An Analysis of William Wordsworth's Poems

It's the Style That Counts

Among the vast variety of poems that exist, only a few stand out. The same is true about poets, in that readers may sometimes identify a poem to its poet. The measure of a poet's consistency in his poems is measured by how easily identifiable his or her poems are to the reader. An effective poet will develop a unique style and slowly build upon that. In history many poets have placed their mark and enveloped a unique style of their own. A poet's style involves not only the subject matter about which he or she writes, but also the technique in which the poet presents that material to the reader. The way a poem meshes in together and creates a natural flow from one idea to the next is crucial to the makeup of that poet's style, regardless of the topic. The art of writing poetry, then, involves creating a rare technique that individualizes the poet.

An example of a poet who utlizes his unque writing ability is the Romantic William Wordsworth. Nature deeply affected Wordsworth throughout his life. He developed a sincere love of nature that would ultimately come across strongly in his poems. As a way of drawing the reader into the poems, Wordsworth initiates his particular style of incorporating sound effects with tone to portray nature as a serene being. Wordsworth cleverly uses specific connotation and reflective tone to effectively portray Nature as the ideal place for man to return to innocence, purity, and simplicity.

Wordsworth's use of natural sound devices effectively characterizes nature as a peaceful and tranquil entity. In "the world is too much with us", Wordsworth employs the power of a repeating rhythm to set a tone. Line 1 says "The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers". The sound that this line creates sets a cadence for the poem. According to Frances Ferguson "Sound becomes an important aspect of the poem". Although he does so at a subtle level, Wordsworth makes powerful use of creative and natural sounds in his poems as a way of optimizing the presence of nature. In "Influence of Natural Objects", the speaker of the poem describes how he/she "hissed" through the ice playing games. The usage of Onomatopoeia to describe the motions of the ice skaters is comparable to sounds found naturally in Nature, such as the jungle. Later on in the poem Wordsworth makes use of a short catchy phrase by describing the "hunted hare". Wordsworth's use of alliteration to emphasize the rabbit is a direct attribute to his sound effect usage. The repeated sound creates a catchy phrase that captures the essence of the poem, simplicity. In "Ode: Intimations of Immortality", the speaker describes the "fresh flowers" and the surrounding environment. Again the short catchy phrase incorporates both senses of their body. The senses help the reader create a visual of the objects in the poem. Also important to this poem is its irregular rhyme scheme. A poem with a set rhyme scheme does not necessarily have a consistent flow to the language. Wordsworth decision to make this poem have an irregular rhyme scheme was intentional and deliberate. By not tying down the poem to a set patter, Wordsworth releases the poem from being defined in any set way. The irregular rhyme scheme mirrors the contents of the poem itself. The unclear and imprecise pattern of the poem suggests an open interpretation.

Wordsworth uses effective imagery to portray the reflective nature of the poem. A poem's Tone is always important. The way the speaker of the poem reacts to the things around him is an expression of the poet himself. In "The World Is Too Much With Us", Wordsworth utilizes this reaction of the speaker to his surrounding be describing the "sleeping flowers". The description places a relaxed and almost dreary attitude towards the environment. In the "Daffodils", Wordsworth again uses his superior ability of creating imagery to create a reflective tone. The speaker describes the daffodils which look "continuous as the stars that shine/And twinkle on the Milky Way". Wordsworth places the speaker outside the main event. He makes the speaker detached from the daffodils. Wordsworth's purpose is to show how looking at things from a distance even the starts become quite serene and calm. As seen from above the Daffodils wave like tiny stars and therefore they are pretty things to behold. Again Wordsworth's words shape an image for the reader, which convey a tone reflectiveness, one of examining from a distance. These natural depictions always hold nature up to standard. The nature that Wordsworth describes is tranquil and serene. Stephen Prickett believes that by creating this kind of imagery and tone, Wordsworth is able to build a complex emotional response to nature. This is a definitive method in which Wordsworth uses the sights of the speaker in a poem to set the tone and mood. Then Wordsworth uses that tone to help the reader connect with the thoughts of peacefulness and tranquility which are closely associated with Nature. In "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" Wordsworth makes clear references to children as being pure and innocent. Gradually throughout the poem any reference to a child is perceived as a sign of purity. According to Frances Ferguson, the way someone forms his relationships to Nature may well be influenced by past thoughts. Therefore, reverting back to the past in a dreamy state and recalling childhood memories may also be perceived as a sign of innocence and purity. At one point Wordsworth even says that "Heaven lies about us in our infancy". Wordsworth paints a picture of an aura that surrounds newborn babies.

Wordsworth's recognizable theme of man returning to Nature makes his poems easily identifiable. As Wordsworth's style of writing becomes clearer, the reader can clearly see the distinctions in the purposes of each poet. For Wordsworth the purpose is clear. Nature is the embodiment of what is pure, innocent, and peaceful. According to Wordsworth, Nature has the ability to heal and recuperate. In "daffodils" the reader can see how the speaker's sense of dislocation and loneliness is healed by his vision of the daffodils in the wind on the shore. Another interesting viewpoint to consider is the setting of each other poems. Wordsworth is known for setting his poems in a completely isolated environment. Nature becomes the only friend to the speaker.Wordsworth implies that Man can return to Nature because Nature is constant. Unlike humans who change almost every day, Nature does not Chance. Margaret Drabble agrees when she says, "Nature never changes in fact nature remains the same, what does change are the feelings of that person himself." Again the predominant subject of Wordworth's poems is returning to purity and innocence. Clearly, Wordsworth's style of writing indicates he thought returning to Nature would be the best way to achieve this.

Although styles vary from poet to poet, the greater picture is that each individual poet has some sort of pattern to his or her writing. The clearer the distinctions the more individualized the poet becomes. Wordsworth's romantic ideals certainly show up in his poems. Wordsworth does this by making use of sound devices to relate back to nature. Another way is using the speaker to convey certain moods and attitudes that pass on to the reader. And finally repeating the theme of returning to nature as the only place to achieve complete purity and innocence.