Lines Written In Early Spring by Wordsworth Flashcards
Worlds and Lives Poetry
What is a romantic poet?
see nature as perfect, saw city as corrupt, poems about nature and the natrual world
Who wrote it and where and when was he from?
- William Wordsworth
- Lived in the Lake District (1770-1850) which made him a romantic poet
What 2 revolutions occured in the time that he was writing in?
- 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”
How was Wondsworth affected by the brutality from the revolution?
He turned to nature for comfort
What does Wondsworth try to say to the readers?
- To love nature
- Could inspire a love for humankind
- Appreciating God’s creation could bring us happiness
Why is the title significant?
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
How is the poems structure?
- Written in 6 stanzans which are quatrains = constant regernation of nature
- ABAB rhyme scheme
“a thousand”
S1
- Hyperbole
- illustrates how nature is in perfect harmony
“grove I sate reclined”
S1
- Sitting and reclining peacefully as he admires and enjoys nature
“pleasant” “sad”
S1
- Juxtaposition
- Having conflicting feelings while admiring nature
“her fair works”
S2
- Personification
- nature is a woman
“Nature link
The human soul”
S2
- 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
“And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man”
S2
- “grieved” Experiencing deep sadness
- “Man” repetition - thinking how corrupt, cruel, vicious humankind has become
“primrose” “periwinkle”
- Semantic field of flowers
“green bower”
- Refers to a pleasant, shady place below trees
“And ‘tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breathes”
S3
- Personification - believes every flower enjoys its existence as it spreads out and blooms
Why is the 3rd stanza significant?
“primrose” “periwinkle” “green bower” “every flower” “air it breathes”
- 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
- “birds around me hopped and played”
- “Their thoughts”
S4
- 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
“The budding twigs”
“spread out their fan”
S5
- 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
“catch the breezy air”
S5
- Personification suggests a playfulness to the twigs
“That there was pleasure there”
S5
- Alliteration - twigs are blissful and they find pleasure in growth, unlike humanity who are anxious and troubled
“from heaven be sent”
“holy plan”
S6
- 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
to lament
What man has made of man?
- 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
