...21 November 2011 Word Count 1,159 William Wordsworth William Wordsworth was born April 7, 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland to John and Anne Wordsworth. He was the second of five children; his sister was the poet Dorothy Wordsworth. After his mother’s death in 1778, he was sent to Hawkshead Grammar School, where he showed a great interest in poetry. In 1783 his father, who was a lawyer died. After the death of their parents, the Wordsworth children were left under the guardianship of their uncles. It took William many years to recover from the death of his parents and the separation from his siblings. From 1787 to 1790 Wordsworth attended St. John’s College at Cambridge. William Wordsworth was an early leader of romanticism in English poetry and ranks as one of the greatest lyric poets in the history of English literature. William Wordsworth’s enthusiasm for the French Revolution led him to France in 1791. While he was in France, he fell in love with a French woman Annette Vallon, who gave birth to their daughter in 1792. Due to lack of money, Wordsworth returned to England the following year. The circumstances of his return and behavior raised doubts about his wish to marry Annette. The Reign of Terror and the war between France and Britain prevented him from seeing Annette and his daughter, Caroline for several years. The separation left him with a sense of guilt that deepened his poetic inspiration and resulted in an important theme in his work of abandoned women. ...
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...Professor: Kate Liu Student: Anna Chen/ 正菁 Date: 04-26-2010 Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul The History of Trinidad Trinidad was inhabited by Carib and Arawak people long before Christopher Columbus arrived, but the recorded history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Spanish. Both islands were encountered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. In 1889 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained self-governance in 1958 and independence from the British Empire in 1962. It became a republic in 1976. The Author V. S. Naipaul (1932~, ) is a Trinidadian novelist and essayist of Indo-Trinidadian descent. He is widely considered to be one of the masters of modern English prose. He has been awarded numerous literary prizes including the Booker Prize (1971) and the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in British Literature (1993). V. S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. In 2008, The Times ranked Naipaul seventh on their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". The Book Miguel Street is usually treated as a “semi-autobiographical” novel by V. S. Naipaul set in wartime Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Naipaul wrote it while...
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...I wandered lonely as a cloud" In the first stanza the speaker describes a time when he meandered over the valleys and hills, "lonely as a cloud." Finally, he came across a crowd of daffodils stretching out over almost everything he could see, "fluttering and dancing in the breeze": I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. In the second stanza the speaker goes into more detail about the daffodils. They reminded him of the Milky Way, because there were so many flowers packed together that they seemed to be neverending. The speaker guesses that there were ten thousand daffodils, which were "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance": Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. In the third stanza the speaker compares the waves of the lake to the waves of daffodils and decides that even though the lake is "sparkling," the daffodils win because they have more "glee." He then comments that he, like any other poet, could not help but be happy "in such a jocund company." He looked at the scene for a long time, but while he was there he was unable to understand what he had gained from the experience: The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the...
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...England 1798 with the works of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who wrote a book of poems called “Lyrical Ballads.” The era reached its peak around 1800 to 1840. The Romanticism era focused on human emotions, nature, natural settings, and local environments. The Romanticism era also focused on matters of the heart opposed to matters of reason and rationalism. This was a time of expression that documented personal experiences and ones way of life. This was a time when artist were recognized for their exceptional talents and individualism, a time that bought about change and artistic freedom. The Romanticism era presented unique works of art like dances, paintings and poetry. The pieces of art work contained intellectual and literary skills that portrayed the rich artistic culture of the time. Since its beginning, artists have been able to produce artistic pieces that have stood the test of time. For example, “I wondered lonely as a cloud” is a poem by William Wordsworth. The poem exposes the ideals and values of the Romanticism era in a specific way. The era came as a rebellion to the social and political values of that time. Many romantics saw the dangers of technology, they feared that man would lose his ability to bound with nature due to the technological advances of the times. In Wordsworth poem there is no mention of technology only the importance of man’s ability to connect with nature. In this poem Wordsworth compares...
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...Preface to Lyrical Ballads: summary In the preface to Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth provides us a wide vision of his style of poetry. Wordsworth pursues to break out from the previous poetry and he consequently bases his poetry on simplicity. As such, his themes deal with humble and rustic life. He uses these themes since: feelings can be freely expressed, the manners of rural life are simple thus encouraging the understanding of human nature, and human passions are linked to nature being subsequently more durable. Moreover, regarding his language and characters, both are connected to rustic life: characters are close to nature and to a state of simplicity and therefore, they are able to have elementary feelings and passions. Furthermore, Wordsworth stated that there are no personifications of abstract ideas in his volumes and that he pretends to adopt the language of man. For that, he includes what is usually called poetic diction. By doing this, he is able to bring this language near to the language of man. His writing attracts the common man and can be understood by every man. In addition, in relation to the metre, Wordsworth defends its use and he supports the idea that it is a source of pleasure. On the other hand, Wordsworth provides us his conceptions of what a poet is and what is poetry. For him, a real poet is: “a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endued with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human...
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...14 October 2010 The Line of the Ancient Mariner Attempting To Explain the Unexplainable Samuel Taylor Coleridge declares an argument in Part One of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner of what is to come of The Mariner and his crew. “How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancyent Marinere came back to his own Country.”(Coleridge II, 235) Coleridge stated in Biographia Literaria that he originally wanted to illustrate a disordered universe, “the incidents and agents were to be in part at least, supernatural;” (Coleridge I, 132). All who have read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner know the realm the ship sails into is a realm where the laws of logic and the scientific method are not valid. I plan to investigate the theme of “the strange things that befell” the crew after crossing “the Line”. L.J. Forstner explained the line the ship passes is not a geographic line, such as the equator, it is a line of understanding. We learned the region south of the line contains the imagination and unconscious while the region to the north of it has reason and conscious. (Piper 174) Some of the unconscious and imaginative events that happened during this time are when the albatross is given the credit for leading the crew from the South Pole. The Mariner...
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...Listen to the tunes the birds do sing Chirping to you, hoping joy they bring Maybe a song of love is in the air Or maybe just loud noises because they don't care Spread your wings and take flight Don't be afraid to go out at night Even the nights can be warm during spring Go out for a walk, have a fling Spread some seeds, share the love Just don't get too rough, if you see a dove Pure in beauty and full of life Reminding you to don't think twice Heckle a tree, ask it why it barks Beware if it begins to arc The wind will come and will blow Letting you know, fly a kite, must be yellow Do not run into the rains It could hurt and bring owwy pains One last reason to enjoy Spring Time to break out the old bling bling Can you hear that? The birds are chirping! Ol' drunk men outside hungover and burping. The blooming of flowers and the return of green, The horrible winter has passed its annual routine. The Spring brings balance and restoration to nature Brings life and energy in the form of water vapor. The forestation alive and thriving to breed, This year brings good fortune for all in need. The farmers are out and tiling their soil, while fisherman sail home from the sea in turmoil. The miners are out to catch one last breath Before they confide in the Lost Mine's depth. Well look at that, the Druids are smiling! Decorated bouquets and wedding arrangements piling. The air is crisp and most certainly sweet The return of Spring brings strength to every heartbeat. As we...
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...Sucre Exploration – Where Beauty and Budget Collide Tranquilo – an expression commonly heard throughout Bolivia – is the perfect word to describe Sucre. The Spanish word means just as it sounds – relaxed, calm, and smooth. Fitting for this quaint city that takes daily life back to the basics while encompassing its residents with charming architecture and breath-taking wonders of nature. Sucre is also known as the “White City” in attribution to its numerous white-washed churches and historic buildings. About Sucre Sucre was founded in 1538 and is a colonial-style city nestled in the Andes Mountain Range in a region known as the Antiplano. Ranking as the sixth most populated city in the country, Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia and also known as Charcas, La Plata and Chuquisaca. Weather in Sucre is inviting year-round with very mild temperatures thanks in part to the 9,220 feet elevation. Temperatures could range from 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit, with most days pleasantly settling in the mid 70’s and it only rains three months out of the year. The climate makes it ideal for traveling on foot anytime of the year and enjoying the colonial style architecture, historic museums and churches, hiking and camping, dinosaur tracks, waterfalls and numerous other landmarks and things to do in the city. A feast for the eyes and a celebration for the soul – Sucre is a culture vulture’s dream destination. On any given day, you are likely to walk into a gathering of the locals for...
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...The Solitary Reaper – William Wordsworth “The Solitary Reaper” is a poem written by a well-known English poet, and a founder of the romantic movement of English literature, William Wordsworth. The poem is from 1807, the romanticism period. The poem is composed of four stanzas, with eight lines. The first and fourth stanzas have a rhyme scheme of ABABCCDD, while the second stanza have a rhyme scheme of ABAB, and the third one have a rhyme scheme of AABB. The poem has a simple structure. The first stanza describes the scene where the young girl is standing alone in a field, singing while she is reaping, and cutting grain. In the two next stanzas the speaker compares the girl’s beautiful sound with the cries of the nightingale and Cuckoo-bird. His comparison can be interpreted in two ways. The first interpretation is that the girl’s sound is so beautiful that nothing can equal its beauty and sweetness. The song the girl is singing is so sad and touching that anyone who passes by should either stop and listen, or pass gently by without disturbing her, Stop here, or gently pass!, (p.93 l.19). The second way is that the words the girl is singing is in a language unknown to the speaker, and he cannot understand what the girl is singing about, he just assumes what she might be singing about, Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow /For old, unhappy, far-off things/ And battles long ago:/ Or is it some more humble lay / Familiar matter of to-day?/ Some natural sorrow, loss, or...
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..."The two giants of 19th-century American poetry who played the greatest role in redefining modern verse are Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson" (Burt). Both poets Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are considered as the founders of today’s modern American poetry that are tried to revalue the poetry of the last century. Sooner or later, but they succeeded. They put the keystone of the modern American poetry which drifted in the breeze. The poetry has been redefined in a way to be able to get to the modern society's cultural level. The modern poetry becomes more discreet and it uses the topics of everyday life spiced with emotions. The emotions of the human being began to depict a higher quality. By the poets, so to speak, the mankind adjusts to the destiny and the things which have been hardly accepted before. The personal values what Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman representing are very complex and sometimes we don’t know what to expect or in what direction we should go. Many times if we read these poems we have to go deeper and deeper until we don’t reach the roots. In the sake of an understanding lot of people don’t understand the meaning of these poems or they are hatred to know, because of its complexity and unpredictability which cause the inability to understand the message. These thoughts what we’ve mentioned in generally are the evidence of the facts. Greedily, the facts which prove that the poets as Dickinson and Whitman are testifying almost the same values, but in the...
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...The relationship of man with nature in the exploration of consciousness, society and love. Displayed by Edward carpenter’s poems ‘april’ and ‘By the shore’ Edward carpenter’s poems ‘April’ and ‘By the shore’ are key representatives of mans relationship with nature. ‘he was an English socialist poet, anthologist, early gay activist and social philosopher.’(1). Carpenters rhetoric throughout his life and works encompasses the intrinsic and symbolic intertwining of the physical reality of nature in the exploration of consciousness, societal structures and critique. The comparative value of both poems to each other and the wider world is clear through the apparent symbolism, progressive connotations and stylistic approach displayed. The main ideas and motifs act to emphasis the intricacy and complexity of mans relationship with nature. The shared themes of both poems echo the founding principles of Carpenters motivation to write, so heavily displayed in usage of natural microcosms in which his exploration of consciousness in both human nature and earth’s physicality are apparent. ‘…his writings, with their usage of the bodily as an image o the social and the universal, demonstrates the way in which they are woven together’.(2) the motif of love is made clear by the usage of highly suggestive and emotive language used. This is arguably more prevalent in ‘April’, the shortest of the two poems, in its intense presence of such language: ‘Smiles turned to fire, kisses to fierce...
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...At the end of the poem The Wedding Guest begin to leave "A sadder and a wiser man" (7; 657), proving the Mariner's tale had an effect on him. The Mariner was able to free himself of the remorse of his sin by following the Hermit's request to tell his story. Regardless of any scrutinizing theories, whether they are critical examinations or not, Coleridge's lyrical ballad, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” continues to demonstrate a moralistic story. All can agree that the plot has a moral to impart and the Mariner's tough trials and struggles at sea, and of his life, leave him with the responsibility to notify all audiences of the life lessons he has gained. Christian roots run deep within the poem, however Coleridge created it so that a comprehensive study of Christian allegory is redundant when trying to comprehend this message. Nor is the emphasis of the importance of numbers or themes needed. In structure alone, the ballad is an exciting work of art. Its' simplicity and flow make the story of travel an interesting read. Samuel Taylor Coleridge himself might have possibly followed the "Hermit's" edict to free his own guilt by writing this poem, and sharing with his readership for his own personal repentance. Maybe it is just truly a lyrical ballad created from the vivid imagination of S.T. Coleridge’s mind. Regardless, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner succeeds in making the bizarre believable; creating detailed word-pictures, some troubled with horror, others piercing with brief...
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...The Lake Poets The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge hone his craft. Troubled by debt, though, he left Cambridge in 1793 and enlisted in the 15th Dragoons, a British army regiment, under the alias Silas Tomkyn Comberbache. After being rescued by his brothers, Coleridge returned to Cambridge, but he left again, in 1794, without having earned a degree. That year, Coleridge met the author Robert Southey, and together they dreamed about establishing a utopian community in the Pennsylvania wilderness of America. Southey, however, backed out of the project, and their dream was never realized. notable quote “No man was ever yet a great poet, without being at the same time a profound philosopher.” fyi Did you know that Samuel Taylor Coleridge . . . • developed a fascination with the supernatural at age five? • was known as a brilliant and captivating conversationalist? • was the most influential literary critic of his day? • liked to write poetry while walking? Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772–1834 Samuel Taylor Coleridge is famous for composing “Kubla Khan” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” considered two of the greatest English poems. As a critic and philosopher, he may have done more than any other writer to spread the ideas of the English romantic movement. Precocious Reader The youngest of ten For more on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, visit the Literature Center at ClassZone.com. children, Coleridge grew up feeling rejected by his...
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...Wordsworth’s Poetry William Wordsworth ← Analysis → Wordsworth’s monumental poetic legacy rests on a large number of important poems, varying in length and weight from the short, simple lyrics of the 1790s to the vast expanses of The Prelude, thirteen books long in its 1808 edition. But the themes that run through Wordsworth’s poetry, and the language and imagery he uses to embody those themes, remain remarkably consistent throughout the Wordsworth canon, adhering largely to the tenets Wordsworth set out for himself in the 1802 preface to Lyrical Ballads. Here, Wordsworth argues that poetry should be written in the natural language of common speech, rather than in the lofty and elaborate dictions that were then considered “poetic.” He argues that poetry should offer access to the emotions contained in memory. And he argues that the first principle of poetry should be pleasure, that the chief duty of poetry is to provide pleasure through a rhythmic and beautiful expression of feeling—for all human sympathy, he claims, is based on a subtle pleasure principle that is “the naked and native dignity of man.” Recovering “the naked and native dignity of man” makes up a significant part of Wordsworth’s poetic project, and he follows his own advice from the 1802 preface. Wordsworth’s style remains plain-spoken and easy to understand even today, though the rhythms and idioms of common English have changed from those of the early nineteenth century. Many of Wordsworth’s poems (including...
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...William Wordsworth and George Gordon Byron, toward nature. In1921, David Nichol Smith commented on William Wordsworth as ‘our greatest nature poet’ and it is an opinion many would still believe in. As a poet of Nature, Wordsworth is at the highest ranking. He is a worshipper of Nature, Nature’s enthusiast or high-priest. The poem ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ or commonly known as ‘Daffodils’ is one of the last remaining truly well-liked poems. From it, one obtains an image of Wordsworth as someone comforted and enlivened by the flowers he finds while walking among the dales and hills. His worship of Nature was likely more genuine, and more sympathetic, than that of any other English poet. Nature comes to take up a different or independent position in his poem and is not treated in an indifferent or hasty manner as by poets before him. Wordsworth had a mature philosophy, a new and innovative perspective of Nature. Three points in his doctrine of Nature may be indicated: I. Wordsworth understood Nature as a living character. He believed that there is a holy spirit permeating all the articles of Nature. This belief in a pervasive holy spirit may be named as spiritual Pantheism and is completely indicated in Tintern Abbey and in some passages in Book II of The Prelude. II. Wordsworth believed that the system of Nature gives pleasure to the human heart and he regarded Nature as practicing a healing effect on grief-stricken hearts. III. Most importantly, Wordsworth stressed...
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