Sonnet: Westminster

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

The poet stands on Westminster Bridge, at that time the bridge the only structure connecting the rich area of London and the poor area of London. It was set in early morning.

Question 2

Main idea/message

Answer 2

Thankful to God for allowing him to see such beautiful sight. In a way we can call him patriotic. Combination of nature and urban. Beauty of London before it wakes up

Question 3

Viewpoint

Answer 3

city > nature

Question 4

Theme

Answer 4

urban landscape
nature & city
personal reflection
power

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

sonnet - octave -> sestet

a Petrachan sonnet

Question 6

Word analysis - landscape/ nature and city

Answer 6

• Paradox: “A sight so touching in its majesty” ‘touching’ = gently and intimate sense, majesty = something more public and grand. Wordsworth captures the indescribable feeling of familiarity and distance.
• Words such as “beauty”, “bright and glittering” allows reader to easily picture what Wordsworth experienced; the poet shares his awe and admiration of the sight which are essential to help him convey his message. “silent” and “bare”give a sense of tranquillity.
• use of the word “majesty” = personification as towns cannot be considered royalty as they are only used for humans => trying to make the city itself look alive, we are the parts that are keeping it alive, like the organs of the human body, we are the organs of the city
• “This City now doth like a garment wear”. City is spelt with the first letter in higher case => poet is trying to put the city higher than any other one that we might come across, as if this is the best city there is. “Like a garment wear”=> use of the word garment was used specifically for higher class people (links back to the idea above)
• “The beauty of the morning; silent, bare => “silent, bare” => beauteous in its simple form, image of raw beauty, doesn’t even have to be awake to show off its beauty => effortless. “The beauty of the morning” = classic romantic phrase, one of the only times in the poem that natural beauty is mentioned. The rest are usually man-made => implies the fact that both nature and city supports each other.
• “Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie”= listing => gives the impression that he wishes to go on but cannot, to upkeep the structure of the Italian sonnet. Lack of adjectives to describe the features => trying to imply the fact that the word by itself is enough. There is nothing more needed to exemplify its beauty => raw beauty
• “Open unto the fields, and to the sky” => gives a sense of freedom for the reader as fields usually refer to vast open spaces and the sky itself is infinite => reader feel ecstatic as we usually feel happy in open spaces to run and around, as if we are the king of the world and that we can do anything we want .

Question 7

Word analysis - personal reflection

Answer 7

“Ne’er I saw, never felt, a calm so deep!” => ! emphasizes his feeling. “Never” x2 indicates that he the city has given him a fresh feeling he has not experienced before => the city has something (word analysis-nature and city) that makes it very special and vivid in the poets’ mind