Lines Written in early spring

1. In the poem “lines written in early spring,” the speaker sprawled in a grove listening
to birds sing the sound of nature and thinking about the plight of humans.

2. The lines that indicate the connection between speaker and nature -
“ To her fair works did the nature link
The human soul that through me ran
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.”

3. In this poem, the speaker personifies both the wild flowers and the birds, watching
them and comparing them favourably to “What man has made of man.” as
Nature is a pleasurable life for them. They enjoy their existence. They take pleasure
in everything they do. while "sad thoughts have come to the speaker as he sat
pensively at rest in the grove.

4. Nature's holy plan is for all the creatures to live in joy and harmony. The poet
believes that the harmonious, peace and happy co-existence of birds, plants, trees
and brooks soothes the troubled mind of man. So, the poet feels as if he were inside
a sacred place when he is in the woods. So, he calls the plan 'holy’.

5. The poet was upset as his heart pained to realise how mankind has harmed made a
mess of their relationship with their fellow beings and don't live upto nature's plan.
Humans have caged themselves in misery by rejecting nature.
Nature has given man countless gifts for their use, but they do not appreciate the
gifts given to them. This behaviour of man saddens the poet.

Reference to context

1. a - Heaven refers to place of God

b - The speaker calls the plan holy because Nature is God’s creation said to be a
sacred place.

2. a - The poet is distressed by man’s selfish nature

b - “What man has made of man” These lines describe the feelings of the poet and
his thoughts about human activities against nature.