Wordsworth Principles Essay

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For William Wordsworth, nature was not simply a guilty pleasure one could enjoy during a spring time walk in the country; it was a philosophy, a passion, and an influence on his daily life as well as his poetry. Wordworth’s philosophy of nature was that an individual could reach spiritual enhancement and pleasure by observing nature in its natural and true form. To understand the underlying meaning and themes of Wordsworth’s poetry, the reader must understand several key aspects to his beliefs and writings: the four Wordsworth Romantic Principles of poetry, how one is to interact and understand nature, and finally how to reflect on past experiences to revive pleasurable thoughts. Once these teachings are grasped by the reader, the convictions of Wordsworth’s view on nature can finally be comprehended. The four Wordsworth Romantic Principles of poetry are essential for understanding key concepts in Wordsworth’s poetry. The first is that ordinary life is the best subject for Romantic poetry. This principle can be found in Wordsworth’s poem Resolution and Independence, through Wordsworth’s use of a leech gatherer to convey his theme of failing at poetry (p. 304). The next principle is that ordinary language best conveys a poet’s true feelings. Instead of being engulfed in difficult rhetoric, Wordsworth employs the use of average, everyday language so that average, everyday people can understand his underlying themes of nature. This principle is highlighted most in Wordsworth’s sonnets, especially in Composed upon Westminster Bridge, because through his use of average language to build personification and diction, Wordsworth conveys aspects of the natural world within the city of London (p. 317). The next Wordsworth Romantic principle is that the impression of feeling is more important than the development of any action or plot within the poetry. This principle

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