e l i n g s expressed i n t h e Lucy

poems. I n c o n t r a s t t o the c l o s e n e s s o r intimacy with t h e landscape

t h a t i s suggested by t h e speaker's l o v e r - l i k e a d d r e s s t o England i n "I

t r a v e l l f d among unknown men," i n t h e "Ode" and i n "Resolution and

Independence" t h e poet f e e l s a l i e n a t e d from n a t u r e , no l o n g e r c e r t a i n of

t h e imaginative power t h a t had once allowed him t o "see i n t o t h e l i f e of

things.!' It i s n o t my purpose t o e n t e r i n t o a f u l l d i s c u s s i o n of t h e s e

two very complex poems. I w i l l use them i n t h i s c h a p t e r t o suggest' t h e

d i r e c t i o n t h a t Wordsworth's thoughts had now begun t o take.

According t o Dorothy's j o u r n a l , on t h e evening o f May 4 , 1802, h e r

b r o t h e r had been d i s t r a u g h t and unable t o s l e e p . She had soothed him by

87
r e p e a t i n g verses: "'This i s t h e s p o t ' o v e r and over again." Wordsworth's

d e s i r e t o h e a r t h i s p a r t i c u l a r poem s u g g e s t s t h a t he needed reassurance

from Dorothy about t h e i r love f o r each o t h e r . Wordsworth's impending

marriage and i t s e f f e c t upon h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s sister seems,

n a t u r a l l y enough, t o have been on h i s mind a t t h i s time. The confidence

expressed i n "I t r a v e l l f d among unknown men" was n o t undisturbed by doubts

and u n c e r t a i n t i e s :

This is t h e s p o t : - how mildly does t h e Sun

Shine i n between t h e s e f a d i n g leaves! t h e a i r
I n t h e h a b i t u a l s i l e n c e of t h i s wood
Is more than s i l e n t : and t h i s bed of h e a t h
Where s h a l l we f i n d t o sweet a r e s t i n g p l a c e ?
Come! -- l e t me s e e t h e e s i n k i n t o a dream
Of q u i e t thoughts, -- p r o t r a c t e d t i l l t h i n e eye
Be calm a s water, when t h e winds a r e gone
And no one can t e l l whither - My sweet Friend!
W e two have had such happy hours t o g e t h e r
That my h e a r t melts i n me t o t h i n k of i t . 88

I n t h i s poem Wordsworth e x p r e s s e s a d e s i r e f o r t h e p e a c e f u l s l e e p of

death. Accyrding t o ~ o r o t h y ' sj o u r n a l , he had expressed a s i m i l a r wish

___---

less than a week e a r l i e r , on A p r i l 29:

 William l a y , and I l a y , i n t h e t r e n c h under t h e
fence -- he with h i s e y e s s h u t , and l i s t e n i n g t o t h e
w a t e r f a l l s and t h e b i r d s . There was no w a t e r f a l l above
a n o t h e r -- i t was a sound o f waters i n t h e a i r -- t h e
m i c e of t h e a i r . William heard me b r e a t h i n g snd
r u s t l i n g now and then, but we both l a y s t i l l , and unseen
by one a n o t h e r ; he thought t h a t i t would be a s sweet
t h u s t o l i e s o i n t h e grave, t o h e a r t h e p e a c e f u l sounds
of t h e t y t h , and j u s t t o know t h a t o u r d e a r f r i e n d s were
near.

A s i n "This i s t h e s p o t , " i n t h i s episode Wordsworth f i n d s t h e peace of

t h e grave d e s i r a b l e f o r both himself and h i s sister, and from t h e tone

of h e r recounting of t h e occasion, Dorothy a s w e l l a s Wordsworth s e e 4

/-

t o have found p-l-e a s u r e i n h i s cozy f a n t a s y o f how i t would be t o l i e

s i d e by s i d e i n t h e i r graves. They would be t o g e t h e r i n d e a t h , and t h e

c l o s e n e s s they now shared need never be d i s r u p t e d .

For whatever cause o r causes, a d e s i r e f o r t h e r e f u g e o f t h e grave

seems t o have been f r e q u e n t l y on Wordsworth's mind i n t h e s p r i n g of

1802. He a l s o e x p r e s s e s t h e s e f e e l i n g s i n a po m composed i n l a t e A p r i l :
)Z
These c h a i r s they have no words t o u t t e r
No f i r e i s i n t h e g r a t e t o s t i r o r f l u t t e r
The c e i l i n g and f l o o r a r e mute a s a s t o n e
My chamber i s hush'd and s t i l l
And I am a l o n e
Happy and a l o n e

Oh! who would be a f r a i d of l i f e

The p a s s i o n t h e sorrow and t h e s t r i f e
When he may l i e
S h e l t e r ' d so e a s i l y
May l i e i n peace on h i s bed
Happy a s they who a r e dead
 Half an hour a f t e w a r d s

I have thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun

The t h i n g s which I s e e
Are welcome t o me
Welcome every one
I do n o t wish t o be
Dead, Dead

Dead without any comgany

Here a l o n e on my bed
With thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun
And hoped t h a t a r e welcome everyone
Happy am I.

0 l i f e t h e r e i s about thee
A deep d e l i c i o u s peace
I would n o t be without thee
Stay oh s t a y
Yet be thou e v e r a s now
Sweetness and b r e a t h with t h e q u i e t o f death
Paace, peace, peace 90

Although t h e poet concludes i n t h e course of t h i s poem t h a t he does not

r e a l l y wish t o give up l i f e and t h e "thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun",

n o n e t h e l e s s he continues i n a r a t h e r ambiguous f a s h i o n t o wish f o r "the

q u i e t of death" o r f o r "Peace, peace, peace": wishing t o r e t r e a t from

t h e e m t i o n a l t u n a o i l of l i f e which he a l l u d e s t o i n s t a n z a one, he

d e s i r e s a s t a t e of l i f e which i s comparable t o d e a t h , although without

death's obliviousness.

On March 27, 1802, Dorothy t e l l s us i n h e r j%mal, Wordswrth began

h i s g r e a t "Ode": "A d i v i n e morning. A t b r e a k f a s t William wrote p a r t of

91
an ode." However, t h e tone of t h e f i r s t f o u r s t a n z a s of t h e "Ode," t h e

p a r t of t h e poem probably composed i n March, 1802, c o -n-t r a s.t s with -Dorothy's

memory o f t h a t "divine morning." The new poem begins with t h e p o e t ' s

.-

r e c o l l e c t i o n of how t h i n g s once were: the f i r s t f o u r s t a n z e s s t a t e and

r e - s t a t e t h e l o s s t h a t he now f e e l s when he looks upon n a t u r e ' s g l o r i e s .

These s t a n z a s s u g g e s t a mind s t r u g g l i n g and f a i l i n g a g a i n and a g a i n t o

r e c a p t u r e t h a t which is l o s t :

-- But t h e r e ' s a Tree, o f many one,

A s i n g l e F i e l d which I have look' d upon,
Both of them speak of something t h a t i s gone :
The pansy a t my f e e t
Doth t h e same t a l e r e p e a t :
Whither is f l e d t h e v i s i o n a r y gleam?
Where i s i t now, t h e g l o r y and t h e dream?

Dorothy's j o u r n a l r e c o r d s t h a t Wordsworth w a s working on t h e "Ode"

--
i n June, 1802. Stanzas f i v e t o e i g h t may have been composed a t t h i s

time, although i n 1843 Wordsworth t o l d I s a b e l l a Fenwick t h a t o n l y t h e f i r s t

f o u r s t a n z a s were composed i n 1802. Jared Curtis argues t h a t the

92 In
p l a u s i b i l i t y of Wordsworth's f o r t y - y e a r o l d memory "seems s u s p e c t . ' I

s t a n z a f i v e Wordsworth r e t u r n s t o t h e image o f l i f e a s a dream o r a slumber

t h a t he had used i n t h e "Lucy" poems. I n t h e "Ode" Wordsworth u s e s t h i s

image t o s u g g e s t t h a t e a r t h l y l i f e i s o n l y an i n g l o r i o u s i n t e r l u d e t o t h e

soul's existence :

Our b i r t h i s b u t a s l e e p and a f o r g e t t i n g :
The Soul t h a t r i s e s w i t h us, our l i f e ' s S t a r ,
Hath had elsewhere i t s s e t t i n g ,
And cometh from a f a r . ...
Like t h e f i g u r e o f Nature i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew," i n t h e "Ode" Nature

l a y s c l a i m t o " t h e growing Boy." Although t h e c h i l d a c t s as "Nature's

P r i e s t " o r as an i n t e r m e d i a r y between Nature and God, t h e "shades o f t h e

prison-house" e a r t h "begin t o c l o s e " upon him a s soon as h e i s born.

E a r t h , N a t u r e ' s warden, i s d e p i c t e d as a "homely Nurse" who, l i k e a

p o s s e s s i v e moFher, wishes t o d i r e c t and i n f l u e n c e t h e c h i l d s h e l o v e s :

 E a r t h f i l l s h e r l a p with p l e a s u r e s of h e r own;
Yearnings she h a t h i n h e r own n a t u r a l kind,
And, even with something of a Mother's mind,
And no unworthy s i n ,
The homely Nurse doth a l l she can
To make h e r F o s t e r - c h i l d , h e r Inmate Man,
Forget t h e g l o r i e s he h a t h known,
And t h a t i m p e r i a l p a l a c e whence he came.

I n s t a n z a e i g h t t h e poet uses images of death t o d e s c r i b e man's

earthly l i f e . I n t h i s s t a n z a he addresses " t h e Child among h i s new-born

b l i s s e s " whom he i n t r o d u c e s i n s t a n z a seven:

Mighty Prophet! Seer b l e s t !

On whom those t r u t h s do rest,
Which we a r e t o i l i n g a l l o u r l i v e s t o f i n d ,
I n darkness l o s t , t h e darkness of t h e grave;
Thou, over whom thy Irmaortality
Broods l i k e t h e Day, a Master o ' e r a Slave,
A Presence which i s n o t t o be p u t by;
...
F u l l soon t h y Soul s h a l l have h e r e a r t h l y f r e i g h t
And custom l i e upon thee with a weight,
Heavy a s f r o s t , and deep almost a s l i f e ! 93

I n t h e "Lucy" poems, Lucy's u n i t y with t h e n a t u r a l world is completed

by h e r death. Lucy remains w i t h t h e e a r t h a f t e r she d i e s ; h e r body i s

i
"Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course/ With rocks and s t o n e s and trees."

I n t h e "Ode", on t h e o t h e r hand, t h e poet looks towards d e a t h a s an

awakening o r a r e l e a s e from t h e "prison-house"

' earth. A f t e r death t h e s o u l

presumably sheds "her e a r t h l y f r e i g h t " and r e t u r n s t o "God who i s o u r home."

Thus t h e poet f i n d s t h e s t r e n g t h t o b e a r t h e l o s s of t h e " v i s i o n a r y gleam"

I n t h e f a i t h t h a t looks through death;

I n y e a r s t h a t b r i n g t h e philosophic mind.

Although he d e c l a r e s t h a t he w i l l continue t o "love t h e Brooks which down

t h e i r channel f r e t ,/ Even more than when I t r i p p e d l i g h t l y a s they,"

n a t u r e 's l o v e l i n e s s is coloured f o r t h e "philosophic mind" by " I n t i m a t i o n s

 The Clouds t h a t g a t h e r round t h e s e t t i n g sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That Hath k e p t watch o ' e r man's m o r t a l i t y ;
...
Thanks t o t h e human h e a r t by which we l i v e
Thanks t o i t s tenderness, i t s j o y s , and f e a r s ,
To me t h e meanest flower t h a t blows can g i v e
Thoughts t h a t do o f t e n l i e too deep f o r t e a r s .

"Resolution and Independence", which Wordsworth began i n May and

completed i n J u l y , 1802, 'follows a p a t t e r n s i m i l a r t o t h e "Ode." This

poem a l s o opens w i t h t h e p o e t ' s depression i n t h e midst o f a joyous

n a t u r a l scene :

I was a T r a v e l l e r then upon t h e m o r ;

I saw t h e h a r e t h a t raced about with joy;
I heard t h e woods and d i s t a n t waters r o a r ;
O r heard them n o t , a s happy a s a boy:
My o l d remembrances went from me wholly:
And a l l t h e ways of men, so vain and melancholy.

But, a s i t sometimes chanceth, from t h e might

Of joy i n minds t h a t can no f u r t h e r go,
As high a s we have m u n t e d i n d e l i g h t
I n o u r d e j e c t i o n do we s i n k a s low;
To me t h a t morning d i d i t happen s o ;
And f e a r s and f a n c i e s t h i c k upon me came;
D i m sadness -- and b l i n d thoughts, I knew
n o t , nor could name.

I n such a m o d t h e poet comes upon t h e o l d Leech-gatherer who

seems, i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e n o i s e , t h e motion and t h e b r i g h t n e s s of

n a t u r e , "not a l l a l i v e nor dead,/ Nor a l l a s l e e p -- i n h i s extreme o l d

age. . . ." N e i t h e r a l i v e nor dead, t h e o l d man i s without v i t a l i t y ; he

is i n e r t -- l i k e a huge s t o n e , o r a sea-beast who h a s crawled f o r t h onto

t h e shore.. The o l d man's s i t u a t i o n , t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s h e f a c e s c o l l e c t i n g

l e e c h e s from a n ever-dwindling s u p p l y , p a r a l l e l s t h e p o e t ' s own

condition:

My former thoughts r e t u r n e d : t h e f e a r t h a t k i l l s ;
And hope t h a t i s u n w i l l i n g t o be f e d
Cold, p a i n , and l a b o u r , and a l l f l e s h l y i l l s ;
And mighty P o e t s i n t h e i r misery dead.
-- P e r p l e x e d , and l o n g i n g t o be comforted,
My q u e s t i o n e a g e r l y d i d I renew
'HOW i s i t t h a t you l i v e , and what i s i t you do?'

The o l d man who wanders t h e "weary moors" s u g g e s t s t o me t h e medieval

legend of t h e wandering Jew. The p o e t ' s q u e s t i o n -- "HOW i s i t t h a t you l i v e

.. .?If-- t h e r e f o r e seems t i n g e d w i t h i r o n y . The o l d man does n o t l i v e , i f

l i f e i s t o b e p e r c e i v e d i n t h e terms p r e s e n t e d i n t h e poem's opening

s t a n z a s , he endures. A t t h e c l o s e of t h e poem, t h e p o e t t u r n s t o God,

p r a y i n g t h a t he, t o o , w i l l a c h i e v e t h e Leech-gatherer's stoicism o r

"demeanour k i n d , / Yet s t a t e l y i n t h e main" i n t h e f a c e of t e r r i b l e

a d v e r s i t y and f r u s t r a t i o n :

'God,' s a i d I , ' b e my h e l p and s t a y s e c u r e ;

1'11 t h i n k of t h e Leech-gatherer on t h e l o n e l y moor.'

I n R e s o l u t i o n and Independence1' t h e o l d Leech-gatherer t o whom t h e

p o e t compares h i m s e l f seems a s one a w a i t i n g r e l e a s e from l i f e . I n t h e "Ode,"

a l s o , t h e p o e t l o o k s towards d e a t h a s an e s c a p e from t h e "prison-house"

earth. Between 1802, when Wordsworth composed " R e s o l u t i o n and Independence"

and began t h e "Ode,'' and 1804, when h e completed t h e "Ode ," Wordsworth began

t o r e l y more and more upon t h e promise of "another and a b e t t e r world"

94
beyond t h e grave. T h i s i n c l i n a t i o n was m i r r o r e d i n t h e s t a t e o f r e p o s e

Wordsworth now seemed t o l o n g f o r i n l i f e . The d e s i r e f o r t r a n q u i l l i t y

e x p r e s s e d i p "These c h a i r s they have no words t o u t t e r ' ' i s echoed i n t h e

"Ode t o Duty,!' which Wordsworth began t o compose i n 1804:

Through no disturbance of my soul,
O r strong compunction i n me wrought,
I supplicate for thy control;
Rut i n the quietness of thought;
Me t h i s unchartered freedom t i r e s ;
I f e e l the weight of chance-desires:
My hopes no more must change their name,
I long for a repose that ever i s the same.
NOTES

1 Poems probably composed by Wordsworth i n Germany during

t h e w i n t e r and s p r i n g of 1798-1799: "The Danish ~ o y " , " ~ u t h " , "To a
Sexton", "Lucy ray", "Written i n Gelmany on one of t h e Coldest Days of
t h e Century" , "A Poet ' s Epitaphw, wo at thew", "The Fountain", "The Two
A p r i l Mornings", "Ellen Irwin", "Nutting1', "There was a boy", "Strange
f i t s of passion I have known", "she dwelt among t h e untrodden ways", "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " , "Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower",
and P a r t One of The Prelude of 1798-1799. Mark L. Reed, Wordsworth: The
Chronology of t h e E a r l y Years, 1770-1799 (Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1967) pp. 29, 34-35, 255-263. For t h e t e x t of
t h e two-part Prelude s e e The Prelude, 1798-1799 by William Wordsworth, ed
Stephen P a r r i s h ( I t h a c a , New York: Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1977).
During t h e f i r s t h a l f of 1801 Wordsworth seems t o have been
working on The Prelude and/or The Recluse: whether he was a t work on one
o r both of t h e s e poems i s d i s c u s s e d i n Chapter 3 of t h i s e s s a y , pp. 49-51.
Between e a r l y February and A p r i l 9, Wordsworth composed a passage f o r
"Michael", quoted by Dorothy Wordsworth i n a l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l
9 , 1801. Around A p r i l 29 Wordsworth composed "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown
men." I n November he began t o compose " ~ e ~ e n t a n c e "and , i n December he
began t r a n s l a t i n g some o f Chaucer's p o e t r y and commenced work on Book I11
of The Prelude. Mark L. Reed, Wordsworth: The Chronology of t h e Middle
Years, 1800-1815 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ,
1975, pp. 1-4, 6-8, 27-41, 107-139. William and Dorothy Wordsworth t o
Thomas Poole, A p r i l 19, 1801, The E a r l y L e t t e r s o f William and Dorothy
Wordsworth: The Early Years 1787-1805, ed. Ernest de S e l i n c o u r t (1935
r e v i s e d by Chester L . Shaver (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 1967) p. 324.

2 "Lines w r i t t e n a few miles above T i n t e r n Abbey" was

composed i n J u l y , 1798.

3 W.W. t o S i r George Beaumnt, February 20, 1805, L e t t e r s ,

p. 556.

4 William Wordsworth, L y r i c a l Ballads (1800) 2 v o l s . , v o l .

I , P r e f a r e p . xv. (See a l s o : The Prose Works of W i l l i a m Wordsworth, ed:
W.J.B. Owen and J . W . Smyser (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 3 v o l s . 1974,
I , p. 126.)

5 I n response t o c r i t i c i s m of h i s 1807 c o l l e c t i o n , Poems i n

Two Volumes, Wordsworth wrote t o Lady Beaumont on May 21, 1807, about
t h e poems t h a t make up "Moods of My Own Mind" : "There i s s c a r c e l y a poem
h e r e of above t h i r t y l i n e s , and very t r i f l i n g t h e s e poems w i l l appear t o
many: b u t , o m i t t i n g t o speak of them i n d i v i d u a l l y , do they n o t , taken
c o l l e c t i v e l y , f i x t h e a t t e n t i o n upon a s u b j e c t eminently p o e t i c a l , v i z . ,
t h e i n t e r e s t which o b j e c t s i n n a t u r e d e r i v e from t h e predominance of
c e r t a i n a f f e c t a t i o n s more o r l e s s permanent, more o r l e s s capable of
s a l u t a r y renewal i n t h e mind of t h e b e i n g contemplating t h e s e o b j e c t s ? "
The L e t t e r s o f William and Dorothy wordsworth: The Middle Years, ed.
E r n e s t de S e l i n c o u r t , r e v i s e d by Mary Moorman and Alan G. H i l l (Oxford:
Clarendon P r e s s , 2 v o l s . 1969-1970, I , p. 147)
 6 D.W. and W.W. t o Mary Hutchinson, A p r i l 29, 1801,
L e t t e r s , pp. 331-333.

7 "Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been" was never

republished by Wordsworth a f t e r 1807. For t h e t e x t and a b r i e f
d i s c u s s i o n of t h i s poem s e e Chapter 3 of t h i s e s s a y , pp. 56-57.

8 Leon Edel, L i t e r a r y Biography: The Alexander L e c t u r e s ,

1955-1956 (Toronto : U n i v e r s i t y of Toronto P r e s s , 1957) pp. 9-10

9 David Bleich, S u b j e c t i v e C r i t i c i s m (Baltimore and Londson:

The John Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1978) p. 259.

10 Geoffrey Durrant, "Zeno's Arrow: Time and Motion i n Two of

Wordsworth's Lucy Poems," Mosaic 213 (Spring, 1969) pp. 10-24.

11 Geoffrey H. Hartmen, Wordsworth's Poetry 1787-1814 (New

Haven: Yale U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1964) p. 17.

Hartman, p. 24

1800 P r e f a c e , p. x v i i . (Owen and Srnyser, v o l . I , p. 127).

Hartman, p. 11.

Reed, Chronology of the Early Years, pp. 255-263.

D.W. and W.W. t o S.T. Coleridge, December 14 o r 21, 1798,

L e t t e r s , pp. 235-243.

17 Coleridge t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 6 , 1799, C o l l e c t e d L e t t e r s

of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. E.L. Griggs (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s ,
.
4 v o l s , 1956) I, pp 273-274.

18 I s a b e l l a Fenwick manuscript: n o t e regarding "Three y e a r s

she grew": "Composed i n t h e Hartz ores st." The Prose Works of William
Wordsworth, ed. A.B. Grosart (1876) (New York: AMS P r e s s , I n c . , 3 v o l s .
1967) 111, p. 39.

19 Chronology of t h e Early Years, p. 263.

20 D.W. and W.W. t o Coleridge, Nordhausen, February 27, 1799,

L e t t e r s , p. 251.

21 D.W. t o Christopher Wordsworth, Goslar, February 3, 1799,

L e t t e r s , p. 243-246.

22. A h i s t o r y of The Recluse and C o l e r i d g e ' s r o l e i n i t s

conception are d i s c u s s e d by Beth Darlington i n h e r I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Home a t
Grasmere, P a r t F i r s t , Book F i r s t o f The Recluse by W i l l i a m Wordsworth,ed.
Darlington ( I t h a c a , New York: Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1977). On
March 6 , 1798, Wordsworth wwote t o James Webbe Tobin from Alfoxden
( L e t t e r s , p. 212): "I have w r i t t e n 1300 l i n e s o f a poem i n which I
c o n t r i v e t o convey most of t h e knowledge of which I am possessed. My
o b j e c t is t o g i v e p i c t u r e s of Nature, Man and Society."

23 The Prelude 1798-1799, P a r r i s h , I n t r o d u c t i o n : The

Growth of the Two-Part Prelude," p. 3: "When [ ~ o r d s w o r t h ] s e t t l e da t
Goslar, i n October, 1798, where he was t o spend t h e w i n t e r , he e n t e r e d
an i s o l a t i o n -- shared with h i s s i s t e r , Dorothy -- a s i n t e n s e a s any he
had e v e r known. Following c l o s e upon t h e y e a r of c r e a t i v e intimacy he
had j u s t shared with Coleridge, t h i s i s o l a t i o n drove Wordsworth back t o
t h e s o u r c e s of memory and l e d him t o t r a v e i n wondering- t h e t h a n k f u l
tones t h e beginnings of t h e growth of a p o e t ' s mind."

24 Mary Moorman, William Wordsworth: A Biography (Oxford:

Clarendon P r e s s , 2 v o l s . 1957, 1965) I, pp. 70-71.

25 No s p o r t b u t claims t h e t e n d e r t e a r
By joy o r g r i e f t o memory dear.
One Evening when t h e w i n t r y b l a s t
Through t h e sharp Hawthorn w h i s t l i n g passed
And t h e poor f l o c k s , a l l pinched w i t h c o l d
Sad-drooping sought t h e mountain f o l d
Long, long upon yon naked rock
Alone I bore t h e b i t t e r shock;
Long, long my swimming eyes d i d roam
For l i t t l e Horse t o b e a r me home,
To b e a r me -- what a v a i l s my t e a r ?
To sorrow o ' e r a F a t h e r ' s b i e r
Flow on, i n v a i n thou h a s t n o t flowed,
But eased m e of a heavy load;
For much it g i v e s my h e a r t r e l i e f
To pay t h e mighty debt of g r i e f ,
With s i g h s repeated o ' e r and o ' e r ,
I mourn because I mourned no more.

"The Vale o f Esthwaite" was probably composed i n t h e s p r i n g and summer

of 1787. Wordsworth m y have continued t o work on i t i n e a r l y 1788. I t
was f i r s t published by de S e l i n c o u r t ( P o e t i c a l Works, I , pp. 270-283).

26 F.W. Bateson, Wordsworth : A R e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n (London:

Longman ' s Green and Co. Ltd., 1954, 1956) pp. 148-162.

27 W i l l i a m Wordsworth's and AnnetteVallon's daughter,

Caroline, was born on December 15, 1792, i n France. S h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s ,
Wordsworth r e t u r n e d t o England, i n t e n d i n g t o f i n d a p o s i t i o n i n t h e
Church and t o e s t a b l i s h a home f o r Annette and t h e baby. War broke o u t
between France and England i n February, 1793. Wordsworth may have
r e t u r n e d t o France f o r a s h o r t time i n October of t h a t year. H e d i d n o t
s e e Annette a g a i n u n t i l August, 1802, when he made a f i n a n c i a l s e t t l e m e n t
with h e r and t h e i r daughter, f r e e i n g himself t o marry Mary Hutchinson i n
October of t h e same y e a r .

28 Coleridge t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 6 , 1799, Griggs, I.

p. 274
 76
29 Geoffrey Durrant (PP. 10-24) f i n d s i t odd t h a t Dorothy
would be involved i n sending Colerfdge a poem about her own death and
even odder " t h a t she could have been p a r t y t o s o u n f l a t t e r i n g and
u n f e e l i n g a comment on h e r looks" a s i s suggested by t h e i m p l i c a t i o n t h a t
Lucy i s no l o n g e r I1 f r e s h a s a rose" i n "Strange f i t s o f passion". He
b e l i e v e s t h a t i t i s most l i k e l y t h a t Lucy "is merely a more n a t u r a l and
English v e r s i o n o f t h e 'Chloes',,' 'Lucindas' and ' C e l i a s ' of e a r l i e r
poets -- a name f o r any 'beloved) I, I n Wordsworth's 'Lucy' poems,
S t u d i e s i n Romanticism, 10, no. 3 (Summer, 1971) pp. 159-175, Spencer
H a l l dismisses a t t e m p t s t o p i n p o i n t t h e i d e n t i t y of Lucy a s " i r r e l e v a n t " .
James Taafe a l s o dismisses t h e q u e s t i o n o f Lucy's i d e n t i t y i n h i s a r t i c l e
"Poet and Lover i n Wordsworth's 'Lucy' Poems;",' The Modern Language Review,
6 1 (1966) pp. 175-179, a s does Herbert Hartman, "Wordsworth's 'Lucy'
Poems: Notes and Marginalia'," PMLA 49 ( l 9 3 4 ) , p. 141, who i d e n t i f i e s t h e
name a s "a neo-Arcadian commonplace, and e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y e l e g i a c
f i x t u r e " . N e i t h e r Frances Ferguson n o r Roger Slakey g i v e any c o n s i d e r a t i o n
a t a l l t o t h e i d e n t i t y of Lucy i n t h e i r a r t i c l e s about t h e poems.
@erguson, e he Lucy Poems : Wordsworth' s Quest f o r a P o e t i c Object ,"
English L i t e r a r y H i s t o r y , 40, no. 4 [winter, 19731 pp. 532-548; Slakey,
"At Zero : A Reading of Wordsworth' s ' She Dwelt Among t h e Untrodden Ways, "'
S t u d i e s i n English L i t e r a t u r e , 1500-1900, 12, no. 4 Ibutumn, 1972 1
629-638.
Mary Moorman (pp. 423-425) f e e l s t h a t t h e i d e a t h a t Lucy
r e p r e s e n t s some e a r l y and unknown l o v e o f Wordsworth who died has been
r e j e c t e d "perhaps t o o h a s t i l y " f o r l a c k of evidence. She does n o t t h i n k
Lucy i s Dorothy because "it i s n o t h a b i t u a l with Wordsworth when w r i t i n g
t o o r about Dorothy t o t h i n k of h e r a s dead o r going t o die." Richard
Matlak, on t h e o t h e r hand, i d e n t i f i e s Lucy with Dorothy i n h i s a r t i c l e ,
"Wordsworth's Lucy Poems i n Psychobiographical Context", PMLA, 93
(January, 1978) pp. 46-65. Matlak argues t h a t t h e "Lucy" poems emerge . .
o u t o f f e e l i n g s of resentment toward Dorothy t h a t were caused by
Wordsworth's s e p a r a t i o n from Coleridge i n Germany: t h e poems a r e a death-
wish, Matlak a r g u e s , d i r e c t e d a t Dorothy because s h e prevented Wordsworth
from being n e a r Coleridge. Bateson a l s o a r g u e s t h a t i n t h e "Lucy" poems
Wordsworth symbolically k i l l e d h i s s i s t e r : " t h e dangerous r e l a t i o n s h i p
with Dorothy was n o t s o l v e d , subconsciously. ... The g u i l t y p o s s i b i l i t i e s
were evaded by t h e removal, subconsciously, of t h e g u i l t y o b j e c t . " He
adds t h a t "Lucy's s e x l e s s n e s s a l s o becomes i n t e l l i g i b l e once t h e i d e n t i t y
with Dorothy i s recognized. The emotional i n t i m a c i e s must n o t have a
p h y s i c a l b a s i s , even subconsciously" (pp 153-154) . .
30 Bateson, p . 152. The "Nutting" fragment w a s f i r s t
published by de S e l i n c o u r t ( P o e t i c a l Works, 11, pp 504-506). .
31 G r o s a r t , Vol. 111, p . 39. I s a b e l l a Fenwick n o t e re.
"Nutting": w r i t t e n i n Germany: intended as p a r t o f a poem on my own
l i f e , b u t s t r u c k o u t a s n o t being wanted t h e r e . "

32 W.W. t o Coleridge, A p r i l 16, 1802, L e t t e r s , pp. 287-8.

33 I n t h e 1800 P r e f a c e Wordsworth emphasizes t h a t i t was h i s

i n t e n t i o n t h a t i n t h e s e poems t h e f e e l i n g should g i v e importance t o t h e
a c t i o n and t h e s i t u a t i o n and n o t t h e a c t i o n and s i t u a t i o n t o t h e f e e l i n g "
(p. x v i i ) .

34 This usage of " f i t " appears f r e q u e n t l y i n Spenser's

F a e r i e Queene -- i t was probably a n a r c h a i c usage even i n Spenser's
time. Wordsworth's awareness of t h i s connotation of " f i t " i s suggested
by h i s admiration o f Spenser, expressed i n h i s 1815 P r e f a c e t o Poems
(p. x x i x ) : "The grand store-house of e n t h u s i a s t i c and m e d i t a t i v e
Imagination, of p o e t i c a l , a s c o n t r a d i s t i n g u i s h e d from human and dramatic
Imagination, is t h e p r o p h e t i c and l y r i c a l p a r t s o f t h e holy S c r i p t u r e s ,
and t h e works o f Milton, t o which I cannot f o r b e a r t o add t h o s e of
Spenser." (Owen and Smyser, 111, p. 34).

35 Wordsworth d i s c u s s e s t h e r e l a t i o n o f p a s s i o n t o s u f f e r i n g
i n t h e "Essay Supplementary t o t h e P r e f a r e " (1815) I , p. 370: "Passion,
i t must be observed, i s derived from a word which s i g n i f i e d s u f f e r i n g : b u t
t h e connection which s u f f e r i n g h a s with e f f o r t , with e x e r t i o n , and a c t i o n
i s immediate and i n s e p a r a b l e . .. To be moved, then, by a p a s s i o n , i s t o
be e x c i t e d , o f t e n t o e x t e r n a l , and always t o i n t e r n a l , e f f o r t ; whether f o r
t h e continuance and s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f t h e p a s s i o n , o r f o r i t s suppression
... 'I
I n t h e c o n t e x t o f my d i s c u s s i o n o f passion and p a s s i v i t y i n "Strange
f i t s o f passion," Wordsworth's remarks suggest t h a t t h e speaker was "excited "
i n t o an i n t e r n a l e f f o r t o f suppression o r r e p r e s s i o n , b u t h i s e f f o r t was
without s u c c e s s .

36 1800 P r e f a c e , p. xxi: "There w i l l a l s o be found i n t h e s e

Volumes l i t t l e of what is u s u a l l y c a l l e d p o e t i c d i c t i o n ; I have taken a s
much p a i n s t o avoid i t a s o t h e r s o r d i n a r i l y t a k e t o produce i t . " (Owen and
Smyser, I , p. 130.)

37 Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s t h e process o f composition and i t s

r e l a t i o n t o passion o r f e e l i n g on p. xxxiv of t h e 1800 Preface : "I have
s a i d t h a t Poetry i s t h e spontaneous overflow of powerful f e e l i n g s : i t
t a k e s i t s o r i g i n from t h e emotion r e c o l l e c t e d i n t r a n q u i l l i t y : t h e
e m t i o n i s contemplated t i l l by a s p e c i e s of r e a c t i o n t h e t r a n q u i l l i t y
g r a d u a l l y d i s a p p e a r s and an emotion, s i m i l a r t o t h a t which was b e f o r e t h e
s u b j e c t o f contemplation, is g r a d u a l l y produced, and does i t s e l f a c t u a l l y
e x i s t i n t h e mind. I n t h i s mood s u c c e s s f u l composition g e n e r a l l y begins,
and i n a mood s i m i l a r t o t h i s i t is c a r r i e d on; b u t t h e emotion, o f
whatever k i n d and i n whatever degree, from v a r i o u s c a u s e s is q u a l i f i e d by
v a r i o u s p l e a s u r e s , so t h a t i n d e s c r i b i n g any p a s s i o n s whatsoever, which a r e
v o l u n t a r i l y d e s c r i b e d , t h e mind w i l l upon t h e whole be i n a s t a t e of
enjoyment." (Owen and Smyser, I , p. 148).

38 For example, Dorothy records t h a t on March 14, 1802,

"William r o s e without having s l e p t -- w e s a t e comfortably by t h e f i r e
t i l l he began t o t r y t o a l t e r The B u t t e r f l y , and t i r e d himself . I '
J o u r n a l s of Dorothy Wordsworth, ed. Ernest de S e l i n c o u r t (London:
Maddillan and Co. L t d . , 2 Vols. 1959) I, p . 123.
 39' The Notebooks of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. Kathleen
Coburn (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 2 Vols. 1957) I, 1794-1804,
Text, e n t r y #I546 (Oct., 1803). J a r e d C u r t i s d i s c u s s e s C o l e r i d g e ' s
n e g a t i v e a t t i t u d e t o ~ o r d s w o r t h ' ss h o r t poems i n h i s book, wordsworth's
Experiments with T r a d i t i o n : The Lyric Poems o f 1802 ( I t h a c a and London:
.
Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1971) pp 8-10.

40 Durrant, pp. 12-13.

41 Ben Jonson, "To Celia" (Come my C e l i a , l e t us prove")

The Works of B r i t i s h P o e t s , ed. Robert Anderson (London, 1 3 Vols. 1795)
Vol. 4 , p. 554.

42 Henry Vaughan, "They a r e a l l gone i n t o t h e World of Light,"

Renaissance England: Poetry and Prose ,from t h e Reformation t o t h e
R e s t o r a t i o n , ed. Roy Lamson and H a l l e t t Smith (New York: W.W. Norton and
Co. Inc., 1942, 1956) p. 1032

43 L y r i c a l Ballads (l8OO), n o t e t o "The Thorn": "Superstitious

men a r e almost always men of slow f a c u l t i e s and deep f e e l i n g s ; t h e i r minds
a r e n o t l o o s e b u t adhesive; they have a reasonable s h a r e o f imagination, by
which work I mean t h e f a c u l t y which produces impressive e f f e c t o u t of simple
elements."

44 Ferguson, p. 534.

45 Slakey makes a s i m i l a r a n a l y s i s of t h e v i o l e t and s t a r

images, pp. 632-633.

46 Geoffrey Durrant , William W

o rdsworth (Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y
P r e s s , 1969) pp. 70-71.

47 1 8 0 0 P r e f a c e , p. xx. (OwenandSmyser, I , p. 130.)

48 Christopher Marlowe, "The P a s s i o n a t e Shepherd t o h i s Love,"

Renaissance England, p 39 3. .
49 Jared R. C u r t i s , "A Note on t h e Lost Manuscripts of
W i l l i a m wordsworth's 'Louisa' and ' I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men,"' - The
Yale U n i v e r s i t y G a z e t t e , Vol. 53, No. 4 ( A p r i l , 1979) pp. 196-201.

50 Reed, Chronology of t h e Middle Years, pp. 1-4, 6-8, 107-

139. The o n l y o t h e r p i e c e of p o e t r y Wordsworth i s known t o have composed
during t h i s p e r i o d i s a s e c t i o n t o be added t o "Michael" which Dorothy
Wordsworth included i n a l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 9, 1801, L e t t e r s ,
p. 325.

51 The l i n e s Wordsworth i s b e l i e v e d t o have composed during

A p r i l and May, 1800, a r e Manuscript B , 1-457, 859-874 (Darlington, pp.
38-66, 92-93) and p o s s i b l y "The ~ r o s p e c t u s , " : M s . B, 959-1048 (Darlington,
pp. 100-106).
 52 John Garetson Dings, The Mind i n Its Place: Wordsworth's
,'Michaelf' and t h e Poetry of 1800 (University of B u f f a l o , 1973) p. 38.

53 " prospectus", 1006-1014.

54 W.W. t o James Webbe Tobin, March 6 , 1798, L e t t e r s , p. 212

55 W.W. t o J o s i a h Wedgewood, J u l y 13, 1800, L e t t e r s , p . 284.

56 D.W. t o Jane Marshall, September 10 and 12, 1800, L e t t e r s ,

p. 298.

57 J o u r n a l s of D.W., I , pp. 67-75

58 W.W. t o Anne Taylor, A p r i l 9 , 1801, L e t t e r s , p . 327

59 W.W. and D.E. t o Coleridge, May 22, 1801, L e t t e r s , p. 335

60 W.W. and D.W. t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 9, 1801, L e t t e r s , p .

324.

61 John Wordsworth t o D.W., March 28 and 29, 1801, The L e t t e r s

of John Wordsworth, ed. Carl Ketcham ( I t h a c a : C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ,
1969( p. 110.

62 J.W. t o D.W., A p r i l 22 and 23, 1801, L e t t e r s o f John

Wordsworth, p. 119

63 ' L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, f o o t n o t e 24-4, p. 207.

64 Coleridge t o W.W., October 12, 1799, Griggs, I. p. 538.

65 Reed, Chronology of t h e Middle Years, p. 631.

66 J.W. t o D.W., May 3 and 4, 1801, L e t t e r s of John

Wordsworth, p. 124

67 William Wordsworth, t h e Prelude: A P a r a l l e l Text, ed.

J.C. Maxwell (Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1971,1972- .
68 Reed adds, however, t h a t "these l i n e s cannot c o n f i d e n t l y
be supposed t o have been i n e x i s t e n c e u n t i l e a r l y 1804." Chronology o f -
t h e Middle Years, p 632. .
69 Jonathan Wordsworth and Stephen G i l l , "The Two-Part Prelude
of 1798-1799,"Journal o f English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 72 (1973)
p. 522.

70 C u r t i s , ~ o r d s w o r t h ' s Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p. 12.

71- J o u r n a l s , I , pp. 37-46.

 72 Bateson, p. 154.

73 W.W. t o James Losh, March 16, 1805, L e t t e r s , p. 563

74 Mary Wordsworth t o Catherine Clarkson, March 7, 1805,

The L e t t e r s o f &ry-Wordsworth, 1800-1855, ed. Mary E. Burton (oxford,
1958) p. 3.

75 D.W. t o Jane Marshall, March 1 5 , 17, 1805, L e t t e r s ,

p. 560.

76 W.W. t o Richard Wordsworth, March 19, 1805, L e t t e r s ,

p. 571.

77 L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, p. 25.

78 J . W . t o Mary Hutchinson, February 25 and 26, 1801,

L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, pp. 125-126.

79 J.W. t o M. Hutchinson, September 12, 1802, L e t t e r s of

John Wordsworth, pp . 125-126.
80 Journals, I,pp.125-128.

81 J o u r n a l s , I , p. 130.

82 W.W. t o C o l e r i d g e , A p r i l 1 6 , 1802, L e t t e r s , p. 348.

83 L e t t e r s , pp. 331-333.

84 J o u r n a l s , I , p. 176.

85 Book of Common Prayer (1559), Church of England: "I, (N.)

take thee (N. ) t o my wedded wife, t o have and t o hold from t h i s day
forward, f o r b e t t e r , f o r worse, f o r r i c h e r , f o r p o o r e r , i n s i c k n e s s and
i n h e a l t h , t o love and t o c h e r i s h , t i l l death us d e p a r t . .. '
86 "To a B u t t e r f l y " ("Stay n e a r me") w a s f i r s t published i n
1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes under t h e heading "Moods of My Own Mind'."
The poem grew o u t of a conversation with Dorothy on March 14, 1802,
recorded by h e r i n h e r j o u r n a l ( I , p. 123).

87 J o u r n a l s , I , p. 143.

88 Lines 6-9 of t h i s poem were w r i t t e n between December 1798

and June 1800 a s p a r t o f "Nutting," and e v e n t u a l l y published as p a r t of
t h e s e q u e l t o t h e "Ode t o ~ y c o r i s . " This i s t h e spot" appears a s "a
f r e e s t a n d i n g poem" i n "Sara Hutchinson's Poets" -- a notebook of 1802 and
a f t e r . C u r t i s , Wordsworth's Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p. 196; Reed,
Chronology of t h e Early Years, pp. 331--332.
7
 89 J o u r n a l s , I , pp. 139-140

90 D.W. n o t e s W. " r e p e a t i n g the poem: ' I have thoughts

t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun'" on A p r i l 22, 1802 ( J o u r n a l s , I, p. 136).
The two p a r t s o f t h e poem may have been composed s e p a r a t e l y and then
joined a s one poem. F i r s t published by de S e l i n c o u r t (IV, 365-6).
C u r t i s , Wordsworth's Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p . 176.

91 J o u r n a l s , I , p. 129.

92 J. C u r t i s i n an unpublished paper, "The Composition o f

Wordsworth's I n t i m a t i o n s Ode ."
93 These l i n e s were followed i n t h e 1807 and 1815 e d i t i o n s
of t h e poem by f o u r l i n e s d e s c r i b i n g what t h e grave means t o a c h i l d :

To whom the grave

Is b u t a l o n e l y bed without t h e s e n s e o f s i g h t
O f day and t h e warm l i g h t ,
A p l a c e of thought where we i n w a i t i n g l i e ;
These l i n e s imply t h a t t h e boy's perception o f t h e grave i s d i f f e r e n t
from t h e a d u l t ' s -- i n s t e a d of t h e d e p r i v a t i o n t h e boy i s s a i d t o p e r c e i v e ,
t h e l a s t l i n e s s u g g e s t t h a t t h e poet looks t o t h e grave a s a way-station,
"a p l a c e of thought" where he w i l l s t a r t t o recover t h e " t r u t h s " t h a t
growing o l d e r had caused him t o l o s e .

94 W.W. t o S i r George Beaumont, February 20, 1805, L e t t e r s ,

p. 556.
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