< P > W i l l i a m W o r d s w o r t h w a s o n e o f t h e k e y f i g u r e s i n t h e R o m a n t i c M o v e m e n t , h i s e a r l y p o e m s h e l p i n g t o d e f i n e t h e n e w m o v e m e n t o f R o m a n t i c i s m . W o r d s w o r t h s o u g h t t o b r i n g a m o r e i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c a p p r o a c h , h i s p o e t r y a v o i d e d h i g h f l o w n l a n g u a g e h o w e v e r t h e p o e t r y o f W o r d s w o r t h i s b e s t c h a r a c t e r i s e d b y i t s s t r o n g a f f i n i t y w i t h n a t u r e a n d i n p a r t i c u l a r t h e L a k e D i s t r i c t w h e r e h e l i v e d . T h e e a r l y n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y w a s a t i m e o f r a p i d c h a n g e a n d i n d u s t r i a l i s a t i o n , b u t l i k e h i s c o n t e m p o r a r i e s , B l a k e a n d C o l e r i d g e , W o r d s w o r t h w a s o f t e n d i s m a y e d b y w h a t h e s a w a n d h e s o u g h t s o l a c e i n t h e g r a n d e u r a n d b e a u t y o f n a t u r e . W o r d s w o r t h o f f e r e d n o t j u s t a b e a u t i f u l p i c t u r e o f n a t u r e b u t a l s o i l l u s t r a t e d t h e h e a l i n g p o w e r o f n a t u r e o n t h e s p i r i t o f m a n . < / P > < P > M y h e a r t l e a p s u p w h e n I b e h o l d < B R > A r a i n b o w i n t h e s k y : < B R > S o w a s i t w h e n m y l i f e b e g a n ; < B R > S o i s i t n o w I a m a m a n ; < B R > S o b e i t w h e n I s h a l l g r o w o l d , < B R > O r l e t m e d i e ! < B R > T h e C h i l d i s f a t h e r o f t h e M a n ; < B R > A n d I c o u l d w i s h m y d a y s t o b e < B R > B o u n d e a c h t o e a c h b y n a t u r a l p i e t y . < B R > < / P > < P > I n t h i s p o e m M y H e a r t L e a p s U p , W o r d s w o r t h a l s o u s e s a n o t h e r c o n c e p t t h a t b e c o m e s a t h e m e t h r o u g h o u t h i s p o e t r y ; t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f c h i l d h o o d . F o r m a n y o f t h e R o m a n t i c s , t h e m e m o r i e s o r v i s i o n s o f a n i d y l l i c c h i l d h o o d b e c o m e a p o w e r f u l e m o t i v e f o r c e a s t h e y a s p i r e d f o r l i f e o f g r e a t e r h a r m o n y a n d s i m p l i c i t y . < / P > < P > W o r s w o r t h s p o e t r y d o e s i n c l u d e p a s s a g e s o f g r e a t h o p e , o p t i m i s i m a n d j o y b e s t s u m m a r i s e d t h r o u g h h i s f a m o u s p o e m D a f f o d i l s < / P > < P > I w a n d e r e d l o n e l y a s a c l o u d < B R > T h a t f l o a t s o n h i g h o ' e r v a l e s a n d h i l l s , < B R > W h e n a l l a t o n c e I s a w a c r o w d , < B R > A h o s t , o f g o l d e n d a f f o d i l s ; < B R > B e s i d e t h e l a k e , b e n e a t h t h e t r e e s , < B R > F l u t t e r i n g a n d d a n c i n g i n t h e b r e e z e . < B R > < / P > < P > < / P > < P > F o r o f t , w h e n o n m y c o u c h I l i e < B R > I n v a c a n t o r i n p e n s i v e m o o d , < B R > T h e y f l a s h u p o n t h a t i n w a r d e y e < B R > W h i c h i s t h e b l i s s o f s o l i t u d e ; < B R > A n d t h e n m y h e a r t w i t h p l e a s u r e f i l l s , < B R > A n d d a n c e s w i t h t h e d a f f o d i l s . < B R > < / P > < P > H o w e v e r W o r d s w o r t h s l i f e w a s o n m a n y o c c a s i o n s t o u c h e d b y t r a g e d y . H i s s o r r o w s a n d a w a r e n e s s o f h u m a n i t y ' s v a r i e d s u f f e r i n g s i n e v i t a b l y l e d t o p a s s a g e s w h e r e t h e b e a u t y o f n a t u r e c o n t r a s t e d w i t h t h e f a t e o f m a n . I n t h i s p o e m W o r d s w o r t h s u g g e s t s t h a t m a n s i n h u m a n i t y a p p e a r s e v e n d a r k e r w h e n c o m p a r e d t o t h e p r i s t i n e b e a u t y a n d p u r i t y o f n a t u r e t h a t W o r d s w o r t h m o v e d t h r o u g h . < / P > < P > L i n e s W r i t t e n I n E a r l y S p r i n g ( e x c e r p t ) < / P > < P > I H E A R D a t h o u s a n d b l e n d e d n o t e s , < B R > W h i l e i n a g r o v e I s a t e r e c l i n e d , < B R > I n t h a t s w e e t m o o d w h e n p l e a s a n t t h o u g h t s < B R > B r i n g s a d t h o u g h t s t o t h e m i n d . < B R > < / P > < P > T o h e r f a i r w o r k s d i d N a t u r e l i n k < B R > T h e h u m a n s o u l t h a t t h r o u g h m e r a n ; < B R > A n d m u c h i t g r i e v e d m y h e a r t t o t h i n k < B R > W h a t m a n h a s m a d e o f m a n . < B R > < / P > < P > T h r o u g h p r i m r o s e t u f t s , i n t h a t g r e e n b o w e r , < B R > T h e p e r i w i n k l e t r a i l e d i t s w r e a t h s ; < B R > A n d ' t i s m y f a i t h t h a t e v e r y f l o w e r < B R > E n j o y s t h e a i r i t b r e a t h e s . < B R > < / P > < P > . . . < / P > < P > E s p e c i a l l y i n h i s e a r l y y e a r s W o r d s w o r t h w a s a g e n u i n e l y r a d i c a l p o e t , p e r h a p s i n f l u e n c e d t o s o m e e x t e n t b y t h e A m e r i c a n a n d F r e n c h R e v o l u t i o n a n d t h e n e w i d e a s o f d e m o c r a c y s w e e p i n g t h e w o r l d . ( F o r s o m e t i m e h e l i v e d i n F r a n c e b u t h a d t o l e a v e w h e n t h e r e v o l u t i o n m a d e i t d a n g e r o u s ) H i s p o e m L o n d o n 1 8 0 2 i s a s t r o n g a d v o c a c y f o r s o c i a l c h a n g e . T h e s e s e n t i m e n t s w e r e s h a r e d b y o t h e r c o n t e m p o r i e s s u c h a s B l a k e , a l t h o u g h B l a k e a n d W o r d s w o r t h w e r e m o s t l y u n k n o w n t o e a c h o t h e r . < / P > < P > A s W o r d s w o r t h g r e w o l d e r h e b e c a m e m o r e c o n s e r v a t i v e a n d h i s p o e t r y l o s t i t s r a d i c a l e d g e h o w e v e r h e w a s s t i l l h e l d i n h i g h r e g a r d a n d i n 1 8 4 8 w a s a p p o i n t e d t o b e P o e t L a u r e a t e . < / P >
Author: Richard Pettinger
Author Bio:
Richard Pettinger
Richard Pettinger is an economics teachers who lives in Oxford. He is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre and edits a website about Spiritual Poetry called Poetseers. He is also a racing cyclist competing in many time trials and road races throughout the UK. Richard races for the Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team and came 4th in the UK National 100 Mile Championship 2005
Gallery Catoire - Art Gallery Kinsale Ireland
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