The word "lament" as used in line 23 of this poem stimulates a feeling of grief or despair within the reader. To lament is to have great sorrow or remorse about something, and is usually associated with death or tragedy, which is fitting to this poem. The footnote suggests that Wordsworth's poem may relate to Robert Burn's "Man Was Made to Mourn, A Dirge" (1786). Burn's poem is about poor, overworked men who waste their youth worrying, mourning and letting their passions die. These men become bitter and worn with age and cause the pain and suffering of other men through their petty greed and selfishness. This may be the condition of men which the narrator of Wordsworth's poem is lamenting. He finds himself surround by the beauty and peacefulness of nature in spring. Nature is new, fresh, and its growth seems harmonious and sweet. He contrasts natures celebration of life to mankind's pessimism and anticipation of death. A line from "Man Was Made to Mourn" is as follows: "O Death! The poor man's dearest friend, the kindest and the best! Welcome the hour my aged limbs are laid with thee at rest!" The tragedy which the narrator in "Lines Written in Early Spring" is lamenting is that while the flowers and birds are finding joy in every breath of air they are blessed to take, man spends his life in regret and sorrow, and finds himself hoping for the release from his turmoil through death.
Robert Burn's "Man Was Made to Mourn, A Dirge"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nicole -
ReplyDeleteThe TA here with some feedback.
You make some apt observations of the connections between Wordsworth's poem and Burns', providing a helpful link to the text of the latter. And, indeed, the poverty and suffering that Burns describes serves well as an illustration of "what man has made of man." Narrowing your focus as much as possible is a good strategy for these blog entries, but by declaring you are only looking at the word "lament" you end up never really explaining the connection between the two poems. Quoting Wordsworth's paraphrase of Burns' sentiment seems necessary to build your argument. I would also question the claim that you make with the line that you do quote from "Man Was Made to Mourn." The sadness of the speaker in "Early Spring" at his disconnection from nature does not seem to have reached the point of longing for death.
The following lines are so rich: "Have I not reason to lament/ What man has made of man?" There are so many ways one could contemplate what they mean, especially the part of "What man has made of man." I find that your choice to bring in Robert Burn's poem is an excellent way to illuminate some of what this statement could mean. Your concise description of the overworked men in Burn's poem aptly speaks to the alienation workers may experience, especially in an industrial setting. This is an especially good connection since Wordsworth was writing during the Industrial Revolution and likely encountered such overworked men. I think that you have a talent for analyzing poetry that will only continue to grow as this class progresses. Also, if you happen across this line during your study of Wordsworth: "The still, sad music of humanity," I would love to hear what you think of it.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck in your studies,
SWL