William Wordsworth: Nature’s Prophet and Priest

Sage of Nature: William Wordsworth's Spiritual Connection

Wordsworth's Profound Relationship with Nature: Unveiling the Essence of Romantic Poetry

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is regarded as the greatest and one of the most accomplished and influential of England's romantic nature poets in English literature. In fact, he is nature’s prophet and priest. No other English poet has given his heart and soul so deeply to the study and enjoyment of the beauties of nature. He not only sees and describes the beauty of the meadows, the woodlands, the hills, the streams, the sky and the seas, the cataracts etc. accurately but penetrates in-depth of all these things and finds a deep meaning in them. Concerning Wordsworth’s attitude to nature, the following seven points may be noted.

Wordsworth's Poetic Vision: Nature's Divine Influence on the Human Soul

He conceived nature that there is a divine spirit that pervades all the objects of nature. This belief in divine spirit in nature is admirably expressed in Tintern Abbey and The Prelude.

  1. The source of poetic truth is the direct experience of the senses originates in nature. Poetry, according to him, originates from “emotion recollected in tranquility” rejecting the contemporary emphasis on form and an intellectual approach that drained poetic writing.
  1. Wordsworth believed that the company of nature gives joy to the human heart. Nature can exercise a healing influence on sorrow stricken hearts, because the same divine spirit that pervades nature, also dwells in man.
  1. The scenes and events of everyday life and the speech of ordinary people which is     nature in earthly sphere were the raw material of which poetry could and should be made. The passion for simplification and for a return to nature as a refuge from the artificial complexities of society inspired the Lyrical Ballads.
  1. Wordsworth's easy flow of conversational blank verse has true lyrical power and grace, and his finest work is permeated by a sense of the human relationship to external nature that is religious in its scope and intensity.
  1. To Wordsworth, God was everywhere manifest in the harmony of nature, and he felt deeply the kinship between nature and the soul of humankind.
  1. He believed in the moral influence of nature. He regarded it as the great moral teacher of man. According to him, those who grow up in the lap of nature are perfect in every aspect. This belief is well expressed in his Lucy poems.
  1. Wordsworth, being the greatest poets of the romantic revival, strives to capture and convey the influence of nature on the mind and of the mind on nature interpenetrating one another.

The Epiphany of the Natural World

William Wordsworth's profound connection with nature shines through his poetry, as he unveils the spiritual revelations he experienced in the natural world. Through vivid descriptions and intimate encounters with landscapes, he unveils the profound beauty and transcendent power of nature, awakening a sense of awe and wonder in readers.

A Divine Communion

Wordsworth's poetry serves as a channel through which he communicates with nature, forging a deep spiritual bond. He sees nature as a sacred space, a temple where he can converse with a divine presence. His poems become prayers, his verses hymns, as he seeks solace, guidance, and inspiration from the natural world, elevating his role to that of a priest in nature's sanctuary.

Nature's Healing Balm

Wordsworth recognized the healing properties of nature, both for the individual and society as a whole. He believed that spending time in nature could restore and rejuvenate the human spirit, offering solace and respite from the pressures of modern life. His writings champion the therapeutic benefits of nature, urging readers to seek solace in its embrace and find inner peace through communion with the natural world.

Awakening the Prophetic Voice

Wordsworth emerges as a prophet, revealing profound truths about human existence through his observations of nature. He recognizes the interconnectedness of all life and the significance of even the smallest natural phenomena. His poetry implores humanity to reconnect with the natural world, to embrace its wisdom and live in harmony with it. In this way, Wordsworth becomes a guiding light, inspiring readers to reevaluate their relationship with nature and recognize its inherent spiritual essence.

Conclusion

William Wordsworth  emerges as a poet-prophet, deeply attuned to the spiritual presence of nature. His writings reflect a profound belief in the divine spirit pervading all aspects of the natural world. Through his poetry, he urges readers to reconnect with nature, find solace in its embrace, and recognize the profound impact it has on the human soul. Wordsworth's legacy as a poetic visionary endures, reminding us of the timeless power and beauty of nature's influence on our lives.

 Ardhendu De
  
Comparative Reading: @William Wordsworth’s Interest in Nature: Theory of “Emotion Recollected in Tranquility.”

Reference: 
 1. A history of English literature : Buchan, John, 1875-1940 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00buch

2. Full text of “A History Of English Literature Vol. 3 Ed.1st.” (n.d.). Full Text of “a History of English Literature Vol. 3 Ed.1st.” https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.100288/2015.100288.A-History-Of-English-Literature-Vol-3--Ed1st_djvu.txt

3. An outline history of English literature : Hudson, William Henry, 1862-1918 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/outlinehistoryof00hudsuoft

4. A history of English literature : Compton-Rickett, Arthur, 1869-1937 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00comprich

5. A short history of English literature : Saintsbury, George, 1845-1933 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofen00sain

6. ALBERT. (2000). History of English Literature (Fifth Edition) [English]. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

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