Relocating Nature in the Selected Poems of William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth is one of the eminent poets of nature from England. English literature is deeply indebted to the contribution of Wordsworth in the field of poetry. Wordsworth thinks nature as a teacher and a source of spiritual guide. To him, nature is the storehouse of vitality and energy and it has the capability of healing power. Wordsworth often associated childhood with an instinctive connection to nature. Nature and human beings are closely associated that Wordsworth highlights. The influence of nature in Wordsworth’s poetry can be traced back in ancient “Rigveda”. In “Rigveda”, the natural elements like rivers, mountains, the sun, the wind, the rain are celebrated. The interconnectedness of humans and natural world is age-old and sound. Wordsworth believed the divine presence in nature. His theory of “pantheism” is popular in romantic nature poems. He found the presence of divinity in the poem “daffodils”. The sense of peace and serenity was prioritized in his nature poems. In “Upon the Westminster Bridge”, Wordsworth expressed the calm and peaceful atmosphere in nature. Wordsworth often represented nature as an integral part of human development, especially during childhood. He believed the inevitability of the bond with nature that formed in his early years. It profoundly shapes one’s character and perception. In “The Prelude”, Wordsworth reflects on how his childhood experiences in nature. It influences his imagination and moral sensibilities. Wordsworth believes that nature brings a kind of joy and pleasure that is spiritually unique. Nature helps human beings to come out from the chaos and stresses of the modern world. In the poem, “Daffodils”, the sight of daffodils brought joy and continues to uplift his spirit through memory: “And then my heart with pleasure fills, / and dances with the daffodils” (Daffodils, line 23- 24). This paper highlights the concept of nature in William Wordsworth’s select poems such as “Tintern Abbey”, “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” and “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.