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Wordsworth's Poetical Works Summary and

Analysis of "Lines Written in Early Spring"
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In this poem Wordsworth describes a bittersweet moment. The speaker

reclines in a beautiful grove surrounded by the "blended notes" of nature, and
yet, even as he enjoys the scene, it inspires a melancholy mood and the
speaker begins to have dark thoughts about humanity:

I heard a thousand blended notes,

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While in a grove I sate reclined

 While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

Nature has connected itself to the speaker's soul, leading him to sadly
consider "What man has made of man." Even as he does this, however, he
takes in the beautiful scene that surrounds him:

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,

The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;

And 'tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,

Their thoughts I cannot measure: --

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But the least motion which they made,
 It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

At the end of the poem the speaker looks more closely at the seemingly
jubilant birds, plants, and other creatures of nature, trying to decide whether or
not they are really full of pleasure. He decides that they are. In the last stanza,
he asks whether, if it is true that nature is full of pleasure, he then has a good
reason to be sad about "what man has made of man":

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature's holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

Analysis

"Lines Written in Early Spring" has a rather simple form: it is composed of only
six four-line stanzas, and is written in iambs with an abab rhyme scheme for
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each stanza. The simplicity of the poem is representative of the bulk of the
rest of Wordsworth's works (and of most Romantic poetry) The simple words
rest of Wordsworths works (and of most Romantic poetry). The simple words
and style of the Romantic Movement came from a complete rejection of the
flowery, lofty style that was popular in previous years.

The connection with nature in this poem is very apparent. Wordsworth

strengthens the bond by placing the speaker in the middle of nature, all alone
except for the plants and animals around him. He also personifies nature,
giving her the ability to make decisions, to link herself to his soul, and to
experience pleasure. Nature, in this poem, does everything right; it is man who
has failed by rejecting nature.

Another interesting aspect of this poem is the fact that the perfection of
nature saddens the speaker. Melancholy sets in almost immediately because
of the striking contrast between nature and humanity. The speaker seems to
feel that it is his responsibility to ponder the mistakes of humanity. This is
especially evident in the question posed in the last stanza.

The speaker suggests that man can simultaneously be a part of nature and
rational, in control of himself, and in control of his surroundings. The speaker
is a thoughtful being, a philosopher of sorts, and is certainly reasonable, and
yet he is at peace with nature in a way that would likely strike many of his
contemporaries as odd.

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About Wordsworth's Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works Summary ✖

Character List
Glossary

Themes

Summary And Analysis

"A slumber did my spirit seal"

"Composed upon Westminster Bridge"

"I wandered lonely as a cloud"

"It is a beauteous evening"

"Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey"

"Lines Written in Early Spring"

"London, 1802"

"My heart leaps up when I behold"

"Ode; Intimations of Immortality"

"The Solitary Reaper"

"The Tables Turned"

"The world is too much with us"

"Three years she grew"

"We Are Seven"

The Lakeland Poets

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Essay Questions

Quizzes - Test Yourself!

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

Quiz 4

Citations

RELATED CON TEN T

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Study Guide
 Essays

Q&A

Lesson Plan

E-Text

William Wordsworth Biography

Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Questions and Answers
The Question and Answer section for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works is a
great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Q: What was
A: What is your question here?
Asked by Treyvon Mark M #1057714
Answered by Aslan on 10/9/2020 2:51 AM

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Q: What was the solution in Ode intimations of immortality?

A: In the second stanza the speaker says that even though he can still see the
rainbow, the rose, the moon, and the sun, and even though they are still
beautiful, something is different...something has been lost: "But yet I know,
where'er I go, /...

Asked by Treyvon Mark M #1057714

Answered by Aslan on 10/8/2020 6:59 PM

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Q: WHAT IS THE THEME OF THE POEM
A: What specific poem are you referring to?
Asked by P. S #1051496
Answered by Aslan on 9/26/2020 5:44 PM

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Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works study guide contains a biography of William
Wordsworth, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and
a full summary and analysis.

About Wordsworth's Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works Summary
Character List
Glossary
Themes

READ THE STUDY GUIDE FOR WORDSWORTH’S POETICAL WORKS…

Essays for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works essays are academic essays for citation. These
papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of
William Wordsworth's poetry and prose.

Wordsworth and Blake: The Plight of Mankind

Back to the Future: Wordsworth's "Ode to Duty" and "Elegiac Stanzas"
The Union of Opposing Elements: Poems by Wordsworth and Coleridge
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 The Connection between the Natural Scene and the Speaker's State of Mind
in William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
Blake and Wordsworth Versus Society

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Lesson Plan for Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to Wordsworth's Poetical Works
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
Related Links
Wordsworth's Poetical Works Bibliography

VIEW THE LESSON PLAN FOR WORDSWORTH’S POETICAL WORKS…

E-Text of Wordsworth’s Poetical Works

Wordsworth's Poetical Works e-text contains the full text of William
Wordsworth's poetry and prose.

Table of Contents
A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge ✖
 I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
It Is a Beauteous Evening

READ THE E-TEXT FOR WORDSWORTH’S POETICAL WORKS…

Wikipedia Entries for Wordsworth’s Poetical

Works
Introduction
Early life
Relationship with Annette Vallon
First publication and Lyrical Ballads
The Borderers

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