Introduction
The theme of nature in poetry mainly focuses on ideas, situations, and images that deal with nature. A poet can use certain features of nature as inspiration. For instance, William Wordsworth wrote three poems using natural occurrences or objects to express different ideas. On the one hand, he acknowledges that he cannot explain his concepts about life in all three poems without reference to natural objects or events. On the other hand, he shows that a poet can use the theme differently. The paper compares and contrasts the use of the theme of nature in three poems written by William Wordsworth.
Discussion
Despite the poet using natural objects or occurrences to express how life cannot exist without mentioning nature in all three poems, his usage of the concept is different in each one. For instance, on the one hand, in A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal, he shows how the state of humans can be expressed using natural objects (Wordsworth and Ron Brown 54). For instance, the poet uses a line that states, “No motion has she now, no force” in the second stanza. If one does not have any motion, one cannot possess force which is a Newtonian physics principle (Wordsworth and Ron Brown 54). This occurs naturally or applies to beings or objects found on Earth. In the last line, “With rocks, and stones, and trees,” the poet tries to imply flatness or a sense of anti-climax (Wordsworth and Ron Brown 54). The theme is expressed by using items that mostly have no life and the speaker likens that to the situation he is facing.
In the first stanza, there is the use of the words earth and earthly. In the last two lines, the poet expresses the girl’s life as extinguished by suggesting that she could not experience the touch of earthly years. The same sentiment is shown in the second stanza when the poet states, “Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course” (Wordsworth and Ron Brown 54). Diurnal is at home amongst the world of nature and living beings that live among stones, trees, and rocks (Hussain 120). Similarly to the girl’s absence of motion reflecting the speaker’s gentle slumber, the poet implies that death is not a peaceful sleep and that the world’s diurnal suggests that the girl is back amongst nature.
On the other hand, in My heart leaps up when I behold, the speaker uses a specific natural occurrence to emphasize appreciating nature. For instance, he mentions a rainbow, which is not only a rare but an unanticipated gift from mother nature (Wordsworth 1). Sighting one can cause a feeling of comfort and exhilaration due to its rarity and beauty. Claiming that his heart “leaps up” is stressing that people need to appreciate various natural events (Wordsworth 1). Humans are used to certain happenings in their lives, such as walking in the same streets or meeting people they know. It is normal for them to dismiss the rainbow as something common, which is why the poet uses the poem to rebuke that.
In the poem, the speaker suggests that he is excited and feels comfortable with the sight of a rainbow and likens this to other natural events. For instance, he states that the situation was similar when born (Hussain 120). When a child is born, he is slapped on the back to cause a pulse from his heart. This is the first time the baby experiences life outside the mother’s womb. The speaker shows exhilaration after seeing the rainbow as if it is the first time (Wordsworth 1). Even though it is something that can be seen multiple times in people’s lives, it happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
The speaker desires his appreciation for natural occurrences to be piety. He feels that this should happen since nature offers both wonders as well as comfort simultaneously. Speaking about his life in the past, present and future suggest the same excitement for seeing a rainbow (Wordsworth 1). Nature assists in reminding him that regardless of the changes life brings there exists something constant and larger than him and, thus, needs to be appreciated.
Lastly, in Mutability, the speaker expresses that it is essential for humans to accept the idea that all objects on earth naturally get dismantled by the test of time. The speaker reminds the reader that great buildings, as well as human lives, are no longer solid than frost on the grass (Wordsworth 461). However, this does not imply that humans should live in fear of change. He suggests that those who accept the changeability will discover there is beauty in it (Wordsworth 461). The argument is that despite change being a shocking and disturbing event, it is an important part of the harmony of the world.
In his assessment, the speaker of the poem shows that everything is subject to ending. He shows that it is natural that, with time, all objects become destroyed. The first line of the poem is meant to show that regardless of size or status, nothing is spared and likens this to the melting of the frost on grass (Wordsworth 461). By focusing on the ending and not the beginnings, the speaker creates images to remind the reader of death as an example of unavoidable change (Selvi and Aruna Arputha Malar 3). Understanding and accepting change shows that one can entertain the idea of loss and sadness.
Whereas change seems destructive and destabilizing, the speaker suggests that it is part of harmonious order. By comparing the rhythms of the ending to the motion of notes on s scale, he implies that it is not only melancholy but musical as well (Wordsworth 461). It is part of the song the entire universe sings. He suggests that without it, instead of having music, life would be one boring note (Wordsworth 461). When one accepts the concept of loss or death, one learns to embrace change. In the first poem, the theme of nature is expressed by showing how similar the state in a human’s life can be to that of other natural objects (Selvi and Aruna Arputha Malar 3). The second poem is shows the theme by expressing the importance of rare and unexpected natural events which occur continuously. In the third poem, the theme of nature is expressed by showing how change is constant and important to the music of life.
Conclusion
The paper has compared and contrasted the use of the theme of nature in three poems written by William Wordsworth. Although the poet uses natural objects and events in all three poems to show how life and nature co-exist, his usage of the latter is dissimilar in each one. For instance, in A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal, the theme is shown by expressing how similar states in a person’s life can be to that of natural objects. In My heart leaps up when I behold, it is revealed by mentioning the importance of a rare and unexpected natural event such as a rainbow. In Mutability, the theme of nature has been shown by the expression that change is constant and important to the music of life.
Works Cited
Hussain, Shafqat. “How does he develop his themes? A Sensuous Analysis of John Keats’ Selected Poems.”Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow, vol. 22, no. 6, 2022, p. 120. Web.
Selvi, MD Thamarai, and Aruna Arputha Malar. “The relationship between man and nature is a ruling theme in Robert frost poems.” Journal of Energy Engineering and Thermodynamics (JEET) ISSN 2815-0945, vol. 1, no. 1, 2021, p. 1-5.
Wordsworth, William. “Mutability.” Science & Spirit, vol. 18, no. 1, 2007, p. 461.
Wordsworth, William. My heart leaps up when I behold, 1802, p. 1. Web.
Wordsworth, William, and Ron Brown. A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal. Mid Northumberland Arts Group, 1970, p. 54-55. Web.