"Expostulation and Reply" and "The Tables Turned"

In both poems, Wordsworth is expressing his belief that nature is a better teacher and source of knowledge than books. In “Expostulation and Reply” Matthew describes the knowledge in books as “the spirit breath’d from dead men to their kind” (Lines 8-9). This line is used to explain a few of the limitations of the knowledge in books. This knowledge has no innate value and is limited by time because it is acquired by men in a comparatively short period of time and the source of knowledge (the men) eventually die. In Wordsworth’s reply he tells Matthew to think “of things for ever speaking,” (Line 26) which implies that nature’s teachings are eternal in contrast to those of men. In “The Tables Turned” Wordsworth describes the pages of books as “barren leaves”; an image of withering suggests that the knowledge of books decays and becomes devoid of any value. While nature is fresh, lively, green, full of sights and sounds and renews itself. Its ability to share knowledge is everlasting. Another limitation is that the knowledge in books is transferred “to their kind” which means that only educated men who can afford, read, and understand the books can receive the knowledge they possess. In comparison, every person has the senses to see, hear, and feel nature regardless of class, race or gender. Books can be seen as a symbol of class separation and oppression of the lower classes, while natural knowledge is more equal and does not conflict social justice. The hard work that goes into exhaustively extracting information from books makes it an unnatural and artificial practice. However, to receive the knowledge of nature, one simply has to pay attention to the sights and sounds they experience with their natural senses which are endowed to every person.

"We Are Seven"

The little girl in this poem by Wordsworth absolutely refuses to be convinced by the speaker that the death of her two siblings means they are in heaven and no longer included in the count of her family. She responds using interesting visual descriptions which seem to be tied to nature, suggesting that the fact that her siblings are in some ways still physically tied to the natural world causes the little girl to believe they still exist. At first the girl describes that her two dead siblings are in the church-yard, however, when the speaker questions how she still counts them, she expands this description by saying they are under a tree there. The speaker tries again, to which the girl replies: “Their graves are green, they may be seen,” (Line 37). Each time the speaker challenges her, the girl responds with more descriptions of the nature surrounding her siblings. She also seems very attuned to natural cycles such as time of day and seasons. She also uses these details in her descriptions as if they add credibility to her argument. She tells the man that she goes out at night to sit by their graves in the moon light. Also, when she recollects playing around her sister's grave she makes sure to say it was in the summer, and that her brother died in the winter. The little girl is very connected to nature and it seems to govern her actions, thoughts, and beliefs about the world she lives in. Therefore, she is confident in her understanding that her siblings are part of nature, the world, and her family. There was, is, and always will have been 7 children in her family because in life and death they are still connected to the natural world.

The Nightingale: A Conversational Poem, Written in April 1798

I think that Wordsworth's main purpose in this poem to transform the common symbolism of the nightingale as a bird of sorrow, into a bird of excitement and mystery. In Biographia Literia, Coleridge says that Wordsworth’s endeavor was to: “…give the charm of novelty to things of every day, and to excite a feeling analogous to the supernatural, by awakening the mind’s attention from the lethargy of custom, and directing it to the loveliness and wonders of the world before us…”. I think that the Nightingale is a great example of this description. Wordsworth begins the work by criticizing men who use the nightingale as a symbol for their own melancholy feelings. The poem includes supernatural images such as the abandoned castle and the gentle maiden who lives alone and walks the castle grounds as well as sounds such as the eerie Aeolian harp. Also, the birds are quiet when the moon disappears, and then break into chorus when it appears. This brings to mind a kind of warewolf-howling-at-the-moon eeriness. The castle grove is a preferred area for the nightingales, and the maiden there truly knows and understands all their notes. The nightingales are transformed from common birds with a melancholy song into mystical creatures with connections to the supernatural. The speaker’s son also bids others to listen to the song of the nightingale and is actually calmed by their songs and the moonlit night. There is an underlying pattern here that purity of mind and soul lead to an understanding of things that seem supernatural. Only the virgin maiden and the innocent baby understand the meaning of the nightingale’s song. The sad, burdened man, a commoner, cannot understand nor appreciate the songs that the nightingale sings for they are too mysterious and alien for him.

"Rime of the Ancyent Marinere"

In “Rime of the Ancyent Marinere” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the strongest image to me is the one depicted in lines 137-138: “Instead of a Cross the Albatross, about my neck was hung.” Throughout the rest of the poem the reader envisions the marinere carrying the albatross on him as a burden. It is also significant that the bird replaces the cross around his neck. This symbolizes that the murder is an ultimate sin that cancels out the salvation the marinere is supposed to receive through Christ. Since the marinere has lost his Christian salvation, he begins to experience the suffering of hell. The ship does not move, there is no food or water to drink, and he is subjected to the evil stares of the other crew members. The ghost ship appears and the marinere’s soul is gambled away as the rest of the crew become corpses. There is red everywhere and serpents which symbolize evil and the devil. Through all of these images the reader gets a sense that the marinere is indeed experiencing hell as penance for killing the albatross. The marinere is cursed by the blood of the albatross and must seek salvation through the Hermit he encounters later. The marinere's purpose in life now is to tell others his tale and to warn them against committing sin, even (or especially) those which seem small and insignificant. Perhaps this is a continuation of his penance for his sin; that he must relive the story by telling it to others in order to gain his salvation back.

Picture: Statue entitled "Ancient Mariner" in Watchet, Somerset, England in honor of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Sculptor: Alan B Herriot