Character of A Happy Warrior
ENG 2320
11/15/2013
Character of the Happy Warrior by William Wordsworth ‘Character of the Happy Warrior’ is a poem written by William Wordsworth in which the characteristics possessed by a warrior are described. Wordsworth is an eighteenth century poet and published this in 1850. According to me, Professor Hammett should include this poem in his syllabus next time he teaches ENG 2320 because; the students will learn more about importance of nationalism during the Romanticism, also this work fits in another poem included in the syllabus this year called ‘The Charge of The Light Brigade’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the two critics have great things to add refering to the emphasis Wordsworth placed on the word ‘nature’ and why hasn’t he given any names to identify who he is refering to as being a warrior. There are many things that the students can take away from this particular poem by Wordsworth. For example: Emotions is one of the characteristics of the Romanticism period as discussed in class, where Wordsworth says that a warrior, “Keeps faithful with a singleness of aim; And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait. For wealth, or honours, or for worldly state”(Wordsworth, 40). In these lines, the poet describes how a true warrior is not cought up in the material world and he maintains his moral values and integrity towards himself and the nation. As a critic to this poem, the author of ‘Restoration of The Warrior’ named John Brown Hamilton, says that the warrior’s “performance in daily life is based on concepts of reason, moral law, and political integrity”(Hamilton, 318). In this statement, the author is trying to explain what Wordsworth refers or relates to when he describes the virtual characteristics of the warrior. According to me, one thing students can take from this part of the poem that takes on ethics is that; in today’s world, individualism rules everyone and like Wordsworth discussed through his peom ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’
11/15/2013
Character of the Happy Warrior by William Wordsworth ‘Character of the Happy Warrior’ is a poem written by William Wordsworth in which the characteristics possessed by a warrior are described. Wordsworth is an eighteenth century poet and published this in 1850. According to me, Professor Hammett should include this poem in his syllabus next time he teaches ENG 2320 because; the students will learn more about importance of nationalism during the Romanticism, also this work fits in another poem included in the syllabus this year called ‘The Charge of The Light Brigade’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the two critics have great things to add refering to the emphasis Wordsworth placed on the word ‘nature’ and why hasn’t he given any names to identify who he is refering to as being a warrior. There are many things that the students can take away from this particular poem by Wordsworth. For example: Emotions is one of the characteristics of the Romanticism period as discussed in class, where Wordsworth says that a warrior, “Keeps faithful with a singleness of aim; And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait. For wealth, or honours, or for worldly state”(Wordsworth, 40). In these lines, the poet describes how a true warrior is not cought up in the material world and he maintains his moral values and integrity towards himself and the nation. As a critic to this poem, the author of ‘Restoration of The Warrior’ named John Brown Hamilton, says that the warrior’s “performance in daily life is based on concepts of reason, moral law, and political integrity”(Hamilton, 318). In this statement, the author is trying to explain what Wordsworth refers or relates to when he describes the virtual characteristics of the warrior. According to me, one thing students can take from this part of the poem that takes on ethics is that; in today’s world, individualism rules everyone and like Wordsworth discussed through his peom ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’
Cited: Hamilton, John Bowen. "Restoration Of "The Happy Warrior.." Modern Language Quarterly 16.4 (1955): 311. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Walker, Eric. “Wordsworth, Warriors, and Naming.”. Vol.1-49 Boston Univeristy, 2009. 223-240. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Wordsworth, William. "Literature Online - Marketing Site." Literature Online. Edward Moxon, 1992. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.