William Wordsworth’s attitude to Nature and Man as revealed in "Tintern Abbey"


William Wordsworth’s attitude to Nature and Man as revealed in "Tintern Abbey", the cult and creed of Wordsworth’s poetry, was the outcome of his direct communion with nature. This education of Wordsworth’s feelings, passions, receptive powers were derived namely from natural phenomena. Nature was a necessity of his being and through it he lives and breathes.

In "Tintern Abbey" Wordsworth has carefully analyzed the stages of his spiritual development with nature. During the first of these stages he had no conscious acquaintance to Nature. It was to him a mere playground giving him all these feeling of physical sensation. Stopford Brooke has rightly observed that in the first stage of his acquaintance with Nature it was not he that was in search of Nature but it was Nature who allured the boy but eluded him with its beautiful and myriad manifestation. The mountains and the hills, the deep rivers and the lonely stream charmed his eyes and he wondered about whenever Nature led. At this stage Nature was but,
“Secondary to my own pursuits
And animal activities and all
Their trivial pleasure” (The prelude)

In the second stage , his own love for nature baffled his own power of description. He says, “I can’t paint what then I was”. The coarser pleasure of his boyhood days and his glad animal movements were all gone by. Nature was to him all in all. It was the stage when all that he behaves was dear and hence to finer influences his mind lay open for a more exact and close communion. The world of eye and ear came near to him and the sensuous beauty of nature was loved with an unreflecting passion altogether untouched by intellectual interest. The sounding cataract, the toll rocks, the dense forest with their beautiful colours and forms were to him like a passion of an appetite. This ardent and fierce influence that nature made on him was purely sensuous. Wordsworth at this stage was a veritable realist and the idealistic view of life held no charm for him.

But the mental repose of this stage was terribly shattered by the heat and furvour of the French Revolution. He, for a moment, lost faith in nature as a beneficial to him. All the aching joys and dizzy raptures of youth were gone and his mind was diverted to the tragedy of humanity. He gained faith in the dictum which Keats was to declare after lapse of many years – “Nature may be fine but human nature in finer still”. For in the interim he had heard the still sad music of humanity”. Nature now opens to him the gate of spiritual meditation and suggested to him the deeper truth of human life. This mystic insight into the mystery of life has already been limited in his other poem The Tables Turned:
“One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man
Of moral evil and of good
Then all the sage can”. 

The final stage was thus a complete departure from the super sensuous world suggested by nature. The outer world was cast into oblivion on. He felt in his heart an echo of great soul, the presence of Devine motion and spirits which pervades through the infinite variety of beautiful objects. The recognition of one in the many laid him to the glorious part of pantheistic philosophy. He felt the vibration of the same mighty soul every where, in the light of the setting sun, in the waves of the sea, in the living air, in the blue sky and in the mind of man. If God is never absent from the earth, it every natural beauty is a living image of a simple divine presence then we can glory everywhere. Pantheism, thus poetically realized can create a new heaven and a new earth out of the common stuff of daily experience.

"Tintern Abbey", thus record the acute spiritual crisis suffered by Wordsworth as well as his ultimate success in rediscovering his lost faith. His attitude towards nature in "Tintern Abbey" is one of reverence and awe.

Some Key Points :

  • William Wordsworth expresses a deep appreciation for nature and its ability to provide solace and spiritual renewal. 
  • Nature is a source of emotional and intellectual inspiration
  • It has the power to elevate the human spirit and provide a sense of transcendence
  • The beauty and grandeur of nature can lead to a greater understanding of oneself and the world
  • The memories of nature can be a powerful force for healing and restoration


Reference:
1.Brooke, Stopford Augustus, 1832-1916 | The Online Books Page. (n.d.). Brooke, Stopford Augustus, 1832-1916 | the Online Books Page. https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Brooke%2C%20Stopford%20Augustus%2C%201832%2D1916

Short Questions from William Wordsworth's 'The World is too Much with Us'


'The World is too Much with Us' 
 by William Wordsworth

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. – Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.


Q. “The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;”..what does the speaker mean by Getting and spending?
Ans: It is humanity's inability to "feel" nature that most concerns the speaker of "The World is too Much with Us," a poem by Wordsworth. The speaker claims that our obsession with "getting and spending" the material worth has made us insensible to the beauties of nature. "Getting and spending" i.e. the consumer culture, has made it impossible for us to appreciate the simple beauties of the world around us. 
 
Q. “Little we see in Nature that is ours;”…explain the line.
Ans: The speaker of "The World is too Much with Us," notes that we have become so immersed in consumerism that we no longer feels any connection to the natural world. 

Q. “This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.”… explain.
Ans: The speaker here means to say that the entire natural world lies so beautiful yet we are not in harmony or unison with nature. Here the sea and the wind stand as representatives for "everything" in the natural world. And the musical instrument stands as a metaphor for humanity; for humanity to be "out of tune" means they are detached from nature. 
 
Q. “ I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;” .. why does the speaker want to be a pagan?
Ans: The speaker complains that people are no longer moved by the nature, and he tells us that he'd rather be a pagan. At least that way he would be able to see something in nature less depressing than the gross consumerism that is at the root of humanity's alienation from nature. "Suckled in a creed outworn." is a metaphor for pagan's relationship to religion and nature. His preference for paganism also reflects a desire for a nature from which mythical creatures might spring. 
 
Q. “Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.” What are Proteus and Triton?
Ans The speaker expresses his desire to be a pagan who are closely related to religion and nature. He says that if he were a pagan he might see Proteus coming out of the ocean or Triton blowing his shell. In Greek mythology, Proteus is a prophetic sea god who could change his shape at will and Triton is a god of the sea, represented as having the tail of a fish and the upper body of a man.

Ardhendu De

Timeline of English Literature - The Age of John Dryden (1660-1700)


The Age of Dryden (1660-1700)

The Age of John Dryden roughly spans the period from the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 to the year 1700. Truly speaking John Dryden best represents the English mindset of his time. He publishes an astonishing variety of work, including poetry, prose, drama, criticism, translation, and satire. He becomes the leading literary figure of Restoration England.Such an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright mounds the glory of English Literature

Critical appreciation: Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s “To The Pupils of Hindu college”.


“For in both Keats and Derozio there was a passionate temperament combined with unbounded sympathy with nature and fellowmen. Both died while their powers were not yet fully developed” – Mr. Oaten.

Derozio was enabled to become a teacher of English literature in the Hindu College when he was only eighteen. A poet as well as a teacher of poetry, Derozio loved India and loved nature; and he also loved his students which is best exhibited in his present sonnet, To The Pupils of The Hindu College.

Model Question Answer for M. A. English Entrance



1. What is the theme of Ode to a skylark by Shelley?

Ans. The theme of Shelley’s lyric about the skylark is the contrast between human life, particularly the life of a poet, and the life of the skylark. And reflection on this contrast is prompted by the pure unalloyed happiness in the song of the bird.

2. How do you contrast the two lines from the Ode to The West wind – ‘O lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud’ and ‘O wind;/ If winter comes, can spring be far behind’?

Ans. As in the visible world so in poet’s soul, the wind is both destroyer and preserver. The poet wishes to be creative writer of the mass. In the last line he passes to the Universal. The world old must go, a new world must come with the spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity.

Biblical Influence on English Language: Development of Standard Prose Relinquishing the Crude Style of the Liturgical Treatises



The Impact of the Bible on English Language: From Crude Liturgical Treatises to the Rise of Standard Prose

 The Bible's Enduring Impact on English Literature


The greatest of all translations is the English Bible. It is even more than that: It is the greatest English book, the first of the English classics, the source of the greatest influences upon English Character and speech………. It is in a singular degree, the voice of a people.” ---- George Sampson. It is needless to say that the influence of the Bible on English literature has been immensely great and most valuable. Ever since the publication of the first translation of the Bible by Wycliffe to the publication of the Authorized Version in 1611, its influence on English literature and language has been constant and steady. These productions exerted great influence in the development of standard prose relinquishing the crude style of the liturgical treatises. The influence of the Bible on the English language is profound and far-reaching, particularly in the development of standard prose and the transition from the crude style of liturgical treatises. The Bible, as a foundational text of Western literature, has shaped English language and literature in numerous ways. The influence of the Bible was immensely felt in other branches of literature especially in poetry.

Transformation through Bible translation: Clearer prose

In the early stages of English language development, during the medieval period, the Church played a central role in society, and religious texts, including liturgical treatises, were written in Latin. These texts were often characterized by a crude and archaic style, which made them difficult for the common people to understand.

However, with the translation of the Bible into English, such as with the influential Wycliffe Bible in the 14th century, there was a significant shift in the use of language. The translation of the Bible into the vernacular allowed ordinary people to access the sacred texts directly and understand the teachings of Christianity. This accessibility fostered a desire for clearer and more intelligible prose.

The early translation of the Bible played a crucial role in the development of the English language itself. The translators had to grapple with the challenge of rendering the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts into a comprehensible and coherent form in English. In doing so, they had to make choices regarding vocabulary, syntax, and style, and these choices had a lasting impact on the language.

The translators sought to create a standard prose that was not only faithful to the original texts but also clear and accessible to the English-speaking audience. They aimed to convey the beauty and power of the biblical message while using language that resonated with the people. This endeavor influenced the development of English prose and helped establish a standard style for written English.

Biblical Influence: Controversies and English Prose

However, The Authorized Version of the Bible was published in 1611 and it changed the entire scenario. It was the work of forty-seven scholars nominated by James I, over whom Bishop Lancelot Andrews presided. It is very difficult to distinguish the influence of Authorized Bible from that of the earlier forms yet it found a righteous conclusion of religions controversies started in 1523 in England.

Humanism, the product of the Renaissance and the religions Reformation came into conflict during the mid 16th century England. The greatest advantage of this was that they largely contributed to the development of English prose. The controversialists wanted to reach the public and win over their sympathies. For that purpose they had to write their pamphlets and treatise in simple English so that it could easily be understood by the common people. That is how the translation of the Bible into English raised the controversies and how these controversies helped in the development of English prose. Let us now study the Biblical influence upon the modern English as it stands now.

Proverbs & Phrases:

Moreover, the Bible provided a rich source of idioms, phrases, and figures of speech that became integrated into the English language. Many familiar expressions, such as "the apple of my eye," "the salt of the earth," and "a voice crying in the wilderness," have their origins in biblical texts. These phrases have become deeply ingrained in the English language, enriching its vocabulary and providing a cultural and literary heritage. Many proverbs and phrases, which are in common use in modern English, are the gifts of the Bible. Quotations from the Bible are given profusely. English language has been enriched by the Bible so much that a proper assessment is practically impossible. Some illustrations of Biblical phrases are given below: ‘arose as one man’, ‘broken reed’, ‘a law unto themselves’, ‘the man of sin’, ‘moth and rust’, ‘clear as crystal’, ‘the eleventh hour’, ‘city of refuse’, ‘whited sepulcher’, ‘wash one’s hands off’ and many other familiar scriptural phrases and allusions. From Tyndale we owe ‘long-suffering’, ‘peacemaker’, ‘stumbling block’, ‘the fatted calf’, ‘filthy lucre’, ‘mercy seat’, ‘day spring’ and ‘scapegoat’. From Coverdale we have ‘tender mercy’, ‘loving-kindness’, ‘valley of the shadow of death’, ‘avenges of blood’ etc. Many such Biblical phrases and idioms are current in modern English without even knowing its source.

Poetry:

 Right from Chaucer to the present day the influence of the Bible is clearly discernible in poetry. Even Chaucer drew the material for some of his tales from the Bible. Spenser’s Fairy Queen is also “steeped in the humanism of the classics and Italian literature and it everywhere testifies to the strenuous idealism and moral earnestness of Protestantism”. Milton’s Paradise Lost is Biblical while the metaphysical poets were interested in Biblical allusion. In the twentieth century the poetry of T.S.Eliot, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas is full of the Biblical references. Technically the Biblical influence can be seen in the use of ‘th’ such as in hath, ‘loveth’, ‘hateth’, ‘giveth’ etc in place of ‘has’, ‘haves’, ‘gives’ etc as a poetical style. Again, we find old past tenses in ‘gat’, ‘clave’, ‘brake’ instead of got, clove, broke in poetry mastered by Tennyson, Morris, Coleridge etc. Instead of using ‘s’ ending in verbs we have: “He prayeth best who loveth best/All things both great and small”- Ancient Mariners.

Superlatives, Scriptural Proper Names:

On the analogy of the scriptural ‘holy of holies’ which contains a Hebrew manner of expressing the superlatives, we get in modern English similar phrases such as: In my heart of hearts, the place of all places, a friend of friends, the pearl of pearls, a prince of princes etc.

Further scriptural proper names are often used as appellatives to designate types of character. As for example, ‘to raise Cain’ meaning to make a determined angry fuss; ‘David and Jonathan’ means ‘any pair of devoted friends’.

Revival of Some Archaic Words: 

Biblical usage has revived some of the lost words into full life. Such words are like ‘damsel’ for young women, ‘raiment and apparel’ for dress, ‘firmament’, a poetical synonym for sky’.

Conclusion:

In summary, the Bible's influence on the English language is extensive and multifaceted. Its translation into English not only made the sacred texts accessible to the common people but also contributed to the development of standard prose by relinquishing the crude style of liturgical treatises. The translators' efforts to create clear and intelligible prose influenced the evolution of English language and literature, while biblical idioms and expressions became deeply rooted in the language, adding depth and richness to its vocabulary. The modern world has seen many changes; but it has, so far, seen no movement that has shaken the supremacy of the greatest of English books ‘The Bible’. If ever the Bible falls from its high sovereignty, we may be sure that the English character has fallen with it.


References

1. Department of University Extension, Pass Course for Teachers, 1949-1950 : University of Toronto : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/passcourseteach1949uoft_0
2.  The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature , A Sampson, G. , A Churchill, R.C.,  https://books.google.co.in/books?id=gS3RoUYJSi8C ,1970, Cambridge University Press
3. How to teach the Bible : Coleman, Lucien E : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/howtoteachbible0000cole

Buy My Books

Buy My Books
Objective Questions from English Literature

Recent Posts