Lines Written In Early Spring by Wordsworth

Question 1

What is a romantic poet?

Answer 1

see nature as perfect, saw city as corrupt, poems about nature and the natrual world

Question 1

Who wrote it and where and when was he from?

Answer 1

• William Wordsworth
• Lived in the Lake District (1770-1850) which made him a romantic poet

Question 2

What 2 revolutions occured in the time that he was writing in?

Answer 2

• Industrial Revolution - time when society changed and ppl left countryside for factory jobs
• French Revolution - Poor french citizens rose rose up against powerful monarchy - France became a republic
• FR started with hope/promise but devolved to violence - murders (key members of the aristocracy killed) - “Rain of Terror”

Question 3

How was Wondsworth affected by the brutality from the revolution?

Answer 3

He turned to nature for comfort

Question 4

What does Wondsworth try to say to the readers?

Answer 4

• To love nature
• Could inspire a love for humankind
• Appreciating God’s creation could bring us happiness

Question 5

Why is the title significant?

Answer 5

Lines Written in Early Spring
Context: He wrote this whilst sitting by a brook (stream) from the Comb through the grounds of Alfoxden. He’s a romantic poet inspired by nature
Pathetic Fallacy: “Spring” - he admires how harmonious nature is but this title is ironic as he uses nature’s harmony to highlight mankind’s disharmony + context = poem written in 1798 when FR was raging and lots of atrocities happened

Question 6

How is the poems structure?

Answer 6

• Written in 6 stanzans which are quatrains = constant regernation of nature
• ABAB rhyme scheme

Question 7

“a thousand”

S1

Answer 7

• Hyperbole
• illustrates how nature is in perfect harmony

Question 8

“grove I sate reclined”

S1

Answer 8

• Sitting and reclining peacefully as he admires and enjoys nature

Question 9

“pleasant” “sad”

S1

Answer 9

• Juxtaposition
• Having conflicting feelings while admiring nature

Question 10

“her fair works”

S2

Answer 10

• Personification
• nature is a woman

Question 11

“Nature link
The human soul”

S2

Answer 11

• Nature created many beautiful things on earth, humanity is linked to all of this
• “soul” - soul that runs through mankind is directly linked to the creations of nature

Question 12

“And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man”

S2

Answer 12

• “grieved” Experiencing deep sadness
• “Man” repetition - thinking how corrupt, cruel, vicious humankind has become

Question 13

“primrose” “periwinkle”

Answer 13

• Semantic field of flowers

Question 14

“green bower”

Answer 14

• Refers to a pleasant, shady place below trees

Question 15

“And ‘tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breathes”

S3

Answer 15

• Personification - believes every flower enjoys its existence as it spreads out and blooms

Question 16

Why is the 3rd stanza significant?
“primrose” “periwinkle” “green bower” “every flower” “air it breathes”

Answer 16

• Garden is unified: there are no borders or restrictions between flowers as they grow side by side
• Contrasts with the current state of humanity during FR, world maps divisions, divisions in gender, race
• Humanitys fragmentation contrast with how united and unified nature is

Question 17

• “birds around me hopped and played”
• “Their thoughts”

S4

Answer 17

• Verbs emphasise how carefree and joyful birds are as they play and move freely
• Alliteration - there is a distance between him and the birds. Also a contrast between how immobile he is and how active they are

Question 18

“The budding twigs”
“spread out their fan”

S5

Answer 18

• Present-continous verb suggests growth an promise as this happens in spring
• “fan” - metaphor implies openess - twigs are stretching out to feel cool air in garden

Question 19

“catch the breezy air”

S5

Answer 19

• Personification suggests a playfulness to the twigs

Question 20

“That there was pleasure there”

S5

Answer 20

• Alliteration - twigs are blissful and they find pleasure in growth, unlike humanity who are anxious and troubled

Question 21

“from heaven be sent”
“holy plan”

S6

Answer 21

• Believes joy that these plants feel is sent directly from Heaven
• Semantic field of religion - nature is living in accordance with what God created it for

Question 22

to lament
What man has made of man?

Answer 22

• Enjambment (no, after lament) - lament means to mourn or show sorrow
• Rhetorical Question - narrator melancholic about humanity cuz its not following its nature - in a constant state of suffering when we should be in a state of bliss like nature