Themes in Poetry by William Wordsworth

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the use of the theme of nature in William Wordsworth's poem, "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood." The paper uses several examples from the poem to illustrate how Wordsworth used reflections of nature to help illustrate both his loss of freedom and joy as a child, and his ultimate realization and satisfaction from this realization, that pleasure can also be found in a more mature and reflective state of mind.

From the Paper:

"Wordsworth uses reflections of nature to mourn the lost freedom and joy of his childhood in Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood. In stanza 1 Wordsworth notes that time has taken away a sense of freshness and glory of youth. He notes the unparalleled beauty of nature in his childhood; "There was a time when meadow, grove, and streams, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light". In the second stanza, Wordsworth notes that nature seems to have faded because he himself has changed. He has become less sensitive to the beauty and glory of nature, "But yet I know, where'er I go, That there hath past away a glory from the earth". As the poem continues, Wordsworth describes the beauty and gaiety of the world in the song of birds, and the bounding of the young lambs."

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