Wordsworth`s Lines Written in Early Spring

Sahar Yassin Alshobaki

Mrs. Ahlam Anber

Romanticism

22^nd October, 2013

Reflection on Wordsworth`s Lines Written in Early Spring

         William Wordsworth is one of the first Romantic Era poets. He thinks that the English poetry had to be based rather on feelings than intellect and style. Wordsworth is considered as a pantheist who identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God. Thus, he believes that nature is the manifestation of God, or it is a creed in itself. In Wordsworth's poems, we, as readers, can notice that there are strong relationships between man and nature. In his poem “Lines Written in Early Spring”, part of the collection “Lyrical Ballads”, we can hint three major relationships: nature to man, nature to nature and man to man.

         The first relationship is between nature and man. Wordsworth`s view appears in his sentence, “nature never did betray the heart that loves it”. In this poem, he states that nature and people are linked through the “human soul”. Thus, he considers nature as a source of harmony and peace, as he says from the very beginning of his poem, “in a grove I state reclined”. As a result for this unity between man and nature, it will bring the pleasant and “sweet mood” to those who truly love it. In addition, he gives nature the attributes of God. He says, “her fair works” as if all creatures on the earth are created by nature. He even capitalizes the word “Nature” to emphasize that it is considered as a creed for him. Indeed, the nature to him is “a thrill of pleasure”, suggesting a deep and a spiritual joy that he experiences through contemplating nature.

         The second relationship is between the elements of nature together. Wordsworth says, “I listen to the discords to detect harmony” which suggests that he finds harmony and unity in every element in nature; therefore, affects him and gives him peace. In this poem, for example, he says “every flower enjoys the air it breathes” and “the budding twigs spread out their fan to catch the breezy air”. This demonstrates the idea of oness between every part of nature as he calls it “a holy plan” that means none of the nature’s elements can live without another.

         The last relationship is between man and man which is deeply corrupted. Despite the “sweet mood” that Wordsworth feels from nature, it brings to his mind the “sad thoughts”. This is because the joy he feels compels him to contemplate the human condition and lament “what man has made of man”. We can see, then, that Wordsworth compares the discrimination, separation and the injustice between people with the nature`s perfect unity. For example, in the last stanza he says, “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?” Here, the subjunctive mood and the question at the end destabilize Wordsworth’s trust on human`s relations. He condemns his fragmented society, so he invites people to be united and harmonious exactly as the nature; they have to learn from nature.

         All in all, William Wordsworth is a romantic poet who deeply trusts and believes in nature. He is considered as a humanitarian poet as well. In his poem “Lines Written in Early Spring”, he discusses three relations between nature to man, nature to nature, and man to man. It is basically about wondering of the humans` conditions compared with nature. Hence, it talks about the human`s corruption, injustice, inequality and discrimination while there is a perfect unity in everything in nature.