preview

'Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey' By William Wordsworth?

Decent Essays

Similar to “I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud”, “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” also shows the development of the theme “the key to happiness is found in the mind”. Between the two poems, there are many similarities in how Wordsworth achieves this, however in “Tintern Abbey” he delves more into how beneficial positive memories can be. In this text, Wordsworth’s characteristic simple and relaxed style is evident when it comes to theme illustration. When we are first introduced to the setting, we immediately learn that that the speaker (Wordsworth) has been estranged from this place for five years. Not only do we learn this, but also that the length of time is significant, as it is highlighted through constant repetition of “five”. …show more content…

(“lonely rooms, and mid the din / Of towns and cities, I have owed to them / In hours of weariness, sensations sweet”). Once again repetition is used to firmly imprint the idea in our mind of how essential this memory has been to his happiness during testing times, “How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee / … / How often has my spirit turned to thee”. The simplicity in which he aims to convey this idea relates back to his poetic purpose of recovering “the naked and native dignity of man” (Preface to the Lyrical Ballads, 1801), doing this required using “a selection of language really used by men” (Preface to the Lyrical Ballads, 1801). The use of repetition emphasises the point he is trying to convey, the audience is made focus on just how beneficial state of mind can be when we are in unpleasant circumstances. The first person narrative style places us in the shoes of Wordsworth, and we ponder the role positive thought has played in our own lives. With the poet himself, memories of nature sustained and restored him when weighed down by the burdens of the world, and we are compelled to question where he would be without

Get Access