An Online Peer Reviewed / Refereed Journal

Volume 2 | Issue 11 | November 2024

ISSN: 2583-973X (Online)
Website: www.theacademic.in

William Wordsworth's Poetry's Romantic Themes

Dr. Arohi Sarin

Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of English
D. A-V. College, Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14422476

Romantics reject morality in favor of reality and naturalism. They hold that man should enjoy
what he gets from nature rather than being validated or stereotyped to one set of rules. In any case, the
study of Romantic poetry's themes is not given as much attention as the idea that beauty is produced
from the form of art for its own sake. For the Romantics, "nature" signified many different things; it was
frequently portrayed in symbolic language as an artistic creation created by a supernatural imagination.
Three poems by William Wordsworth—"My Heart Leaps up when I behold," "The World is Too Much
With Us," and "The Daffodils" or " I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”. As mentioned in the methodology,
these poems will be analyzed using the Romantic theory.

This research project aims to explain to the reader the essence of Romantic poetry. The
researcher's goal is to critically present William Wordsworth as an emotional and romantic writer. His
poetry will demonstrate the result of his creativity and feelings. He promoted human principles both
politically and morally. The author advocates for intellectual freedom free from self-interest. The age of
Romanticism and its effects on society are also major topics of the study. With reference to William
Wordsworth, it illustrates the influence of nature on humanity.

The purpose of this research project is to demonstrate the Romantic writer's inherent nature.
William Wordsworth's poetry demonstrates how a romantic writer finds contentment in withdrawing
from this world and entering a different one that is filled with peace, joy, happiness, health, love, and
compassion. For him, nature is the one thing that can provide him comfort. There have been studies on
nature-related themes and topics, but because William Wordsworth loved nature, this study highlights
the element of nature in his poetry.

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WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S NATURE POETRY:

Wordsworth compared a restless quest for scientific knowledge to a contemplative, vacant, and
pensive attitude. He thought that conversing with rural people or connecting with nature taught us more
than reading books. He held that all goodness and truth originate from harmony with nature. The
romanticists' catchphrase was nature, but in a completely different sense. The quintessential naturalist
poet, William Wordsworth, was meticulous about the physical world around him, including the plants,
animals, weather, and topography. William Wordsworth was a self-aware literary artist at the time, and
his writings were known as Wordsworthian. Wordsworthian "nature" is a result of both his extensive
reading and his contemplation of the striking Lake District scenery. He frequently answers to nature's
messages in his poems by speaking on its behalf. William Wordsworth's "nature" leads us to the shaky
realm of postmodern meaning and away from the closed word of ethnocentric symbol of making. The
Romantic era, when William Wordsworth wrote, had few regulations and allowed writers to express
themselves freely. The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution both brought about changes in
this era.

EXAMINIG AND TALKING ABOUT “MY HEART LEAFS UP WHEN I BEHOLD”:

The romantic poets regard nature with awe. They have a tendency to worship any natural agent
they come across. The poem is a sort of sentimental remembrance since William Wordsworth exhibits
this attitude when he encounters the rainbow. One stanza and nine lines make up the poem "MY
HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD," and its succinctness adds to its potency. It takes the shape of
a story poem. When the poet describes his encounter with the rainbow, he is overcome with joy and his
soul is uplifted. Lines one and two illustrate this as follows:

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky.

From there, he goes into a philosophical consideration of the experience saying that the rainbow like
other agents of nature is permanent.

So was it when my life began

So is it now I am a man

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So be it when I shall grow old

Or let me die

The same lines also suggest the ephemeral nature of man who unlike the rainbow cannot exist forever.
He is born, grows old and eventually dies.

The child is the father of man

And I could wish my days to be

Bound each by natural piety

The same poet would address this penchant for worldliness in another poem, "The World Is Too Much
with Us." The final suggestion made by the poet personae is that man should acquire a deep reverence
for nature from his early years.
ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN THE POEM “MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD” BY
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH:

The poem demonstrates the beauty of nature. The seven different colors of the rainbow are
violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, as demonstrated by common experience and
common sense. According to some, these colors are the brightest of all. As a result, their combination is
lovely and endearing. Because of its beauty, the poet is drawn to it and becomes enchanted. The poem
also explores the idea of nature's persistence. A timeless phenomena is nature. It is not constrained by
space or time. It never stops. The poem claims that nature possesses this attribute. It deceives people and
persists from one generation to the next. The human race is a transient entity on Earth. His days are
hence short and sorrowful. Nonetheless, he finds comfort in nature.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD" HAS THE

FOLLOWING STYLES, STRUCTURES, AND FORMS:

In structure, the poem consists of a single stanza. In terms of literary form, the verse is blank
because the lines are not rhymed. It is a poetic ballad as well. A lyrical ballad, according to Romantic
poetry stanza, is a brief poem in which the poet conveys his or her own thoughts or emotions. The poem
uses simple, rustic language. This shouldn't come as a surprise because Wordsworth indicated in the
introduction to his lyrical ballad that the main goal of these poems was to select incidents and situations

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from everyday life and, to the greatest extent feasible, relate or describe them using a variety of
language that men actually use. The term "rainbow" is a reference or allusion found in the Bible.
Because of the violence and various wicked acts, God destroyed the first world with a flood. But
according to the Bible, Noah was well-liked by the Lord. The rest of the world died, but he and his
family were spared. God sent the "Rainbow" after the devastation as a reminder to Noah that he would
never again wipe out the world with a flood. In the poem, the rainbow is portrayed as a natural agency.

Additionally, it might be said that the poem depicts God's presence and uses its many hues to
symbolize God's qualities. For example, violet can stand for God's love, just as blue can stand for God's
peace and red for God's wrath. Line 1's "My Heart Leaps up When I Behold" is a prime illustration of
personification. The ability to "leap" is typically attributed to a man's living body rather than the human
heart. Since the heart is a metaphor for the entire human body, the phrase "leaps up" is also a phrasal
verb with synecdoche. Line 7's statement, "The child is the father of man," is an illustration of a
paradox. Although it originally meant that the child will eventually become a parent, the poem's context
demonstrates that children are more in tune with nature than adults. Man's fleeting nature is contrasted
with nature's permanence. Nature is therefore more valuable than humans. Lastly, the poet is in an
exhilarating mood.

ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH

WITH US":

In essence, William Wordsworth's poem is an homage and exaltation of nature. The poet asserts
that nature is an important aspect of every society and ought to be admired and respected at all costs. It
deserves to be handled with extreme caution, reverence, and respect. Individuals must have sufficient
self-control in how they interact with nature and its resources. Given all of the advantages that society
has, nature ought to be regarded as its most precious resource. It gives us the necessities of life—
clothing, food, and shelter. It cares for the dead as well as the living. In actuality, it is impossible to
overstate the role that nature plays in human existence. In this poem, William Wordsworth argues that
rather than pursuing a closer relationship with nature, where happiness might be found, we waste a lot of
energy on worldly or material possessions. According to him, living in balance and harmony with nature
is the only way we may fully enjoy life. Only when we accept nature will we be able to enjoy all of its
great advantages. The poet poetically puts it as thus:

The world is too much with us

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Late and soon, getting and spending

We lay waste our powers, little

Did we see in nature that is ours; we have

Given our heart away a sordid boon!

The poet compares live in a rural or village

Setting in which we live in cities or urban areas. We may properly appreciate the beauty of nature
because we actively pursue earthly aspirations, as Wordsworth, a romantic poet, prefers the beauty of
rural lives to the fight and pursuit of monetary gains, which he refers to in the poem as "getting and
spending."
This ocean, which exposes her breasts to the moon, We are out of touch with the winds that will
be howling constantly and are now collected like sleeping flowers for this. The poet conveys in these
lines the passionate level of nature and its romantic and fantastical vision that we are blind to. The world
has a set order and was made in God's perfect image. The reason for this is that we, as the earth's
occupants, are immoral and have disregarded the laws that God has established. According to the poet,
"society is nature and nature is society." The poet is primarily concerned by the fact that man has given
up all of nature's resources in favor of transient worldly ideals. We have utterly failed to recognize and
utilize nature's blessings, such as the "winds," "sea," "moon," and "sleeping flowers." We are "out of
tune" because we have not been able to live in harmony and balance with nature, which is why we lack
peace, order, and stability.
It moves us not Great God! I’d rather be a pagan suckled in a

Creed out worn, so might I, standing on this pleasant lea, have

Glimpses that would make me less forlorn; have sight of Proteus

Rising from sea; or hear old triton blow his wreathed horn.

Moving on to lines 9–11, the poet declares that he would rather be a pagan with archaic beliefs than lead
a life isolated from the natural world. He claims that he might stand on the "pleasant lee" (open
grassland) and reflect on his dire circumstances, in which people with great talents seem so uncaring, so
ungodly, and so dishonest that the poet is left with no hope and is simply too exhausted to understand

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this state of affairs. The poet takes a seat in an open area to get a broad perspective of the situation.
From there, he may see the sea god Proteus or hear another sea god, Triton, blowing his wreathed horn
or trumpet. This poem conveys a strong, understandable, instructive message that should inspire
humanity to value nature and its natural resources. We can only really appreciate nature when we are in
its presence.
THE ROMANTIC LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURE OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "THE
WORLD IS TOO MUCH WITH US":
The poem's economical use of language makes it a sonnet, which is a poem of fourteen lines. It's
a sonnet by Petrarch. It has a sextet (the final six lines) and an octave (the first eight lines). The
Petrarchan rhyme scheme is used in its ABBA, ABBA, and CDCDCD rhyme schemes. The poem by
William Wordsworth is written in an extremely straightforward, uncomplicated style. With the
exception of a few terms like "Proteus and Triton," "lea" (line 11), "sordid boon" (line 4), and "wreathed
horn" (line 11), very few words in the poem would cause difficulty for the typical reader. The reader's
comprehension of the poetry is improved by the simplicity of the language. The poem's tone is grave,
harsh, and abrasive, and it condemns and berates man for his disregard for and abandonment of nature.
The overall attitude it conveys is one of rage, hopelessness, despair, dread, and calamity. Two examples
of personification are main in the poem:

(a) ‘The sea bares her bosom to the moon’

(b) ‘the winds that will be howling at all hours’

At this point the ‘sea’ and the ‘wind’ do not have any life really but in the poem they are given human
qualities. Resonance was used in the poem in

(a) ‘Bares her bosom’

(b) ‘Great God’

(c) ‘We waste’

A valuable moral lesson about human society can be learned from the poem. It is recommended that
society get closer to nature. Individuals must exercise sufficient restraint with regard to nature and its
resources. Only when we accept nature will we be able to enjoy all of its great advantages.

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THE ROMANTIC THINGS IN WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "THE WORLD IS TOO MUCH
WITH US":
The poem discusses the interaction between nature and humans. Nature is essential to man.
Seeing, hearing, and experiencing the world's freshness are all true pleasures. Nature is linked to both
spiritual and physical well-being. In addition to being beautiful, the landscape and the natural world are
admired for their capacity to convey some of the elusive truths and mental conceptions. The poem's
failure to recognize the value of nature is another subject. Man has a lot to gain from nature, but it is
regrettable that he does not value it. However, nature and man work together to create a perfect and
whole environment. Man's weak justification for not appreciating nature is too commonplace and
irrational. It puts man at a disadvantage. Natural elements like the sea, moon, wind, and flowers are
examples of how beautiful nature is. This is one of the bio-geographical characteristics that define the
world.

SUMMARY OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD" OR

"THE DAFFODILS":
The poem's events are quite straightforward, but the incident's significance is more nuanced. The
poet is strolling by a lake by himself. Suddenly, he sees a field of lovely "daffodils" that are swinging in
the wind. He is thrilled and ecstatic about this. The lakeside is not where the joy ends. Every other time
he recalls, he transports himself back to the moment, which makes him incredibly happy.
In four stanzas, William Wordsworth tells us the specifics of this straightforward experience. In
stanza 1, the poet is by himself when he unexpectedly discovers an abundance of yellow daffodils
beneath the trees by a lake. They bend from side to side in response to the wind's direction:
I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high over vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, a
host of golden Daffodils

Beside the lake, beneath the trees.

The poet is overcome by the incalculable number of daffodils in stanza two. They are as many as the
"stars" in the sky, a "crowd," and a "host." The poet found it hard to believe.
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze, continuous as the stars that

shine and twinkle on the Milky Way, they stretched in never ending line along the

margin of a bay.

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The lake's waves likewise oscillate from side to side in stanza three due to the breeze.
Nevertheless, it is more entertaining to watch the daffodils as they sway from side to side. The poet is so
overcome with emotion and joy that he has no idea how long this scene will stay in his memory or how
much joy it will bring him.
I gazed and gazed – but little thought what wealth the show to me had brought.

In verse four, the poet learns that he frequently remembers this sight when he is by himself, and
his loneliness transforms into joy. It is accurate to state that the daffodils, which symbolize nature in this
poem, provide the author with a sort of companionship. Since "a poet could not be gay, in such a ground
company," it keeps him from feeling alone.

THEMES AND ROMANTIC LANGUAGE IN WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "THE

DAFFODILS":
William Wordsworth writes "The Daffodils" by fusing his descriptive and storytelling abilities.
You may hear, see, participate, and form an opinion thanks to the poem's structure. In this sense, it is
accurate to state that the poem's form itself facilitates comprehension of the poet's message. The three
pretty steady beat rhythms and the gentle, melodic sounds of the rhyming phrases combine to make the
poem musical, which is calming and appropriate because the entire poem seems to be dancing, therefore
the mood must be gay. This mood is created by the poem's musical nature. Wordsworth highlights this
joyful atmosphere with a deft word choice. The phrases streams, golden, fluttering, dancing, tossing,
sprightly, jocund, looked, and bliss can all be rethought in this context. Happiness and profound
contentment are linked to all of these terms. Each of the poem's four sextet pieces addresses a different
facet of the event.

The poem's opening line describes a powerless poet who is aimlessly walking around. Had it not
been for his unexpected realization of the daffodils, he would have continued to wander around needless
things. This demonstrates how nature is an agent of order. Throughout the poem, God is implied rather
than explicitly stated. The daffodils have been "placed" under the trees and next to the lake. The
positioning of the daffodils under the trees is essential since they must thrive while avoiding excessive
exposure to the blazing sun. It demonstrates how the God of providence is manifest in the natural world.

CONCLUSION

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As a romantic, William Wordsworth argues that the mind is liberated from the upheaval of its
own negative feelings via a relationship with nature. William Wordsworth believed that whatever that
remained in the mind's acquired calmness was the outcome of its association with nature. Man obtains
the necessary delight and contentment when he embraces nature and its beauty. Readers could
experience the fantasy of a mystical life and a return to nature through William Wordsworth's poetry.
appreciating the idea that romanticism promotes of pursuing a life so remote from the stresses of
civilization and so near to nature.

REFERENCES :

1. Adewoye, S. A. (2006): Lecture Note on The English Romantic Period of English Literature (Eng.
315), Unilorin 2006/2007 Academic Session
2. Abrams, M. H. (1953): The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition:
London, pp. 7, 8.
3. Balogun, Y. (2008): Lecture notes on English literature's romantic era (Eng. 214) Unilorin 2007/2008.
4. English Language Cycle 3 Book National Teacher's Institute, Kaduna (238-244) is the publisher.
5. Encyclopaedia Britannica (2008): The article "Romanticism" was taken from the online version of the
Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
6. Gill, S. (1961): Wordsworth, William
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth
8. https://wordsworth.org.uk/daffodils.html Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology, Masson, S. (2001), Romanticism. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
10. Haytee Press and Publishing Co. Nig. Ltd., Ilorin, Olajide, A. O. (2006): University Literature:
Anthology of Textual Analysis (275–281).

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