Thursday, August 11, 2011

Does William Wordsworth emphasize commonplace subjects and a reverence for nature?

William Wordsworth (1770-1850), the most prominent of all the English Romantic poets, has written countless lyrics on ordinary subjects which are expressive of his love and reverence for Nature. Two of the most popular ones are: the sonnet "It is a beauteous evening" and  "Daffodils."


Daffodils are very common and plain flowers which are found all over the English countryside and unlike the rose would not be considered as a subject for poetry. But Wordsworth through his poem "Daffodils" has created one of the most popularly anthologized poems ever. The following lines express his love of Nature:



The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought



Similarly, the sonnet "It is a beauteous evening" captures very picturesquely a quiet and calm scene as the sun sinks into the sea:


the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility; The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea;

The sun and the sea and the sunset are very commonplace things but Wordsworth has expressed the divine nature of a sunset on a quiet and calm evening:


the mighty Being is awake, And doth with his eternal motion make A sound like thunder—everlastingly.

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