WILLIAM AND DOROTHY:
THE POET AND LUCY
A READING OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH'S "LUCY" POEMS
Elizabeth Gowland
B.A.
(Hons.),
Simon Fraser University, 1975
THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS
in the department
0f
English
0
Elizabeth Gowland
1980
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
April, 1980
All rights reserved. This work may not be
reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without permission of the author.
APPROVAL
Name:
Degree:
E l izabeth Anne GOWLAND
Master o f Arts
T i t l e o f Thesis:
W i l l i a m and Dorothy: The Poet and Lucy
A Reading o f W i l l i a m Wordsworth's "Lucy" Poems
Exami n i ng Commi t t e e :
Chai rperson:
-
r
Paul Del any
.. r
Jared C u r t i s ,
Senior Supervisor
- - *
-\
T7T
Rob Dunham,
Associate Professor
Mason H a r r i s ,
Associate Professor
June Sturrock, External Examiner
Dept. of Continuing Studies, S. F.U.
Date Approved:
&5'4.@0
PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE
I hereby g r a n t t o Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y t h e r i g h t t o lend
my t h e s i s , p r o j e c t o r extended essay ( t h e t i t l e o f which i s shown below)
t o u s e r s o f t h e Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , and t o make p a r t i a l o r
s i n g l e c o p i e s o n l y f o r such u s e r s o r i n response t o a r e q u e s t f r o m t h e
l i b r a r y o f any o t h e r u n i v e r s i t y , o r o t h e r e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n , on
i t s own b e h a l f o r f o r one o f i t s users.
I f u r t h e r agree t h a t p e r m i s s i o n
f o r m u l t i p l e c o p y i n g o f t h i s work f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be g r a n t e d
by me o r t h e Dean o f Graduate S t u d i e s .
I t i s understood t h a t c o p y i n g
o r p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h i s work f o r f i n a n c i a l g a i n s h a l l n o t be a l l o w e d
w i t h o u t my w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n .
T i t l e o f Thesis/Project/Extended
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ABSTRACT
This t h e s i s p r e s e n t s an e x e g e s i s of each of Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems i n
t h e c o n t e x t of t h e p o e t ' s frame of mind during two of t h e most p a i n f u l p e r i o d s
in his life.
The f i r s t i s t h e w i n t e r he and h i s sister Dorothy s p e n t i n
Germany i n 1798-1799, when he composed "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known,"
"She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways," "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and
"Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower."
The second i s t h e unproductive
p e r i o d t h a t began i n t h e autumn of 1800 and l a s t e d u n t i l t h e end of 1801,
when t h e only new poem Wordsvorth i s known t o have composed i s "I t r a v e l l ' d
among unknown men."
My d i s c u s s i o n o f the poems' b i o g r a p h i c a l background focuses upon t h e
complex n a t u r e and o r i g i n s of Wordsworth's r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s s i s t e r .
During t h e w i n t e r of 1798-1 799 Wordsworth was i n t e n s e l y dependent upon
.........
Dorothy; t h e "Lucy" poems probably emerged o u t of a f a n t a s y about Dorothy's
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death. The same melancholy i n t r o s p e c t i o n t h a t produced P a r t One of t h e twop a r t Prelude o f 1798-1799 a l s o produced t h e "Lucy" poems.
Similarities
- Home a t Grasmere, which Wordsworth
between t h e e a r l y p a r t of The Recluse,
began i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800, and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men'' suggest t h a t
t h e l a t t e r was generated by Wordsworth's a t t e m p t s t o proceed w i t h t h e long
poem. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" expresses f e e l i n g s t h a t Wordsworth
could n o t t u r n i n t o a d i s c o u r s e on p a s t o r a l l i f e i n t h e s p r i n g of 1801.
wordsworth's r e t u r n t o t h e "Lucy" s e r i e s a t t h i s time s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r was on h i s mind, a s i t had been i n t h e w i n t e r of
1798-1799 and i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800.
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i s simul-
taneously a love poem t o Dorothy and a d e c l a r a t i o n of independence.
The "Lucy" poems e x p l o r e t h e e f f e c t of t h e death of a g i r l upon h e r
l o v e r . The c e n t r a l meaning of t h e poems i s contained i n t h e s p e a k e r ' s response
t o Lucy's d e a t h .
universe.
The s p e a k e r ' s sorrow c o l o u r s h i s p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l
The joyous v i s i o n o f t h e u n i t y o f t h e u n i v e r s e t h a t Wordsworth
c e l e b r a t e d i n "Lines w r i t t e n a few m i l e s above T i n t e r n Abbey'' i s obscured i n
t h e "Lucy" poems by t h e s p e a k e r ' s s e l f - c e n t r e d g r i e f .
Wordsworth's concern
w i t h m u t a b i l i t y i n t h e "Lucy" poems foreshadows t h e i n c r e a s i n g r e l i a n c e upon
God and " t h e f a i t h t h a t l o o k s through death" t h a t h e e x p r e s s e d i n poems such
a s t h e "Ode: I n t i m a t i o n s o f Immortality" and "Resolution and Independence"
a f t e r 1802.
Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have
And I w i l l d a r e t o t e l l ,
But i n t h e over's e a r alone,
What o n c e t o me-b e f e l
known,
.
,
I
If C P J
.
When she I l o v ' d w a s s t r o n g and gay
And l i k e a r o s e i n June,
I t o h e r c o t t a g e bent my way,
Beneath an evening moon.
Upon t h e moon I f i x ' d my eye,
A l l over t h e wide lea;
,
,
My h o r s e t r u d g ' d on, an$ t~e;drew nigh
Those p a t h s s o d e a r t o me&
And now we reach'd t h e orchard p l o t ,
And, a s we climb'd t h e h i l l ,
Towards t h e roof of Lucy's c o t
The moon descended ( s t i l l .
- /
-
.
lC
.-
r 1 n one of those ~wee
t dreams I s l e p t ,
Kind Nature ' s g e n t l e s t boon
And, a l l t h e while my eyes I k e p t
On t h e descending moon.
f
'
/
My horse m v e d on; hoof a f t e r hoof
He r a i s ' d and never s t o p p ' d
When down behind t h e c o t t a g e roof
A
t once t h e p l a n e t dropp'd.
-."
-
------
What f o n d , \ a n d w a y w a r d t h o u g h t s w i l l s l i d e
I n t o a Lover's head-"0 mercy:" t o myself I c r i e d ,
" I f Lucy should be dead!"
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Song
She dwelt among t h ' u n t r o d d e n ways
Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove,
A Maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e
And v e r y few t o l o v e .
A V i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half hidden from t h e Eye!
--Fair, a s a s t a r when o n l y one
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky:
--
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J
/
-
,
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il-
She l i v ' d unknown, and few c o u l d know
When Lucy c e a s ' d t o be ;
But s h e i s i n h e r Grave, and, oh!
The d i f f e r e n c e t o m e .
A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l ,
I had no human f e a r s :
She seern'd a t h i s that could not f e e l
The touch o f e a r t h l y y e a r s .
No motion has she now, no force
She n e i t h e r hears nor sees
Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s diurnal course
With rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s !
--
/
/
/
viii
Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower,
Then Nature s a i d , "A l o v e l i e r flower
On e a r t h was never sown;
This Child I t o myself w i l l t a k e ,
She s h a l l be mine, and I w i l l make
A Lady of my own.
Myself w i l l t o my d a r l i n g be
Both law and impulse, and with me
The G i r l i n rock and p l a i n ,
I n e a r t h and heaven, i n glade and bower,
S h a l l f e e l an o v e r s e e i n 1 power.
To k i n d l e o r r e s t r a x n ;
Crr
I/
11
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1 1
She s h a l l be s p o r t i v e a s t h e fawn
That w i l d with g l e e a c r o s s t h e lawn
O r up t h e mountain s p r i n g s ,
And h e r s s h a l l be t h e b r e a t h i n g balm,
And h e r s t h e s i l e n c e and t h e calm
Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s .
The f l o a t i n g clouds t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l l e n d
To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend,
Nor s h a l l she f a i l t o s e e
Even i n t h e motions of t h e storm
A beauty t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy.
The stars of midnight s h a l l be d e a r
To h e r , and s h e s h a l l l e a n h e r e a r
I n many a s e c r e t p l a c e
Where r i v u l e t s dance t h e i r wayward round,
And beauty born of murmuring sound
S h a l l pass i n t o h e r face.
And v i t a l f e e l i n g s of d e l i g h t
S h a l l rear h e r form t o s t a t e l y h e i g h t ,
Her v i r g i n bosom s w e l l ,
Such thoughts t o Lucy I w i l l g i v e
While she and I t o g e t h e r l i v e
Here i n t h i s happy d e l l .
Thus Nature spake -- t h e work was done
How soon my Lucy's r a c e was run l
She d i e d and l e f t t o me
This h e a t h , t h i s calm, and q u i e t scene,
The memory of what has been,
And nevdr more w i l l be.
--
I
/ ' ( ' f
I
'
'),
'
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown Men,
I n Lands beyond t h e Sea;
Nor England! d i d I know t i l l then
What l o v e I bore t o t h e e .
' T i s p a s t , t h a t melancholy dream!
Nor w i l l I q u i t thy s h o r e
A second time; f o r s t i l l I seem
To l o v e t h e e more and more.
Among thy mountains d i d I f e e l
The joy of my d e s i r e ;
And s h e I c h e r i s h e d t u r n ' d h e r wheel
Beside a n English f i r e .
'13umrnings
'7
shew'd -- thy n i g h t s c o n c e a l ' d
The bowers where Lucy p l a y ' d
And-th.i~.-i-s_~
I_. _ .
too, the l a s t green f i e l d
Which Lucy's e y e s surveyed!
The t e x t s of Wordsworth's "Lucy1' poems t h a t a r e i n c l u d e d h e r e a r e from
L y r i c a l B a l l a d s (1800) and Poems, i n Two Volumes (1807).
Unless o t h e r w i s e
n o t e d , a l l o t h e r poems quoted i n t h i s e s s a y are t a k e n from The P o e t i c a l
Works o f William Wordsworth, e d . E r n e s t de S e l i n c o u r t , r e v i s e d by Helen
D a r b i s h i r e , 5 v o l s . (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 1940-1949, v o l . I & I1 r e v .
1952).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ii
Approval page
iii
Abstract
v
Quo t a t i o n s
CHAPTER 1 :
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2 :
GERMANY, 1 7 9 8 - 1 7 9 9
1I
Strange f i t s of passion I have known"
"She dwelt among the untrodden
ways1'
"A slumber did my s p i r i t s e a l "
II
CHAPTER 3:
Three years she grew i n sun
and shower"
GRASMERE
"I t rave 11 ' d among unknown men"
CHAPTER 4:
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CONCLUDING REMARKS
1:
-CHAPTER
---
INTRODUCTION
'To s e e t h e o b j e c t as i n i t s e l f i t r e a l l y i s , ' h a s
been j u s t l y s a i d t o be t h e aim o f a l l t r u e c r i t i c i s m
whatever; and i n a e s t h e t i c c r i t i c i s m t h e f i r s t s t e p
towards s e e i n g o n e ' s o b j e c t a s i t r e a l l y i s , i s t o know
o n e ' s own impression a s i t r e a l l y i s , t o d i s c r i m i n a t e i t ,
to realise it distinctly.
What is t h i s song o r
p i c t u r e , t h i s engaging p e r s o n a l i t y p r e s e n t e d i n l i f e o r
i n a book, t o me?
Walter P a t e r , P r e f a c e t o S t u d i e s
i n t h e H i s t o r y of t h e Renaissance (1873)
..
--
T h i s t h e s i s p r e s e n t s a r e a d i n g of t h e "Lucy" poems i n t h e c o n t e x t of
Wordsworth's frame o f mind d u r i n g two of t h e most p a i n f u l p e r i o d s i n h i s l i f e :
t h e l o n e l y w i n t e r t h a t he and h i s s i s t e r Dorothy s p e n t i n Germany i n 17981799, when he composed "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known," "She dwelt
I
among t h e untrodden ways ," "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and "Three y e a r s
I
s h e grew i n sun and shower," and t h e unproductive p e r i o d from t h e autumn of
1800 u n t i l t h e end of 1801, when t h e only new poem Wordsworth i s known t o
have composed is "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men. 11 1
I w i l l a r g u e t h a t t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems are t h e p r o d u c t o f
I
Wordsworth's deep dependence upon h i s s i s t e r and o f h i s i n a b i l i t y d u r i n g t h e
w i n t e r o f 1798-1799 t o s u s t a i n t h e joyous p e r c e p t i o n of a n o r g a n i c u n i v e r s e
which he had e x p r e s s e d i n "Lines written a few miles above T i n t e r n Abbeyu
only s i x m n t h s e a r l i e r . *
They probably emerge o u t o f f a n t a s i e s about
Dorothy's d e a t h t h a t a r e r o o t e d i n wordsworth's-- c h i l d h ~ s d ~ r i e s--. o tfh e--- - -2_-
I
d e a t h s o f h i s p a r e n t s . ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sv i s i o n o f a f a d i n g
-
_
_
away of t h e s e l f
i n t o a "sense sublime" o f "A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t i m p e l s / A l l t h i n k i n g
t h i n g s , a l l o b j e c t s o f a l l t h o u g h t , / And r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s " i n
" T i n t e r n ~ b b & y "i s overshadowed i n t h e "Lucy" poems by t h e s p e a k e r ' s g r i e f .
These poems e x p l o r e a c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h d e a t h , t h e end
of p h y s i c a l b e i n g .
They e x p r e s s t h e dilemma of m u t a b i l i t y and s u g g e s t a need i n Wordsworth t h a t
was l a t e r met by a s t r o n g Anglican f a i t h .
Thus t h e y foreshadow Wordsworth's
anguished d e s i r e f o r t h e a s s u r a n c e o f f e r e d by an o r t h o d o x C h r i s t i a n i t y o f
3
"--.a n o t h e r and a -b e t t e r world" upon t h e d e a t h o f h i s b r o t h e r John i n 1805.
l o v e r , t h e "Lucy" poems may be s a i d ~ ! l f a l l o w t h e f l u x e s and r e f l u x e s o f t h e
4
mind when a g i t a t e d by t h e g r e a t and simple a f f e c t i o n s o f o u r n a t u r e . " d % e
-.
-poems
echo----and i l l u m i n a t e each
o t h e r and t h i s---.---l_-___l
cumulative e f f e c t is-- gnhanced
_______ _ -_._._I__--___
--
by t h e i r arrangement a s a group.
- -.
----- -
The f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems were o r i g i n a l l y
---
_
I
_
_
_
-
p u b l i s h e d i n Volume I1 o f t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s , where "Strange
f i t s o f p a s s i o n , " "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" and "A slumber d i d my
s p i r i t seal" a r e placed together, i n t h a t order.
"Three
s h e grew"
f o l l o w s more than e i g h t y pages l a t e r , where i t is p l a c e d a f t e r "Ruth," t h r e e
( t h e s e poems were a l s o composed i n Germany).
o f t h e "Mathew" poems and "Nutting"
The sequence of t h e s e poems c r e a t e s a mounting s e n s e o f l o n e l i n e s s amd l o s s ;
__
--_
_
_
-
set a g a i n s t- t -h e backdrop of n a t u r e , i n which "Three_ y e a r s s h e g~e_w~~l._pilrticipa~t~.
- ---.
I
-
~~
T h i s arrangement s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth was aware o f t h e t h e m a t i c u n i t y o f
much o f t h e p o e t r y he composed d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d , and p r e f i g u r i n g t h e group o f
poems c l a s s e d a s "Moods o f My Own ~ i n d "i n 1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes, a l s o
s u g g e s t s t h a t he was a l r e a d y b e g i n n i n g t o t h i n k o f h i s s h o r t poems a s p a r t s o f
5
The 1800 arrangement o f t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems f o l l o w s
a l a r g e r work.
t h e i r p r o b a b l e o r d e r o f composition and i t w i l l , t h e r e f o r e , be t h e o r d e r t h a t
i s followed i n t h i s e x e g e s i s o f t h e poems.
I n A p r i l , 1801, Wordsworth i n c l u d e d a copy of "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown
men" i n a l e t t e r t o Mary Hutchinson with t h e i n s t r u c t i o n t h a t t h i s poem w a s t o
6
be read a f ter "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways."
W
e may conclude, t h e r e f o r e , t h a t t h i s poem was composed two y e a r s a f t e r t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems,
i n Grasmere.
Such an assumption is s u p p o r t e d by t h e t e x t o f "I t r a v e l l ' d
3
among unknown men":
t h e poem i s w r i t t e n i n r e t r o s p e c t , seemingly r e c a l l i n g
Wordsworth's s t a y i n Germany, and t h e mood i n which he wrote t h e o t h e r "Lucy"
poems, a s a "melancholy dream" t h a t i s now p a s t .
I n t h i s poem Wordsworth
o f f e r s a t r i b u t e t o h i s love f o r Dorothy, t h e source of much of h i s f e e l i n g
f o r the English landscape, b u t a t t h e same t i m e he d e c l a r e s h i s independence
from h e r .
A t home i n Grasmere, Wordsworth's need of Dorothy became l e s s
i n t e n s e than i t had been i n Germany.
When they f i r s t a r r i v e d i n Grasmere a t
t h e end of 1799, Wordsworth was wholly coranited t o a l i f e shared with h i s
s i s t e r and h e gave voice t o t h i s commitment i n t h e e a r l y p a r t of The Recluse,
Home a t Grasmere which he began t o compose i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800.
But by 1801,
Wordsworth had begun t o t u r n away from Dorothy, and perhaps t o a l r e a d y e n t e r t a i n thoughts of marrying Mary Hutchinson.
11
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was n o t published u n t i l 1807 when i t
appeared i n Poems, i n Two Volumes t o g e t h e r with a n o t h e r poem about Lucy,
"Amng a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been. 117
I,
I t r a v e l 1 ' d among unknown men"
9
appeared with t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems f o r t h e f i r s t time i n 1815 i n -Poems
where i t followed "Strange f i t s of passion" and "She d u e l t among t h e untrodden
ways" i n t h e c l a s s c a l l e d "Poems on t h e A f f e c t i o n s . "
This i s t h e p o s i t i o n i n
which Wordsworth s u g g e s t s t h a t t h i s poem be read i n h i s l e t t e r t o Mary
Hutchinson.
"Three y e a r s she grew" and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " appear
i n t h a t o r d e r , i n "Poems of t h e Imagination" i n Poems.
I w i l l d i s c u s s "I
t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i n a s e p a r a t e c h a p t e r from t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems,
i n t h e context of wordsworth's l i f e i n Grasmere.
I have taken a b i o g r a p h i c a l approach t o t h e "Lucy" poems because of t h e
emotional chord t h a t they s t r i k e i n me.
The poems seem t o be deeply personal
and a s my i n t ~ r e s ti n them grew I found t h a t my i n t e r e s t i n t h e man behind
them a l s o grew:
I wanted t o know more about t h e v o i c e I heard speaking t o me
4
The "Lucy" p o e m a r e , f o r m e , a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a very
through t h e s e poems.
powerful and d i s t u r b i n g dream I r e c e n t l y had i n which I w a s wrappiig
mother i n h e r shroud.
my
My mother, who was s t i l l c o n s c i o u s , was h e l p i n g me by
t e l l i n g me what t o do as I wrapped t h e m a t e r i a l around h e r .
Most v i v i d were
my f e e l i n g s of a n g u i s h and d r e a d as I g o t c l o s e r t o t h e moment a t which I
would have t o c o v e r h e r f a c e , when s h e would no l o n g e r b e a b l e t o speak t o m e
and t o comfort me.
I p e r c e i v e s i m i l a r b e r e f t and a n x i o u s f e e l i n g s i n Words-
w o r t h ' s "Lucy" poems.
Although I have t r i e d t o document any a s s e r t i o n s I
make about Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s o r p e r s o n a l i t y , I have had t o r e a d between
l i n e s and my argument f i n a l l y r e s t s upon i n t e r p r e t a t i o n .
Because t h e poems
mean c e r t a i n t h i n g s t o me, I have perhaps tended t o look f o r c o r r e s p o n d i n g
meanings i n Wordsworth's l i f e .
It may be t h a t t h i s t h e s i s u b t i ~ m a t e lr ~
eveals
more about me t h a n i t t r u l y i l l u m i n a t e s Wordsworth's l i f e and p o e t r y .
In L i t e r a r y B i o g r a p h l Leon Edel p o i n t s o u t t h a t "a b i o g r a p h e r can s e t
l i g h t of h i s own
f o r t h t h e d a t a he h a s g a t h e r e d and s t u d i e d o n l y i n t h e
understanding.
...
He had taken i n t o h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s a g r e a t many docu-
ments about a n o t h e r ' s l i f e .
h i s arrangement,
-
h i s vision,
And t h e book t h a t w i l l emerge w i l l b e -
his p i c t u r e . " 8
I n refa acing my t h e s i s w i t h t h e s e o b s e r v a t i o n s
I have been i n f l u e n c e d by David B l e i c h ' s warning i n h i s book S u b j e c t i v e C r i t i cism t h a t
-
"No m a t t e r how f u l l .
. . a portrait
may seem.
. . and no m a t t e r
how
c e r t a i n one i s of t h e s u p p o r t i n g a r t i f a c t s , t h e r e i s no f i n a l way t o d e c i d e
t h a t a p a r t i c u l a r b i o g r a p h i c a l f o r m u l a t i o n o f an a u t h o r ' s l i f e o r p e r s o n a l i t y
is o b j e c t i v e l y true."()
The Wordsworth I now f e e l I know may o r may n o t b e a r
a profound resemblance t o t h e h i s t o r i c a l Wordsworth.
However, my a p p r e c i a t i o n
of t h e "Lucy" poems h a s been markedly enhanced by f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h t h e circums t a n c e s i n w t i c h they were w r i t t e n .
My understanding o f t h e poems and of my
own r e s p o n s e s t o them have been c l a r i f i e d by l e a r n i n g a b o u t t h e p o e t ' s l i f e .
Because I a g r e e w i t h David B l e i c h ' s s t a n c e t h a t a l l e x p l a n a t i o n s o f
1
1 . i t e r a r y works a r e i n t e r p r e t a t i v e and s u b j e c t i v e , I do n o t deny t h e v a l i d i t y
o f o t h e r c r i t i c a l approaches t o t h e "Lucyu poems.
I n s t e a d , I would o b s e r v e
t h a t each c r i t i c f i n d s and b r i n g s o u t i n h i s r e a d i n g s t h a t which i s most
i m p o r t a n t t o him o r t o h e r .
F o r example, Geoffrey Durrant f i n d s i t s i g n i f i c a n t
t h a t "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " s h o u l d be s e n t "by a mathematician-poet
philosopher-poet,
" ~ e n o ' s Arrow:
i n t h e hope t h a t i t might 'amuse' him."
to a
In h i s a r t i c l e
Time and Motion i n Two o f wordsworth's Lucy Poems," Durrant
d i s c u s s e s "Strange f i t s of p a s s i o n " and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " i n a
p h i l o s o p h i c a l and h i s t o r i c a l c o n t e x t and he s t r e s s e s t h e i n f l u e n c e o f Newtonian
p h y s i c s on Wordsworth which he p e r c e i v e s i n b o t h o f t h e s e poems. lo 1n
Wordsworth's P o e t r y 1787-1814
-Geoffrey Hartman f i n d s t h a t "Strange f i t s o f
passion" i s concerned w i t h t h e growth of t h e Wordsworthian i m a g i n a t i o n , which
Hartman d e f i n e s a s "consciousness of s e l f r a i s e d t o an a p o c a l y p t i c p i t c h .
I n h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e poem Hartman i d e n t i f i e s Lucy w i t h t h e moon
him, t h i s i s t h e c e n t r e of t h e poem:
t h e moon.
. . denotes
for
"Lucy, by t h e very f a c t of b e i n g l o v e d ,
i s something more than h e r s e l f , becomes a landscape even.
appear a s only a person.
--
1111
. . and may n o t
The unconscious y e t n a t u r a l t r a n s f e r from Lucy t o
t h e power of l o v e t o draw t h e s e l f o u t o f i t s e l f .
. . . 12
I1
I n my e x e g e s i s of t h i s poem, on t h e o t h e r hand, I s u g g e s t t h a t t h e moon r e p r e s e n t s t h e power o f n a t u r e o v e r man.
Throughout my d i s c u s s i o n of t h e "Lucy"
poems I emphasize t h e s p e a k e r ' s p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l world, which i s
coloured by h i s response t o t h e d e a t h o f Lucy.
I f e e l t h a t t h e s e poems a r e
-
about l o s s and g r i e f :
f o r me, t h e i r meaning is c o n t a i n e d i n t h e s p e a k e r ' s
f e e l i n g s about Lucy's d e a t h .
Hartman P e g i n s h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f Wordsworth's i m a g i n a t i o n by r e f e r r i n g t o
t h e P r e f a c e t o t h e 1800 e d i t i o n of L y r i c a l B a l l a d s i n which Wordsworth
emphasizes t h a t i t was h i s i n t e n t i o n t h a t i n t h e s e poems t h e f e e l i n g s h o u l d
6
"give importance t o t h e a c t i o n and t h e s i t u a t i o n and n o t t h e a c t i o n and t h e
s i t u a t i o n to the feeling. "I3
Hartman goes on t o s u g g e s t t h a t we, c o n s i d e r t h e
Romantic l y r i c "as a development o f t h e surmise which t u r n e d a l l terms
d e s c r i p t i v e of m d e i n t o terms d e s c r i p t i v e o f mood."14
words t h a t I u s e o f t e n i n t h i s t h e s i s .
"Lucy" poems a r e a b o u t f e e l i n g .
F e e l i n g and mood a r e
For me as w e l l as for Hartman, t h e
My i n c l i n a t i o n h a s been t o look f o r t h e
s o u r c e o f t h a t f e e l i n g by t u r n i n g t o t h e p e r s o n a l d e t a i l s o f t h e p o e t ' s l i f e .
CHAPTER 2:
GERMANY, 1798-1799
Wordsworth composed t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucy" poems
--
"Strange f i t s of
p a s s i o n , " "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" and "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t
4eal"
--
d u r i n g h i s s t a y i n G o s l a r , Germany, from October 6 , 1798, u n t i l
February 23, 1799.15
E a r l y v e r s i o n s o f "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " and "She
dwelt among t h e untrodden ways," t o g e t h e r w i t h a d r a f t o f "Nutting" and two
fragments t h a t were l a t e r i n t e g r a t e d i n t o The P r e l u d e , t h e e p i s o d e s about
t h e s t o l e n b o a t and " s k a i t i n g " (I: 81-129 and 150-185,
1798-1799 t e x t ) , were
i n c l u d e d i n a l e t t e r s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from G o s l a r by William and Dorothy
Wordsworth i n e i t h e r December 1798 o r J a n u a r y 1799. l6
s u r v i v e s , a n o t h e r w a s presumably s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e
c o n t a i n i n g "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal."
Although no l e t t e r
around t h e same time
A l e t t e r from C o l e r i d g e t o Thomas
Poole d a t e d A p r i l 6 , 1799, i n c l u d e d t h e t e x t o f t h i s poem which C o l e r i d g e
d e s c r i b e d as "a most sublime e p i t a p h " r e c e i v e d from Wordsworth "some months
ago. "17 The image of " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course" i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t
seal" i s r e m i n i s c e n t o f Wordsworth's r e c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e c l i f f s c o n t i n u i n g t o
wheel by h i s boyhood s e l f a f t e r he comes t o a sudden s t o p i n t h e " s k a i t i n g "
fragment.
Wordsworth a l s o r e f e r s t o t h e e a r t h ' s " d i u r n a l round" i n t h a t
fragment.
These similarities s u g g e s t t h a t t h e two p i e c e s o f p o e t r y were
composed c o n c u r r e n t l y and t h e r e f o r e a l l o w a more d e f i n i t e d a t i n g o f "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal" t h a n could o t h e r w i s e be made from C o l e r i d g e ' s
vague r e f e r e n c e
.
According t o a n o t e which Wordsworth d i c t a t e d t o I s a b e l l a Fenwick i n
1842-1843,18 "Three y e a r s s h e grew" was composed i n t h e s p r i n g of 1799, a f t e r
he and Dorothy had l e f t G o s l a r on a walking t o u r o f t h e Hartz F o r e s t , around
February 23-27,
1799.19
The l a v i s h imagery o f t h i s poem, i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e
s p a r e n e s s o f t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucyu poems, does indeed evoke t h e r e l i e f t h e
Wordsworths f e l t a t t h e end of the b i t t e r l y c o l d w i n t e r they had e x p e r i e n c e d
a t Goslar:
Dorothy wrote t o C o l e r i d g e about t h e i r walking t o u r , "We observed
t h a t t h e b r i l l i a n t green of t h e earth-moss under t h e t r e e s made o u r e y e s ache
a f t e r b e i n g s o l o n g accustomed t o t h e snow. @120 However, t h e melancholy mood
i n which Wordsworth wrote t h e o t h e r poems s t i l l dominates "Three y e a r s she
grew."
I1
Nature
T h i s poem emphasized man's powerlessness a g a i n s t t h e f o r c e s of
."
The Goslar e x p e r i e n c e had been an unhappy one:
a s w e l l as suffering
from t h e i n t e n s e c o l d , t h e Wordsworths f e l t i s o l a t e d from t h e i r f r i e n d s and
family and i n c r e a s i n g l y a l i e n a t e d from t h e i r German neighbours. Dorothy
described t h e i r s i t u a t i o n i n a , l e t t e r t o h e r b r o t h e r Christopher s e n t a t the
beginning of February 1799 :
For more than two months p a s t we have i n t e n d e d q u i t t i n g
Goslar i n t h e c o u r s e of each week, b u t we have been s o
f r i g h t e n e d by t h e c o l d s e a s o n , t h e d r e a d f u l r o a d s , and t h e
to
uncovered c a r t s t h a t w e needed no o t h e r motives.
induce u s t o l i n g e r h e r e . W e have had a s u c c e s s i o n of
e x c e s s i v e l y s e v e r e weather.
and t h e c o l d of Christmas
day h a s n o t been e q u a l l e d even i n t h i s c l i m a t e d u r i n g t h e
l a s t c e n t u r y . I t was s o e x c e s s i v e t h a t when we l e f t t h e
room where we s i t we were o b l i g e d t o wrap o u t s e l v e s up i n
g r e a t c o a t s e t c . i n o r d e r n o t t o s u f f e r much p a i n from t h e
t r a n s i t i o n , though we o n l y went i n t o t h e n e x t room o r downs t a i r s f o r a few minutes.
G o s l a r i s n o t a p l a c e where i t
i s p o s s i b l e t o s e e a n y t h i n g of t h e manners of t h e more
c u l t i v a t e d Germans, o r of t h e h i g h e r c l a s s e s . Its i n h a b i t a n t s
a r e a l l p e t t y t r a d e s p e o p l e : i n g e n e r a l a low and s e l f i s h r a c e ;
i n t e n t upon g a i n , and p e r p e t u a l l y of c o u r s e d i s a p p o i n t e d .
They cannot f i n d i t i n t h e i r h e a r t s t o a s k o f a s t r a n g e r a
f a i r p r i c e f o r t h e i r goods.
Be very p a r t i c u l a r i n your
accounts of what you a r e , and have been doing. Every t h i n g
is interesting a t t h i s distance. 2 1
..
..
..
..
wordsworth's assessment o f h i s s t a y abroad as a "melancholy dream" i n
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" echoes a d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s p h y s i c a l and
.
emotional c o n d i t i o n s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from Goslar with t h e c o p i e s o f "Strange
f i t s of passion'' and "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways":
A s I have had no books I have been o b l i g e d t o w r i t e
i n self-defense.
I s h o u l d have w r i t t e n f i v e t i m e s as much
a s I have done b u t t h a t I am p r e v e n t e d by an u n e a s i n e s s a t
my stomach and s i d e , w i t h a d u l l p a i n a b o u t my h e a r t . I
have used t h e word p a i n , b u t u n e a s i n e s s and h e a t are words
which more a c c u r a t e l y d e s c r i b e my f e e l i n g -- a t a l l e v e n t s
i t renders w r i t i n g unpleasant.
Reading i s now become a
k i n d of l u x u r y t o me. When I do n o t r e a d I a m a b s o l u t e l y
consumed by t h i n k i n g and f e e l i n g and b o d i l y e x e r t i o n s of
v o i c e o r of l i m b s , t h e consequence o f t h o s e f e e l i n g s .
Wordsworth's d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s c o n d i t i o n and i t s r e l a t i o n t o h i s work i n t h i s
l e t t e r s u g g e s t s t h a t he endeavoured t o f i n d a r e l e a s e f o r t h e t h o u g h t s and
f e e l i n g s t h a t consumed him d u r i n g t h i s time by t u r n i n g them i n t o p o e t r y .
S e v e r a l y e a r s l a t e r , Wordsworth d e s c r i b e d t h e calming e f f e c t o f h i s p o e t r y
on h i s f e e l i n g s i n t h e "Ode:
I n t i m a t i o n s o f I m m o r t a l i t y from R e c o l l e c t i o n s
o f E a r l y Childhood" (composed 1802-1804):
To m e a l o n e t h e r e came a thought o f g r i e f r
A t i m e l y u t t e r a n c e gave t h a t thought r e l i e f ,
And I a g a i n am s t r o n g .
S i m i l a r l y , i n 1798 Wordsworth's w r i t i n g seems t o have a c t e d as a c a t h a r s i s ,
a l t h o u g h h e s a y s t h a t he was o f t e n s o overcome by "uneasiness" and p a i n t h a t
he w a s unable t o work.
Wordsworth.
N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h i s was a v e r y p r o d u c t i v e time f o r
During t h e w i n t e r and s p r i n g of 1798-1799 he composed numerous
s h o r t poems i n c l u d i n g "Lucy Gray , I 8 "Ruth
," "A
P o e t ' s E p i t a p h , " "The Fountain,"
"The Two A p r i l Mornings," "Matthew," "To a Sexton," "Nutting,"
"There w a s a
Boy," "Written i n Germany on one of t h e c o l d e s t days o f t h e c e n t u r y , " and t h e
f o u r "Lucy" poems.
H e a l s o composed P a r t One o f t h e two p a r t P r e l u d e o f
The i s o l a t i o n a t G o s l a r seems t o have f l o o d e d Wordsworth's mind w i t h
memories:
i n s t e a d of c o n t i n u i n g w i t h The Recluse, t h e g r e a t work he and
C o l e r i d g e had mapped o u t e a r l i e r i n 1798 a t ~ l f o x d e n Wordsworth
,~~
began t o
compose a p r e f a c e t o i t , The P r e l u d e , i n which he used t h e s e memories t o
t r a c e " t h e growth o f mental power
/
And l o v e o f N a t u r e ' s work" (I: 257-258,
t
I
1
Stephen P a r r i s h views t h e i s o l a t i o n a t G o s l a r a s v i t a l t o t h e com-
1798-99).
p o s i t i o n o f The P r e l ud e i n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e 1798-1799 t e x t . 2 3
However,
t h e "wondering and t h a n k f u l tones" P a r r i s h p e r c e i v e s i n t h e poem seem t o me t o
be imposed upon memories t h a t a r e d i s t u r b i n g and t e r r i b l e .
A t t h e conclusion
of P a r t One, Wordsworth a s k s
need I d r e a d from t h e e
Harsh judgements i f I am s o l o t h t o q u i t
Those r e c o l l e c t e d h o u r s t h a t have t h e charm
Of v i s i o n a r y t h i n g s , and l o v e l y forms
And sweet s e n s a t i o n s t h a t throw back o u r l i f e
And make o u r i n f a n c y a v i s i b l e s c e n e
On which t h e sun i s s h i n i n g ? (I: 448-464)
But t h i s sumd.ng up seems a t odds w i t h t h e memories t h a t have a c t u a l l y s u r f a c e d
i n t h e c o u r s e of t h e poem.
A t t h e c l i m a x of P a r t One, t h e " s p o t s o f time" p a s s a g e (I: 258-374),
9
Wordsworth r e c a l l s t h r e e childhood e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t had profound and l a s t i n g
e f f e c t s upon him.
I n t h e f i r s t e p i s o d e a n atmosphere of f o r e b o d i n g o r of
" b r e a t h l e s s s t i l l n e s s " i s broken by t h e sudden appearance of t h e drowned man
from beneath t h e s u r f a c e of E s t h w a i t e Lake.
I n t h e e p i s o d e of t h e mouldered
g i b b e t t h e young Wordsworth i s p a r t e d from h i s a d u l t companion and h i s f e a r
seems t o l e a d him t o t h e g i b b e t mast and "a l o n g g r e e n r i d g e of t u r f .
Whose shape was l i k e a grave" (312-313).
../
Turning t o l e a v e t h i s s p o t , h e sees
a g i r l s t r u g g l i n g a g a i n s t t h e wind t o reach t h e "naked p o o l t h a t l a y beneath
the h i l l s . "
The p o e t comments,
It was i n t r u t h
An o r d i n a r y s i g h t b u t I s h o u l d need
Colours and words t h a t a r e unknown t o man
To p a i n t t h e v i s i o n a r y d r e a r i n e s s
Which, w h i l e I looked a l l round f o r my l o s t g u i d e ,
Did, a t t h a t t i m e , i n v e s t t h e naked p o o l ,
The beacon on t h e l o n e l y eminence,
The woman and h e r garments vexed and t o s s e d
By f h e s t r o n g wind.
(312-327)
In t h e t h i r d scene Wordsworth r e c a l l s watching f o r t h e h o r s e s t h a t were t o
t a k e him and h i s b r o t h e r s home from s c h o o l f o r t h e Christmas h o l i d a y s :
Thither I repaired
Up t o t h e h i g h e s t sum mi^, 'twas a day
Stormy and rough, and w i l d , and on t h e g r a s s
I s a t e , h a l f - s h e l t e r e d by a naked w a l l ;
Upon my r i g h t hand was a s i n g l e s h e e p ,
A w h i s t l i n g hawthorn on my l e f t , and t h e r e ,
Those two companions a t my s i d e , I watched
With e y e s i n t e n s e l y s t r a i n i n g a s t h e m i s t
Gave i n t e r m i t t e n t p r o s p e c t s of t h e wood
And p l a i n beneath ( 3 4 0 - 3 4 9 )
During t h e h o l i d a y s Wordsworth's f a t h e r d i e d , and i n h i s g r i e f and bewilderment t h e boy concluded t h a t h i s f a t h e r ' s death was a "chastisement" f o r h i s
s e l f i s h a n t i c i p a t i o n of t h e h o l i d a y s :
when I c a l l e d t o mind
That day s o l a t e l y passed when from t h e c r a g
I looked i n such a n x i e t y of hope,
With t r i t e r e f l e c t i o n s of m o r a l i t y
Y e t w i t h t h e d e e p e s t p a s s i o n I bowed low
To God, who t h u s c o r r e c t e d my d e s i r e s .
( 355-3601
...
Each of t h e s e gloomy e p i s o d e s is concerned with t h e e f f e c t of an enc o u n t e r w i t h d e a t h upon Wordsworth's childhood s e l f .
t e r r o r , l o n e l i n e s s and g u i l t .
involvement i n c r e a s e s :
They a r e f i l l e d w i t h
The e p i s o d e s b u i l d i n f o r c e a s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s
t h e t h i r d and most powerful memory combines t h e
atmosphere of foreboding and t h e l o n e l y " v i s i o n a r y d r e a r i n e s s " o f t h e o t h e r
s c e n e s t o g i v e t h e s e f e e l i n g s a d i r e c t , p e r s o n a l meaning.
The n a r r a t o r i s no
l o n g e r an o n l o o k e r ; i n s t e a d of a s t r a n g e r , i t is h i s f a t h e r who i s dead.
memory of "the wind and s l e e t y r a i n .
. . the
The
b l e a k music of t h a t o l d s t o n e
w a l l , " Wordsworth t e l l s us, was one t h a t he o f t e n r e t u r n e d t o , t o "drink / A s
a t a f o u n t a i n " o r t o r e f r e s h h i s s e n s e of g u i l t about h i s f a t h e r ' s d e a t h .
T h i s memory, he b e l i e v e s , h a s c o n t i n u e d t o r e v e r b e r a t e i n h i s subconscious
0
mind and h a s deep c o n n e c t i o n s w i t h t h e growth of h i s mental o r i m a g i n a t i v e
power :
I do n o t doubt
T h a t i n t h i s l a t e r time when s t o r m and r a i n
Beat on my roof a t m i d n i g h t , o r by day
When I am i n t h e woods, unknown t o m e
The workings of my s p i r i t t h e n c e a r e b r o u g h t .
(370-374)
Wordsworth's a p p a r e n t l y i d y l l i c e a r l y c h i l d h o o d w a s t r a g i c a l l y d i s r u p t e d
by t h e d e a t h o f h i s mother i n 1778, when h e was less t h a n e i g h t y e a r s o l d .
The young Wordsworth f a m i l y was s u b s e q u e n t l y broken up when Dorothy was s e n t
t o l i v e w i t h h e r m o t h e r ' s c o u s i n a n d h e r b r o t h e r s were p l a c e d under t h e r i g i d ,
unsympathetic c a r e o f t h e i r maternal grandparents, o n l y r e t u r n i n g t o t h e i r
f a t h e r ' s home f o r h o l i d a y s .
Wordsworth's f a t h e r , John Wordsworth, had been a
busy man who d o e s n o t seem t o have h a d much time t o s p e n d w i t h h i s c h i l d r e n .
I n h e r b i o g r a p h y o f Wordsworth,Mary Moorman s u g g e s t s t h a t when John Wordsworth
d i e d f i v e y e a r s l a t e r , i n 1783, "The r e a l l o s s s u s t a i n e d by t h e Wordsworth
children.
home.
. . was
...
p e r h a p s l e s s t h a t o f a b e l o v e d p e r s o n t h a n o f a happy
During t h e two o r t h r e e f o l l o w i n g y e a r s t h e c o n t r a s t between
l i f e a t Cockermouth a n d l i f e w i t h t h e i r unloved g r a n d p a r e n t s a t P e n r i t h w a s
bitter.
. . ."24
The g u i l t f e e l i n g s Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s i n The P r e l u d e
p e r h a p s d e r i v e d from a s e n s e of r e s e n t m e n t t o w a r d s a f a t h e r who seemed t o have
abandoned him.
Dorothy and h e r b r o t h e r s were r e u n i t e d i n t h e summer o f 1787 when s h e t o o
came t o l i v e w i t h t h e i r g r a n d p a r e n t s .
A t t h i s t i m e she and William rediscovered
t h e l o v i n g a f f i n i t y t h e y had s h a r e d a s s m a l l c h i l d r e n .
A poem from t h i s
p e r i o d , "The Vale o f E s t h w a i t e , " c e l e b r a t e s Wordsworth's renewed l o v e f o r h i s
sister i n a p a s s a g e which b e g i n s w i t h a r e c o l l e c t i o n o f h i s f a t h e r ' s d e a t h
t h a t seems a n e a r l y v e r s i o n o f t h e " s p o t s of t i m e " p a s s a g e from t h e 1798-1799
~ r e l u d e . ' ~ The p o e t t h e n moves t o r o m a n t i c s p e c u l a t i o n s a b o u t h i s own d e a t h .
Imagining h i m k e l f upon h i s d e a t h b e d w i t h o u t t h e c o m f o r t o f "a m o t h e r ' s arm,"
h e t u r n s t o h i s sister:
For I must n e v e r s h a r e
A tender p a r e n t ' s guardian c a r e ;
S u r e , from t h e w o r l d ' s unkind a l a r m ,
R e t u r n i n g t o a m o t h e r ' s arm,
Mist-eyes awhile u p r a i s e t h e head
E l s e - s i n k i n g t o D e a t h ' s j o y l e s s bed,
And when by p a i n , by Death d e p r e s s e d
Ah! s u r e i t g e n t l e r s i n k s t o r e s t .
A s when a B a l l , h i s d a r l i n g t o y ,
Tossed upward by some w a t c h f u l boy
Meets i n i t s q u i c k d e c l i n i n g c o u r s e
The well-known hand t h a t gave i t f o r c e ,
S p r i n g s up a g a i n w i t h f e e b l e bound
Then s o f t e r f a l l s upon t h e ground.
S i s t e r , f o r whom I f e e l a l o v e
What warms a B r o t h e r f a r above,
On you, a s s a d s h e marks t h e s c e n e ,
Why does my h e a r t s o fondly l e a n ?
Why b u t because i n you i s g i v e n
A l l , a l l my s o u l would wish from Heaven?
Why b u t because I f o n d l y view
A l l , a l l t h a t Heaven h a s claimed, i n you?
I have s t r o n g r e s e r v a t i o n s about F.W.
Bateson's hypothesis of an inces-
tuous l o v e between William and Dorothy Wordsworth.
H i s argument t h a t they
were w e l l aware of t h e dangerous n a t u r e of t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p does n o t conv i n c e m e , b u t some of h i s p o i n t s a r e well-taken:
t h e i n t e n s i t y of t h e f e e l i n g s
t h e Wordsworths had f o r each o t h e r i s r e a d i l y a p p a r e n t from W i l l i a m ' s p o e t r y
and from Dorothy's j o u r n a l s .
26
However, t h e i r l o v e f o r each o t h e r i s , I f e e l ,
e x p r e s s e d with a n innocence t h a t is perhaps no l o n g e r p o s s i b l e i n t h i s p o s t Freudian age.
tionship
--
There may very w e l l have been a s e x u a l element i n t h e i r r e l a -
a f t e r b e i n g p a r t e d i n c h i l d h o o d , t h e y met a g a i n a s a d u l t s and
almost as s t r a n g e r s
--
l i k e t h e legend of t h e hermaphrodite i n P l a t o ' s
Symposium, two h a l v e s t o make t h e p e r f e c t whole.
But I do n o t t h i n k t h a t such
a n a t t r a c t i o n between them was e v e r a d m i t t e d o r even t h a t t h e y were c o n s c i o u s l y
aware o f i t .
Wordsworth's marriage t o Mary Hutchinson i n 1802 seems a repudia-
t i o n of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p h e h a d w i t h h i s s i s t e r , f o r Dorothy and William
Wordsworth's e l a t i o n s h i p was i n many ways l i k e a marriage:
t h e sense of
c l o s e n e s s and companionship they s h a r e d , t h e i r commitment t o a l i f e t o g e t h e r
and t o William's p o e t r y s u g g e s t S h a k e s p e a r e ' s "marriage of t r u e minds."
But
i n c o n t r a s t t o h i s a f f a i r w i t h Annette Vallon and t h e a n x i e t y and f r u s t r a t i o n
Wordsworth must have f e l t a t b e i n g p r e v e n t e d , o s t e n s i b l y by c i r c u m s t a n c e s ,
from t a k i n g any r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e i r c h i l d , 2 7 h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h
Dorothy allowed Wordsworth t o r e c o v e r something of t h e b l i s s f u l s e c u r i t y of
h i s e a r l y childhood.
The i n t e n s i t y o f h i s l o v e f o r h i s s i s t e r probably had
i t s s o u r c e i n Wordsworth's g r i e f a t t h e d e a t h s of h i s p a r e n t s w h i l e he was a
child:
t h e v o i d t h a t t h e i r d e a t h s l e f t , e s p e c i a l l y h i s m o t h e r ' s , was now
f i l l e d by Dorothy.
I n t h e l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole i n which C o l e r i d g e e n c l o s e d a copy of "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l , " C o l e r i d g e commented t h a t t h e poem l i k e l y o r i g i n a t e d i n a f a n t a s y about t h e d e a t h of Dorothy Wordsworth:
Oh! t h i s s t r a n g e , s t r a n g e scene-;hi f t e r ,
Death! t h a t g i d d i e s one with i n s e c u r i t y , and s o
u n s u b s t a n t i a t e s t h e l i v i n g Things t h a t one h a s
g r a s p e d and handled! / Some months ago Wordsworth
t r a n s m i t t e d t o m e a most sublime E p i t a p h / whether
i t had any r e a l i t y , I cannot say.-- Most p r o b a b l y ,
i n some gloomier moment he had f a n c i e d t h e moment
i n which h i s s i s t e r might d i e . 2 8
Many c r i t i c s a r e i n c l i n e d t o d i s c o u n t t h i s remark, a r g u i n g t h a t t o i n s i s t upon
a real i d e n t i t y f o r Lucy a s Dorothy
sweetheart
--
--
o r a s Annette Vallon o r a childhood
i s t o be r e d u c t i v e and i r r e l e ~ a n t . ~ ' But g i v e n C o l e r i d g e ' s
c l o s e f r i e n d s h i p w i t h t h e Wordsworths and h i s awareness of t h e i r s i t u a t i o n i n
G o s l a r , h i s remark does seem t o me t o p r o v i d e a v a l u a b l e i n s i g h t i n t o t h e mood
i n which Wordsworth might have begun t h e "Lucy" series.
I n Wordsworth's
d e p r e s s e d s t a t e d u r i n g t h a t t e r r i b l e w i n t e r , n i g h t m a r e s about t h e d e a t h of
I
1.
I
t h e sister whose companionship h e r e l i e d upon s o h e a v i l y might very w e l l have
p r e y e d upon h i s mind:
w i t h o u t Dorothy's s a v i n g p r e s e n c e , Wordsworth would
have been a l o n e is a c o l d , h o s t i l e world.
H i s l i f e would be l i k e t h a t of t h e
d e s o l a t e Fly whose e x i s t e n c e h e d e s c r i b e s i n " w r i t t e n i n Germany on one of
t h e c o l d e s t days of t h e century":
H i s s p i n d l e s s i n k under him, f o o t , l e g , and thigh!
H i s e y e s i g h t and h e a r i n g a r e l o s t ;
Between l i f e and death h i s blood f r e e z e s and thaws;
And h i s two p r e t t y p i n i o n s of b l u e dusky gauze
Are glued t o h i s s i d e s by t h e f r o s t .
No b r o t h e r , no mate h a s he n e a r him -- while I
Can draw warmth from t h e cheek o f my l o v e ;
A s b l e s t and a s g l a d , i n t h i s d e s o l a t e gloom,
A s i f green sumner g r a s s were t h e f l o o r o f my room,
And woodbines were hanging above.
I n support of h i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of Lucy with Dorothy, F.W. Bateson
c i t e s a fragment of "Nutting" which addresses Lucy:
Ah! what a c r a s h was t h a t ! with g e n t l e hand
Touch t h e s e f a i r h a z e l s
My beloved ~ r i e n d !
Though ' t i s a s i g h t i n v i s i b l e t o thee
From such rude i n t e r c o u r s e t h e woods a l l s h r i n k
A s a t t h e blowing of Astolpho's horn.
t
Thou, Lucy, a r t a maiden ' i n l a n d bred'
And thou h a s t known 'some n u r t u r e ' ; b u t i n t r u t h
I f I had m e t t h e e here with t h a t keen look
Half c r u e l i n i t s eagerness, those cheeks
Thus [word i l l e g i b l e ] flushed w i t h a tempestuous bloom,
I might have almost deem'd t h a t I had p a s s ' d
A houseless being i n a human shape,
An enemy of n a t u r e , h i t h e r s e n t
30
From regions f a r beyond t h e Indian h i l l s .
--
...
A v e r s i o n of "Nutting" was a l s o included i n t h e l e t t e r t o Coleridge from
Gosler t h a t contained "Strange f i t s of passion," "She dwelt among t h e
untrodden ways" and t h e Prelude fragments.
Like t h e published t e x t , and
u n l i k e t h e fragment quoted above, t h i s v e r s i o n of "Nutting" does n o t address
Lucy.
But t h e r e i s a s t r o n g echo of "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways"
i n these l i n e s :
The v i o l e t s of f i v e seasons re-appear
And f a d e , unseen by any human eye.
...
The concluding admonition t o a "dearest Maiden" i n "Nutting" i s reminiscent
of WordswortQ1s a d d r e s s t o h i s s i s t e r a t t h e end of "Tintern Abbey."
As i n
"Tintern Abbey," Wordsworth draws on t h e p a s t i n "Nutting" t o i l l u n i n a t e t h e
p r e s e n t f o r h i s companion.
Wordsworth had i n t e n d e d " ~ u t t i n g " a s p a r t o f
The P r e l u d e , b u t s u b s e q u e n t l y & c i d e d n o t t o use i t i n t h a t poem. 31
P r e l u d e is a d d r e s s e d t o C o l e r i d g e .
t h e Maiden a d d r e s s e d i n "Nuttingf'
q u o t e d above
--
The
-
Perhaps we may r e a s o n a b l y suppose t h a t
--
who i s c a l l e d Lucy i n t h e fragment
is Wordsworth's o t h e r "beloved ~ r i e n d "and c o n f i d a n t e ,
Dorothy.
'1
F u r t h e r evidence f o r a n i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f Lucy w i t h Dorothy i s provided
,"
by "Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been."
Wordsworth composed t h i s
poem i n 1802 a b o u t an i n c i d e n t t h a t "took w lace," h e t o l d C o l e r i d g e , "about
seven y e a r s ago between Dorothy and me. "32
I n 1802 he c a l l e d t h e g i r l i n
t h e poem " ~ m m a I,I a pseudonym he f r e q u e n t l y used f o r Dorothy.
When he
p u b l i s h e d t h e poem i n 1807, "~mma" w a s khanged t o " ~ u c y " and t h e poem was
p l a c e d b e s i d e "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men."
A t l e a s t i n retrospect, there
w a s an a s s o c i a t i o n i n Wordsworth's mind between t h e "Lucy" poems and h i s
f e e l i n g s f o r Dorothy.
I n t h e p r e c e d i n g pages I have s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e "Lucy" poems emerged
o u t o f a t e r r i b l e and perhaps r e c u r r e n t f a n t a s y a b o u t Dorothy's d e a t h , and
o u t of t h e complex n a t u r e and o r i g i n s o f Wordsworth's l o v e f o r h e r .
By
e x p l o r i n g t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h upon h e r l o v e r , Wordsworth spoke h i s
own f e e l i n g s and f e a r s .
However, s i n c e , u n l i k e The P r e l u d e , t h e "Lucy" poems
are n o t e x p l i c i t l y a u t i o b i o g r a p h i c a l , I w i l l r e f e r t o t h e "I" o f t h e s e poems
a s t h e s p e a k e r i n s t e a d o f as Wordsworth.
A p a t t e r n o f f f b l i n d n e s s ' f t o Lucy's m o r t a l i t y , followed by a t r a g i c
awareness emerges i n t h e f i r s t t h r e e "Lucy" poems.
Each sets p r i o r h e e d l e s s -
n e s s and subsequent knowledge i n o p p o s i t i o n , b u t by means o f t h i s r e p e t i t i v e
s t r u c t u r e Wo~;dsworth d e m o n s t r a t e s a "growth o f mental power . ' I
I n "strange
f i t s of p a s s i o n I have known" t h e s p e a k e r apprehends t h e p o s s i b i l i t y (and by
i m p l i c a t i o n , t h e i n e v i t a b i l i t y ) o f Lucy's d e a t h , b u t b a c k s away from t h e
knowledge t h a t o v e r t a k e s him.
I n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden
ways" he tries t o e x p r e s s t h e " d i f f e r e n c e " Lucy's d e a t h h a s meant
t o him:
now t h a t s h e i s dead t h e s p e a k e r t r i e s t o evoke h e r
l i v i n g p r e s e n c e , b u t he can o n l y r e - c a p t u r e a n e l u s i v e i m p r e s s i o n
of h e r .
"A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " p l a c e s t h e s p e a k e r ' s
p a i n f u l p e r s o n a l f e e l i n g s a b o u t Lucy's d e a t h i n t h e c o n t e x t o f
man's p l a c e i n n a t u r e ' s u n i v e r s e .
The l i v i n g Lucy was p a r t o f a
u n i v e r s e governed by t i m e ; i t i s only a f t e r s h e i s dead t h a t Lucy
need n o t s u f f e r change, because s h e h a s become p a r t o f an i n a n i m a t e
and u n f e e l i n g realm o f " t h i n g s
."
The p a t t e r n o f epiphany i s less e x p l i c i t i n " ~ h r e ey e a r s s h e
grew," b u t t h e r e i s s t i l l a s t r o n g s e n s e o f " b e f o r e and a f t e r " i n
t h e s p e a k e r ' s e v o c a t i o n o f t h e p a s t time o f Lucy's l i f e , which i s
s e t a g a i n s t t h e p r e s e n t moment from which s h e i s a b s e n t i n t h e l a s t
stanza:
Thus N a t u r e spake -- t h e work was done -How soon my Lucy's r a c e was run!
She d i e d , and l e f t t o me
T h i s h e a t h , t h i s calm, and q u i e t s c e n e ;
T h i s memory o f what h a s been,
And n e v e r more w i l l be.
I n "Three y e a r s s h e grew" Lucy's l i f e i s r e c a l l e d i n t h e c o n t e x t o f
h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h "Nature."
The wider f o c u s o f t h i s poem and
o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " perhaps e x p l a i n s Wordswo r t h ' s
p l a c i n g them i n "Poems of t h e Imagination" i n 1815 w h i l e a s s i g n i n g
t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems t o "Poems o f t h e A f f e c t i o n s " .
"STRANGE
-- - - - -FITS OF
P.A.S S I O-N 1 -HAVE
- -KNOWN"
--- Of a l l t h e "l.ucy"
poems, o n l y " S t r a n g e f i t s of
recognizeably o l y r i c a l ballad.
is
Although u n l i k e most t r a d i t i o n a l
b a l l a d s n o t h i n g a c t u a l l y h i ~ p p e n s , t h e a t m o s p h e r e 01 t h e poem
----3
arouses an expectation of traged
The s p e a k e r i n t r o d u c e s h i s t a l e
/
-
by d e s c r i b i n g h i s e x p e r i e n c e as " S t r a n g e f i t s o f p a s s i o n I have
known.
. . .":
u s i n g t h e word " s t r a n g e u e v o k e s t h e t r a d i t i o n a l
b a l l a d world o f t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l o r t h e mysterious.
This e f f e c t is
h e i g h t e n e d a s h e g o e s o n t o c o n f i d e t h a t h e " w i l l d a r e t o t e l l / But
--
i n t h e L o v e r ' s ear a l o n e , / What o n c e t o me b e f e l l . "
These l i n e s
i n t i m a t e t h a t i t is d a n g e r o u s t o s p e a k of t h i s e x p e r i e n c e .
Perhaps
9
t h e n a r r a t o r f e a r s t h a t by s p e a k i n g of h i s p r e m o n i t i o n o f L u c y ' s
d e a t h h e wil.1 make i t happen.
In the e a r l y version s e n t t o Coleridge
from G o s l a r , t h e poem h a s a f i n a l s t a n z a i n which w e a r e t o l d t h a t
t h e n a r r a t o r ' s f e a r s have come t o p a s s :
Once, when my l o v e was s t r o n g and g a y ,
And l i k e a r o s e i n J u n e ,
I t o h e r c o t t a g e b e n t my way,
Beneath t h e e v e n i n g ?loon.
Upon t h e moon I f i x e d my e y e
A l l o v e r the wide l e a :
My h o r s e t r u d g ' s o n , and we drew n i g h
Those p a t h s s o d e a r [ t o ] me.
3
And now I ' v e r e a c h e d t h e o r c h a r d - p l o t ,
And as w e c l i m b e d t h e h i l l ,
Toward's t h e r o o f o f Lucy's c o t
The moon descended s t i l l .
I n o n e o f t h o s e s w e e t dreams I s l e p t ,
Kind n a t u r e ' s g e n t l e s t boon,
&d a l l t h e w h i l e my e y e s I k e p t
On t h e d e s c e n d i n g moon.
My h o r s e moved o n ; hoof a f t e r hoof
H e r a i s e d and never s t o p p e d ,
When down behind t h e c o t t a g e roof
At once t h e p l a n e t dropp'd.
Strange a r e the fancies t h a t w i l l s l i d e
I n t o a l o v e r ' s head,
"0 mercy" t o myself I c r i e d
I f Lucy should be dead!"
I told her this: her laughter l i g h t
Is r i n g i n g i n my e a r s ;
And when I t h i n k upon t h a t n i g h t
My e y e s a r e dim with t e a r s .
-
A " f i t of p a s s i o n " is g e n e r a l l y used t o d e s c r i b e an act_ committed
i n a moment o f abandon o r d u r i n g a momentary l o s s of s e l f c o n t r o l .
The s p e a k e r t e l l s u s he h a s had " f i t s " o f p a s s i o n , which s u g g e s t s t h a t
he h a s f e l t t h i s way more than once, a l t h o u g h he goes on t o d e s c r i b e a
s i n g l e occasion.
The second word o f t h e opening p h r a s e , " f i t s , " p o s s e s s e s a
number o f c o n n o t a t i o n s which b e a r upon t h e meaning o f t h e poem.
A
" f i t " commonly d e n o t e s a t r a n s i t o r y a f f l e c t i o n o r paroxysm o f h y s t e r i a
--
o r lunacy.
The major e f f e c t o f " f i t s " ,
t h e r e f o r e , i s t o reduce t h e
i n t e n s e emotional e x p e r i e n c e s u g g e s t e d by t h e use o f "passion"
(which
"Strange f i t s " m o d i f i e s ) t o a momentary a t t a c k of madness o r a l o s s o f
s e l f - c o n t r o l t h a t h a s s i n c e been thrown o f f , o r s o t h e s p e a k e r
endeavours t o persuade us.
A " f i t " may a l s o d e s c r i b e a b o d i l y s t a t e
o r a f f l i c t i o n t h a t p r e s a g e s d e a t h , a l t h o u g h t h i s use o f t h e word is,
34
and was i n Wordsworth's time, a r c h a i c : a s he goes on w i t h h i s s t o r y ,
t h e s p e a k e r ' s " f i t s " a r e r e v e a l e d t o be a mental c r i s i s t h a t i s
grounded i n o r foreshadows t h e p h y s i c a l f a c t o f d e a t h .
C
This archaic
20
usage s u g g e s t s t h e language o f t h e o l d t r a d i t i o n a l b a l l a d s .
is a l s o a p a r t of a
poem o r a song
-- a
stanza o r a canto.
A "fit"
This
meaning s u g g e s t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s e f f o r t t o r e g a i n c o n t r o l o v e r h i s
f e e l i n g s ; he a d m i t s h i s "passion" t o u s a b i t a t a t i m e , i n s t a n z a s ,
o r i n " f i t s and starts".
If h i s t e l l i n g of h i s "passion" i s
s t r u c t u r e d , perhaps i t may be c o n t r o l l e d .
"Passion" is used by t h e s p e a k e r t o d e f i n e a d i s t u r b i n g premonition
of h i s s w e e t h e a r t ' s d e a t h , and i s t h u s s e t a g a i n s t h i s l o v e f o r Lucy:
d e a t h , n o t Lucy, f i l l s h e r l o v e r w i t h "passion".
Although w e commonly
use "passion" t o imply s e x u a l l o v e , and t h e c l o s e p r o x i m i t y of "passion"
and "Lover" i n t h i s s t a n z a t e n d s t o b r i n g t h i s usage t o mind, t h e word
h a s i t s o r i g i n s i n " s u f f e r i n g , " e s p e c i a l l y t h e s u f f e r i n g of C h r i s t on
t h e c r o s s , and is c l o s e l y t i e d , t h e r e f o r e , t o l i f e and d e a t h , and t o
l i f e a f t e r d e a t h o r redemption.
But i n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e " ~ u c y " poems,
Lucy's d e a t h r e v e a l s h e r t o be a c r e a t u r e o f a p h y s i c a l u n i v e r s e .
l o v e r ' s "passion"
The
is indeed a n a n t i c i p a t i o n o f e t e r n i t y , b u t i t is t h e
c y c l i c a l realm o f e a r t h ' s " d i u r n a l course" ("A slumber d i d my s p i r i t
s e a l " ) t h a t he i s u l t i m a t e l y c o n f r o n t e d w i t h , r a t h e r t h a n t h e s p i r i t u a l
realm of God.
"Passion" i s c l o s e l y l i n k e d with p a s s i v i t y :
o r i s a c t e d upon by i t .
one s u f f e r s p a s s i o n ,
Thus, t h e s p e a k e r i n t r o d u c e s h i s s t o r y i n t h e
p a s s i v e v o i c e o r t e l l s us what "once t o me b e f e l l " .
endeavours t o r e p r e s s h i s "passion,"
Lucy's l o v e r
b u t i t becomes c l e a r i n t h i s poem
and i n t h e o t h e r s t h a t t h i s is a "passion" t h a t cannot b e overcome o r
ignored
--
]be n o t h i n g
man must be p a s s i v e i n t h e f a c e o f d e a t h , i n t h e end he can
35
5lse
I n t h e opening l i n e s o f t h e second s t a n z a t h e s p e a k e r recalls
how Lucy seemed t o him a s he set o u t f o r h e r c o t t a g e :
l o v ' d was s t r o n g and gay/ and l i k e a r o s e i n June.
t h e p a s t t e n s e h e r e ("When s h e I l o v ' d was.
i s no l o n g e r " s t r o n g and gay:"
..
"When s h e I
. . ."
The use o f
.") i m p l i e s t h a t Lucy
T h i s s u g g e s t i o n t h a t Lucy's y o u t h , i f
n o t h e r l i f e , is now o v e r is s t r e n g t h e n e d by h e r e q u a t i o n w i t h "a r o s e
i n June".
The a s s o c i a t i o n o f t r a n s i e n c e and decay w i t h r o s e s i s (and
was i n 1798) a comam p o e t i c i s m .
Wordsworth's o p i n i o n s a b o u t " p o e t i c
36
d i c t i o n " e x p r e s s e d i n t h e 1800 P r e f a c e s u g g e s t t h a t he a n t i c i p a t e d a
p a r t i c u l a r r e s p o n s e from h i s r e a d e r by u s i n g such a p h r a s e :
t h e use
o f such ready o r u n i n s p i r e d (and hence "unpassionate") words t o
d e s c r i b e Lucy r e i n f o r c e s my i m p r e s s i o n t h a t i n t e l l i n g h i s s t o r y t h e
n a r r a t o r i s a t t e m p t i n g t o diminish t h e e f f e c t o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e .
But
when t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f r o s e s and June w i t h t r a n s i e n c e i s coupled w i t h
t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e p a s t t e n s e , t h i s a p p a r e n t complacency i s
undercut.
The l o v e r ' s t r a n q u i l i t y is exposed a s f a l s e .
r e v e a l s t h e t r u t h of h i s "fond and wayward thoughts":
He i n a d v e r t e n t l y
i f Lucy i s n o t
dead now, s h e i s a t l e a s t changed from what s h e w a s , and a t some time i n
t h e f u t u r e she w i l l d i e .
Because I have argued t h a t t h e
"LUCY"
poems e x p r e s s Wordsworth's
own f e e l i n g s o r f e a r s , some comment about t h e p o e t ' s c o n s c i o u s i n t e n t
v e r s u s h i s empathic involvenrent w i t h h i s n a r r a t o r seems c a l l e d f o r h e r e .
Wordsworth's i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f p o e t r y w i t h p a s s i o n i n t h e P r e f a c e t o t h e
1800 e d i t i o n of L y r i c a l B a l l a d s s u g g e s t s t h a t each o f h i s poems e x p r e s s e s
a p r o j e c t i o n o f h i s own r e s p o n s e s i f he were t o be p l a c e d i n a p a r t i c u l a r
37
s i t u a t i o n of c i r c u m s t a n c e . A t l e a s t a t t h e moment o f w r i t i n g , Wordsworth
seem t o c l a i m i n t h e P r e f a c e , t h e f e e l i n g s e x p r e s s e d i n a l l o f h i s poems
a r e h i s own.
On t h e o t h e r hand, Wordsworth's n o t e t o "The Thorn" i n t h e
7
I
22
t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s a b o u t h i s use o f a f i r s t p e r s o n
n a r r a t i v e " t o show t h e manner i n which men c l e a v e t o t h e same i d e a ; and
t o f o l l o w t h e t u r n s o f p a s s i o n , always d i f f e r e n t y e t n o t p a l p a b l y
d i f f e r e n t , by which t h e i r c o n v e r s a t i o n i s swayed1', s u g g e s t s a p r e c e d e n t
f o r d i s t i n g u i s h i n g between p o e t and n a r r a t o r i n t h e "Lucy" poems.
w e l l , t h e s e poems have been v e r y c a r e f u l l y c r a f t e d .
As
Wordsworth's
penchant f o r r e v i s i o n i s a p p a r e n t from Dorothy's j o u r n a l s i n which s h e
f r e q u e n t l y remarks upon t h e p a i n Wordsworth s u f f e r e d a s a consequence
38
o f r e v i s i n g h i s poems. A s w e l l , C o l e r i d g e complained i n h i s notebook
i n 1803 t h a t Wordsworth's " c o r r e c t i o n s , coming o f n e c e s s i t y s o o f t e n ,
--
a t t h e end o f e v e r y 14 o r 20 l i n e s
o r whatever t h e poem might chance
39
t o be -- wore him o u t .
.I1
S e p a r a t i n g Wordsworth's c o n s c i o u s i n t e n t
..
and empathic involvement i n t h e "Lucy" poems, which ( i n c o n t r a s t t o
I1
The Thorn") a r e much more " l y r i c a l "
than they a r e " b a l l a d s " ,
neither e n t i r e l y possible nor desirable.
seems
However, I w i l l assume t h a t
t h e f i n i s h e d o r p u b l i s h e d poem may be d i s t i n g u i s h e d from t h e i n i t i a l
spontaneous o u t p o u r i n g and t h a t Wordsworth was w e l l aware o f t h e
i m p l i c a t i o n s o f u s i n g a p h r a s e such a s " l i k e a r o s e i n June" t o d e s c r i b e
Lucy.
The f o r e b o d i n g e q u a t i o n o f Lucy w i t h t h e b r i e f f l o w e r i n g o f r o s e s
is echoed i n h e r l o v e r ' s r i d e t o h e r c o t t a g e "beneath a n e v e n i n g moon,"
40
o r beneath a moon t h a t i s s e t t i n g . The moon i s one o f t h e major images
man h a s o f t h e c y c l e s o f n a t u r e :
b i r t h , d e a t h and renewal.
waxes and wanes, and t h e n waxes a g a i n .
unchanged throughout
i t s cycle:
The moon
The moon, however, remains
t h e change o c c u r s i n o u r p e r c e p t i o n
o f t h e moon, r a t h e r t h a n i n t h e moon i t s e l f .
But once Lucy i s dead, l i k e
t h e r o s e s h e w i l l be gone f o r e v e r as a p a r t i c u l a r o r i n d i v i d u a l e n t i t y .
O r a s Ben Jonson w r o t e ,
Suns t h a t s e t , may r i s e a g a i n :
But i f once w e l o s e t h i s l i g h t
' T i s with us p e r p e t u a l n i g h t . 4 1
The use o f "bent my wayn t o d e s c r i b e t h e r i d e r ' s s e t t i n g o f f towards
LUCY'S
c o t t a g e s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s journey i s going t o be a d i f f i c u l t one
and t h a t he w i l l have t o s t r u g g l e t o reach t h e c o t t a g e .
The r i d e r seems
t o b e a r t h e g r e a t weight o f t h e moon upon h i s back, j u s t a s he l a t e r b e a r s
t h e burden o f h i s a n x i e t y about Lucy's d e a t h .
Juxtaposing the r i d e r ' s
movement w i t h t h a t of t h e moon's each o f t h e f o u r middle s t a n z a s slows
down o r impedes t h e r i d e r ' s p r o g r e s s .
r i d e r ; he i s unable t o c a t c h up.
The moon moves always ahead of t h e
Looking back upon h i s j o u r n e y , i t seems
t o t h e s p e a k e r t h a t i f o n l y he c o u l d have reached Lucy's c o t t a g e b e f o r e
\
t h e moon dropped behind i t , he might
have e s c a p e d t h e shocked awareness
o f Lucy's m o r t a l i t y t h a t t h e moon's mvement t r i g g e r e d
p e r h a p s , saved Lucy.
-
and t h u s ,
But a s he r e l i v e s h i s j o u r n e y , he knows he could
n o t move q u i c k l y enough, j u s t a s he is now unable t o evade h i s f e a r .
He
r i d e s towards Lucy a s though he were moving i n a dream:
I n one o f t h o s e sweet dreams I s l e p t ,
Kind Nature ' s g e n t l e s t boon!
The e f f e c t of e n d l e s s movement, a s i f i n a dream o r a t r a n c e , is
i n c r e a s e d by t h e r e p i t i t i o n o f t h e word "and" a s t h e n a r r a t o r d e s c r i b e s
h i s j o u r n e y , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e r e p e a t e d r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e moon's
"descending" and such p h r a s e s a s "my h o r s e t r u d g e d on",
on'' and "hoof a f t e r hoof/ He r a i s ' d and n e v e r s t o p p ' d .
"my h o r s e moved
. . ."
The
running-on qf a thought from one l i n e t o t h e n e x t , a d e v i c e used
24
throughout t h e poem ( f o r example, "And a l l t h e w h i l e my e y e s I k e p t /
On
t h e descending moon") a l s o slows down t h e poem's rhythm i n sympathy w i t h
t h e r i d e r ' s slow p r o g r e s s .
The l i n e s "I t o h e r c o t t a g e b e n t my way/
Beneath a n e v e n i n g moon"
a l s o s u g g e s t t h a t t h e r i d e r bows down t o t h e moon.
T h i s impression becomes
s t r o n g e r two s t a n z a s l a t e r , when t h e s p e a k e r r e f e r s t o "Kind N a t u r e ' s
g e n t l e s t boon" (my i t a l i c s ) : "Nature's" power t o g r a n t "boons" i m p l i e s
t h a t man i s h e r v a s s a l .
heedlesslwss.
The "boon" Nature g r a n t s is t h e "sweet dream1' o f
The r i d e r is j o l t e d o u t o f t h i s dream by a sudden f e a r f o r
Lucy's l i f e when t h e moon, N a t u r e ' s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e , d r o p s behind Lucy's
cottage.
H e i s made suddenly and p a i n f u l l y aware o f d e a t h , t h e power t h a t
Nature h o l d s o v e r man.
The man and t h e moon converge upon Lucy's c o t t a g e bnd they a l s o seem
--I
t o rnerge i n t o one a n o t h e r i n t h e d i s t o r t e d s y n t a x o f "Upon t h e moon I
f i x ' d my e y e , /
A l l o v e r t h e wide l e a " i n s t a n z a t h r e e .
Does " A l l o v e r
t h e wide l e a " r e f e r t o t h e moon's l i g h t , o r t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s eye?
Although
t h e s p e a k e r ' s premonition o f Lucy's d e a t h seems t o be t r i g g e r e d by an
o u t s i d e agency, t h e moon, h i s f e a r f o r Lucy a c t u a l l y emerges o u t o f t h e
d e p t h s o f h i s own s u b c o n s c i o u s , t o change h i s "sweet dreams" i n t o nightmare
and t o t h e r e b y shock him awake.
b u t a g a i n s t h i s own mind.
The r i d e r does n o t r a c e a g a i n s t t h e moon
H i s < n a b i l i t y t o r e a c h Lucy's c o t t a g e b e f o r e t h e
moon d r o p s behind i t s u g g e s t s t h a t he i s no l o n g e r a b l e t o c o n t r o l o r
repress h i s fear.
The word " f i x ' d "
f i x ' d my eye:')
i n t h e f i r s t l i n e o f s t a n z a t h r e e ("Upon t h e moon I
s u g g e s t s a mesmerized c o n c e n t r a t i o n upon t h e moon:
l o v e r r i d e s towards h e r c o t t a g e s t a r i n g " f i x e d l y 1 ' a t t h e f o r e b o d i n g
Lucy's
moon.
But i n s p i t e o f t h e r i d e r ' s c l o s e a t t e n t i o n t o t h e moon's
r e l e n t l e s s movement t o w a r d s I,ucyls c o t t a g e , i t n e v e r t h e l e s s seems t o
I1
drop s u d d e n l y , o r
a t once" b e h i n d t h e c o t t a g e r o o f .
The p r o s p e c t o f
Lucy's d e a t h seems sudden a n d unexpected b e c a u s e a 1 though t h e s p e a k e r
h a s presumably bestowed t h e c l o s e a t t e n t i o n o f a l o v e r upon Lucy
p e r h a p s -b e c a u s e h e h a s s o l o v i n g l y d o t e d upon h e r
--
--
or
he h a s b l i n d e d
himself t o the e f f e c t o f the passage of t i m e .
The slow-moving r e g u l a r i t y t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e s t h e r i d e r ' s j o u r n e y
comes t o a n a b r u p t s t o p a s t h e moon d r o p s b e h i n d Lucy's c o t t a g e :
My h o r s e moved o n ; hoof a f t e r hoof
He r a i s ' d and n e v e r s t o p p ' d
When down b e h i n d t h e c o t t a g e roof
At o n c e t h e p l a n e t d r o p p l d .
The r i d e r i s j o l t e d o u t o f h i s "sweet dreams ." Yet i n t h e l i n e s t h a t
immediately f o l l o w , h i s sudden epiphany is l a b e l l e d "fond a n d wayward
t h o u g h t s " t h a t " -s l i d e / i n t o a 1,over's head" (my i t a l i c s ) :
r e t u r n t o h i s former dream-like
rude awakening.
desiring to
s t a t e , t h e s p e a k e r seems t o deny h i s
Hence, t h e s l o w , g e n t l e rhythm o f t h e rest of t h e poem
i s k e p t up i n t h e f i n a l s t a n z a :
What f o n d and wayward t h o u g h t s w i l l s l i d e
I n t o a Lover's head
I1
0 mercy!" t o myself I c r i e d ,
"If Lucy s h o u l d b e dead!"
--
The s p e a k e r ' s r e f e r e n c e t o h i m s e l f i n t h e t h i r d p e r s o n i n t h e second
l i n e of t h i s s t a n z a ( " I n t o a L o v e r ' s head"),
i n c o n t r a s t t o h i s use o f t h e
f i r s t p e r s o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e rest o f t h e poem, s u g g e s t s t h a t h e is t r y i n g
t o d i s t a n c e h i m s e l f from t h i s e x p e r i e n c e o r t o r e p r e s s t h e s e "fond a n d
wayward t h o u g h t s . I 1
With h i s r a t h e r mechanical r e s p o n s e o f "0 mercy!''
s p e a k e r s e e k t o a t t e m p t t o c o n t a i n h i s e x p e r i e n c e by e x p r e s s i n g h i s
the
response t o i t i n f a m i l i a r and t h e r e f o r e " s a f e " terms.
A t t h e same
time, however, " 0 mercyI" evokes a n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h p r a y e r , s u g g e s t i n g
the s e r i o u s n a t u r e of these thoughts.
This association with prayer
s u g g e s t s i n r e t r o s p e c t t h a t " t h e I n v e r " t o whom t h e s p e a k e r s a y s t h a t
he w i l l " d a r e t o t e l l " h i s "passion" i n s t a n z a one i s C h r i s t , who a l o n e
w i l l l i s t e n t o and understand t h e s p e a k e r ' s s u f f e r i n g .
Similarly, the
s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s "fond and wayward thoughts" o r h i s "Strange
f i t s o f passion" evoke a n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h Henry Vaughan's v i s i o n o f
heaven i n "They a r e a l l gone i n t o t h e world of l i g h t " :
And y e t , a s a n g e l s i n some b r i g h t e r dreams
C a l l t o t h e s o u l when man doth s l e e p ,
So some s t r a n g e thoughts t r a n s c e n d o u r wonted themes,
And i n t o g l o r y peep. 42
But God's p r e s e n c e i s n o t f e l t i n t h e u n i v e r s e o f t h e "Lucy" poems.
Nature i s t h e c o n t r o l l i n g f o r c e h e r e :
her pleasure.
"boons" a r e g r a n t e d o r r e f u s e d a t
I f t h e s p e a k e r ' s c r y i s r e a d a s a p r a y e r t o God, i t seems
doomed t o remain unanswered.
I f i t i s a p r a y e r t o N a t u r e , i t seems
doomed t o r e b u f f , f o r d e a t h i s an undeniable and unavoidable f a c t o f l i f e
i n Nature's universe.
"0 mercy!'
t o myself I c r i e d " may be r e a d a s a
p l e a t o a g r e a t e r power, s o u n d l e s s l y exp e s e d , b u t i t a l s o i m p l i e s t h a t
i
t h e s p e a k e r a s k s f o r mercy from h i m s e l f , o r from h i s i m a g i n a t i o n
43
s o u r c e , f o r Wordsworth, of "deep f e e l i n g s " such a s t h e s e .
ends w i t h t h e u n r e m i t t i n g l i n e " ' I f
Lucy s h o u l d be dead!
'"
--
the
But t h e poem
These words,
towards which t h e poem h a s been always moving, overshadow a l l t h a t h a s
been s a i d b e f o r e .
-
"SHE DWELT AMONG THE
.---- UNTRODDEN
------- WAYS"
The use of f l o w e r imagery t o evoke o n e ' s beloved is a t r a d i t i o n a l
t e c h n i q u e of E n g l i s h l o v e p o e t r y which Wordsworth makes use of i n "Strange
f i t s of passion."
H e a l s o u s e s i t i n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways,"
comparing Lucy t o "A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e . "
Frances Ferguson s u g g e s t s
t h a t by a v o i d i n g " t h e s p e c i f i c s o f cheeks and , r o s e s 1 ' and l i k e n i n g Lucy t o
44
an e n t i r e f l o w e r , Wordsworth i n c r e a s e s Lucy's anonymity. These " s p e c i f i c s "
were, i n f a c t , used by Wordsworth t o d e s c r i b e Lucy i n t h e e a r l y v e r s i o n o f
"She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" s e n t t o C o l e r i d g e from G o s l a r :
r-
Ny hope was o n e , from c i t i e s f a r
1.--.
Nursed on a lonesome h e a t h :
Her l i p s were red as r o s e s a r e ,
Her h a i r a woodbine wreath.
She
lived- among
t h e untrodden ways
Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove,
A maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e
And v e r y few t o l o v e ;
A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half-hidden from t h e eye:
F a i r as a star when o n l y one
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky!
7
And s h e was g r a c e f u l a s t h e broom
I
That f l o w e r s by C a r r o n ' s s i d e ;
I
But slow d i s t e m p e r checked h e r bloom,
\And on t h e Heath s h e d i e d .
\
/
Long time b e f o r e h e r head l a y low
Dead t o t h e world was s h e :
But now s h e ' s i n h e r g r a v e , and Oh!
The d i f f e r e n c e t o m e !
Wordsworth s u b s e q u e n t l y removed some s i g n i f i c a n t d e t a i l s from t h i s
v e r s i o n o f "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways" :
t h e p u b l i s h e d poem no
l o n g e r t e l l s us t h a t Lucy s u f f e r e d from "distemper"
. o r t h a t s h e was a
--
l o n g time dfiing.
What a r e l e f t a r e t h e b a r e bones.
Lucy l i v e d , and s h e
died.
Beside t h e t e r r i b l e f a c t t h a t Lucy is dead, t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s
s u r r o u n d i n g h e r d e a t h seem u n i q o r t a n t .
The r e s u l t o f removing t h e s e
d e t a i l s from t h e poem i s i n c r e a s e d poignancy:
more f e l t .
Lucy's absence i s much
The comparisons o f Lucy t o a v i o l e t and t o a s t a r a r e now
set a t t h e c e n t r e o f t h e poem; r a t h e r t h a n b e i n g p a r t o f a c a t a l o g u e o f
h e r b e a u t y , t h e y now seem t o e x p r e s s h e r e s s e n c e .
The image o f Lucy i s
a t once less s u p e r f i c i a l than t h e " s p e c i f i c s " o f h e r l i p s and h a i r and
harder t o grasp.
Now t h a t s h e is dead, Lucy's l o v e r t r i e s t o " p r a i s e "
h e r l i v i n g p r e s e n c e , b u t he can o n l y evoke an e l u s i v e i m p r e s s i o n of
what s h e once was.
I n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a Lucy's way of l i f e is evoked
w i t h images of
q u i e t and t r a n q u i l l i t y , b u t t h e s e r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f Lucy a r e c o l o u r e d by
her death.
The e f f e c t o f u s i n g "dwelt" ( i n s t e a d o f " l i v e d " ,
example) i s t o emphasize h e r impermanenc
-
\
f o r a t i m e among "Th' untrodden ways
."
--
for
Lucy r e s i d e d o r l i n g e r e d
T h i s l a t t e r p h r a s e c o n j u r e s up
images o f a r u r a l remoteness o r o f a s o l i t a r y , u n h u r r i e d way of l i f e .
W
e a r e a l s o t o l d t h a t Lucy dwelt "Beside t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove.
...
1I
Because t h e Dove is a symbol o f t h e Holy S p i r i t , Lucy's d w e l l i n g b e s i d e
" t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove" s u g g e s t s t h a t s h e , t o o , was p u r e and v i r t u o u s .
---.-
--
-
The p h r a s e s u g g e s t s t h a t Lucy dwelt n e a r God, t h e s o u r c e o r t h e "springs"
o f t h e Holy S p i r i t and t h a t Lucy's q u i e t , r u r a l l i f e was t h e r e f o r e p u r e r
-- --
and h o l i e r t h a n i t c o u l d have been i f s h e had l i v e d among t h e well-trodden
ways o f town. Lucy's d w e l l i n g b e s i d e t h e " s p r i n g s " o r t h e b e g i n n i n g s of
-t h e River Dove a l s o s u g g e s t s h e r youth. Lucy's innocence, s i m p l i c i t y and
v i r t u e , as w e l l a s h e r youth, a r e a l s o i m p l i e d by t h e one r e f e r e n c e t o h e r
a s a "Maid" i n t h e t h i r d l i n e o f t h i s s t a n z a .
T h i s i m p r e s s i o n o f Lucy's
v i r t u e o r g o d l i n e s s c o n j u r e s up t h e o l d maxim, s h e d i e d young b e c a u s e s h e
was t o o good f o r t h i s world
--
o f a c h i l d o r a young p e r s o n .
_C_-
u s u a l l y used i n r e t r o s p e c t , a f t e r t h e d e a t h
Because o f h e r y o u t h , Lucy's d e a t h--i.s
unexpected and a l l t h e more s h a t t e r i n g f o r h e r l o v e r :
-
- --
__
_-
.
- -
-+
--
t h e promise c o n t a i n e d
i n " t h e s p r i n g s o f Dove" o f a c a l m l y f l o w i n g r i v e r i s n o t m i r r o r e d i n Lucy's
l i f e , which e n d s j u s t as i t is b e g i n n i n g .
The r a t h e r c i r c u i t o u s l i n e s "A Maid whom t h e r e were none t o p r a i s e /
And v e r y few t o love'' a l s o h i n t a t Lucy's s i t u a t i o n i n l i f e , t e l l i n g us
t h a t Lucy l i v e d i n i s o l a t i o n , w i t h a s m a l l c i r c l e o f i n t i m a t e s who l o v e d
her.
More s i g n i f i c a n t l y , t h e s e l i n e s imply a d i s t i n c t i o n between t h e
f e e l i n g s t h e s p e a k e r h a d f o r Lucy when s h e was a l i v e a n d t h e f e e l i n g s h e
i s l e f t w i t h now t h a t s h e i s dead:
when Lucy was a l i v e , h e r f a m i l y and
f r i e n d s d i d not "praise" h e r , they loved h e r .
" P r a i s e " s u g g e s t s worship
o r t h e o f f e r i n g o f hynms t o a remote d i v i n i t y and t h e s p e a k e r seems t o
d i s t i n g u i s h t h i s from t h e l o v e he a n d a few o t h e r s f e l t f o r Lucy.
But
now t h a t Lucy is dead, s h e can no l o n g e r be l o v e d ; s h e can o n l y be p r a i s e d .
T h i s poem was g i v e n t h e t i t l e o f "Song" i n t h e 1800 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l
B a l l a d s , p e r h a p s b e c a u s e i t is a hymn o f p r a i s e t o Lucy.
Now t h a t s h e i s
dead, t h e s p e a k e r remembers Lucy as more t h a n t h e s i m p l e "Maid" he l o v e d .
H e w o r s h i p s h e r as
A v i o l e t by a mossy s t o n e
Half h i d d e n from t h e Eye!
F a i r , as a star when o n l y one
Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky!
--
These two images r e p r e s e n t Lucy a s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y lowly a n d d e l i c a t e ,
g l o r i o u s a n d remote.
Lucy's b e a u t y s p a n s t h e n e a r a n d t h e f a r a n d
e x p r e s s e s t h e u n i t y of t h e u n i v e r s e :
h e r beauty enconpasses t h e a n t i p o d e s
45
o f t h e u n i v d r s e and shows them t o be m i r r o r images o f e a c h o t h e r .
The
v i o l e t is h a l f hidden by t h e s t o n e ; t h e g l o r y of t h e s i n g l e s t a r is
a b o u t t o be obscured by c o u n t l e s s o t h e r s .
The s t a r shows up a g a i n s t t h e
darkened sky; t h e v i o l e t i s c o n t r a s t e d a g a i n s t t h e mossy s t o n e .
But
although t h e s e images of t h e v i o l e t and t h e s t a r seem i n t e n d e d a s a t r i b u t e
t o Lucy, t h i s " p r a i s e 1 ' h a s a hollow r i n g .
w i t h m u t a b i l i t y t h a t b o t h images evoke:
I t is undercut by t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s
t r y i n g t o r e c a p t u r e Lucy's b e a u t y ,
h e r l o v e r can o n l y e x p r e s s i t i n terms t h a t s u g g e s t h e r d e a t h .
blooms, and t h e n s h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s w i t h e r s away.
A violet
The "mossy s t o n e " t h a t
h a l f h i d e s t h e v i o l e t s e r v e s t o emphasize t h e f r a i l t y o f t h e f l o w e r , and
o f Lucy's l i f e .
--
Like a s t a r , a s t o n e i s a r e l a t i v e l y permanent o b j e c t , i n
contrast to a violet.
The moss t h a t grows on t h e s t o n e s u g g e s t s a c o o l ,
moist g r e e n n e s s , such a s one might f i n d by a s p r i n g , b u t a s G e f f r e y Durrant
46
p o i n t s o u t , i t a l s o s u g g e s t s a g r a v e s t o n e . The s p e c i a l b e a u t y o f a s t a r
"when o n l y one/ Is s h i n i n g i n t h e sky" l a s t s o n l y a s h o r t time, b e f o r e
there are countless others.
Placed within the context of the e t e r n a l
' v a s t n e s s o f t h e u n i v e r s e , l i k e t h e v i o l e t by t h e s t o n e , t h e image o f t h e
s i n g l e s h i n i n g s t a r emphasizes t h e q u i c k passage o f Lucy's l i f e .
The c i r c u i t o u s n e s s o f t h e f i r s t s t a n z a o f t h e poem is m i r r o r e d i n
the l a s t stanza:
i f Lucy " l i v ' d unknown", how could even a "few" know
when s h e "ceas'd t o be"?
The e f f e c t o f t h e s e l i n e s i s t o s u g g e s t a
r e l u c t a n c e on t h e s p e a k e r ' s p a r t t o s t a t e d i r e c t l y t h a t Lucy i s dead.
The d e s c r i p t i o n o f Lucy's d y i n g a s h e r c e a s i n g t o be a l s o echoes t h e
q u i e t anonymity o f Lucy's l i f e t h a t i s evoked i n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a ; Lucy
does n o t d i e s o much a s s l i p o u t o f l i f e .
"Few c o u l d know", p e r h a p s ,
because Lucy's d e a t h i s such a q u i e t d i m i n i s h i n g of l i f e .
By
i t a l i c i z i n g " l i v ' d l ' ( t h i s i s o n l y done i n t h e 1800 v e r s i o n o f t h e poem),
h e r l o v e r s t r e s s e s t h a t Lucy w i l l n o t remain unknown now t h a t s h e i s dead:
h i s poem o r song o f " p r a i s e " t o h e r is t o e n s u r e t h a t more t h a n a few w i l l
know about Lucy.
The o b l i q u e n e s s o f t h e s e l i n e s c o n t r a s t s s h a r p l y w i t h t h e f l a t
statement t h a t follows:
"But s h e is i n h e r Grave.
. . ."
seems t o s t e e l himself t o admit t h i s t e r r i b l e r e a l i t y .
- --
-
- -
--
------- -
&
The
-- -s-p-.e---a k e r
In h i s grief a t
.
Lucy's d e a t h , t h e s p e a k e r h a s set himself a p a r t
-__ -
even n o t i c e t h a t Lucy h a s " c e a s ' d t o be".
--
o n l y a "very few"
The l o n e l i n e s s he f e e l s now
t h a t Lucy i s dead is emphasized by t h i s and a l s o by t h e r e s t r a i n t of
t h e f i n a l words o f t h e poem:
"and, Oh!/
The d i f Eerence t o me."
Leaving
s o much unsaid i n t h e s e l i n e s h a s t h e p a r a d o x i c a l e f f e c t o f conveying t h e
s p e a k e r ' s anguish and d e s o l a t i o n i n a very powerful and c o n v i n c i n g way.
Defining t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h on h i s l i f e a s simply t h e " d i f f e r e n c e "
i t has made t o him s u g g e s t s a pent-up emotion o r g r i e f t h a t i s t o o
profound o r t o o d e v a s t a t i n g t o be d e s c r i b e d , a l t h o u g h a s I have t r i e d t o
demonst r a t e , t h i s " d i f f e r e n c e " a f f e c t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s memory o f Lucy and
i n t e r f e r e s w i t h h i s e v o c a t i o n of h e r i n t h i s e l e g y .
I n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " t h e s p e a k e r l o o k s back upon t h e
II
sweet dream" of h e e d l e s s n e s s t o Lucy's m o r t a l i t y
from which he was
f i r s t awoken by h i s premonition o f h e r d e a t h i n "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n . "
The f i r s t s t a n z a o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " s u g g e s t s t h e s p e a k e r ' s
r e p r e s s i o n o f h i s awareness o f Lucy's m o r t a l i t y i n t h e o t h e r poem.
While
Lucy was a l i v e , he was a b l e t o i g n o r e t h e e f f e c t s o f t h e passage of t i m e
o r t o deny t h a t Lucy c o u l d f e e l "The touch of e a r t h l y y e a r s . "
I n "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " t h i s knowledge i s c a l l e d "human f e a r s , : "
These f e a r s a r e o n l y a d m i t t e d a f t e r
awakened " s p i r i t , "
LUCY'S
d e a t h by t h e s p e a k e r ' s
t h e f a c u l t y t h a t makes him human o r d i s t i n g u i s h e s
him from animals and from "things1' which do n o t f e e l time o r change.
Wordsworth a l s o makes t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n i n one o f t h e "Matthew" poems,
"The Fountain" ( a l s o composed a t C o s l a r i n 1798-1799).
I n t h i s poem
Matthew c o n t r a s t s men's misery w i t h t h e unchanging n a t u r e o f a stream
and with t h e b i r d s ' b l i t h e ignorance of t h e e f f e c t o f time:
'No check, no s t a y , t h i s S t r e a m l e t f e a r s ;
How m e r r i l y i t goes!
' T w i l l murmur on a thousand y e a r s ,
And flow a s i t now flows.
'And h e r e , on t h i s d e l i g h t f u l day,
I cannot choose b u t t h i n k
How o f t , a v i g o r o u s man, I l a y
Beside t h i s f o u n t a i n ' s b r i n k
'My e y e s a r e dim w i t h c h i l d i s h t e a r s ,
Ny h e a r t i s i d l y s t i r r e d ,
For t h e same sound i s i n my e a r s
Which i n t h o s e days I h e a r d .
'The b l a c k b i r d amid l e a f y t r e e s ,
The l a r k above t h e h i l l ,
L e t l o o s e t h e i r c a r o l s when they p l e a s e ,
Are q u i e t when t h e y w i l l .
'With Nature n e v e r do they wage
A f o o l i s h s t r i f e ; they s e e
A happy youth, and t h e i r o l d age
Is b e a u t i f u l and f r e e ;
'But w e a r e p r e s s e d by heavy laws;
And o f t e n g l a d no more,
W
e wear a f a c e o f j o y , because
W
e have been g l a d o f y o r e .
The s p e a k e r ' s " s p i r i t " i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " may be
d e f i n e d as h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o r h i s imagination which, as Wordsworth t e l l s
us i n The ~ f e l u d e ,is most o f t e n "unsealed" by p a i n and f e a r .
" s t o l e n boat" e p i s o d e (I: 80-129,
1798-99) t h e p o e t c o n c l u d e s :
After the
Ah! n o t i n v a i n ye Beings o f t h e h i l l s !
And ye t h a t walk t h e woods and open h e a t h s
By moon o r s t a r - l i g h t , t h u s from my f i r s t dawn
Of childhood d i d ye l o v e t o i n t e r t w i n e
The p a s s i o n s t h a t b u i l d up o u r human s o u l ,
Not with t h e mean and v u l g a r works o f man,
But w i t h high o b j e c t s , w i t h e t e r n a l t h i n g s ,
With l i f e and n a t u r e , p u r i f y i n g t h u s
The elements o f f e e l i n g and o f thought,
And s a n c t i f y i n g by such d i s c i p l i n e
Both p a i n and f e a r , u n t i l w e recognize
A grandeur i n t h e b e a t i n g s of t h e h e a r t .
(I: 130-142)
S i m i l a r l y , the g l o r i o u s v i s i o n d e s c r i b e d i n " T i n t e r n Abbey" o n l y f o l l o w s
t h e p o e t ' s apprehension of "The s t i l l , s a d music of humanity":
For I have l e a r n e d
To look on n a t u r e , n o t a s i n t h e hour
Of t h o u g h t l e s s youth; b u t h e a r i n g o f t e n t i m e s
The s t i l l , s a d music o f humanity,
Nor h a r s h n o r g r a t i n g , though of ample power
To c h a s t e n and subdue. And I have f e l t
A presence t h a t d i s t u r b s me with t h e j o y
Of e l e v a t e d t h o u g h t s ; A s e n s e sublime
Of something f a r more deeply i n t e r f u s e d ,
Whose d w e l l i n g is t h e l i g h t of s e t t i n g s u n s ,
And t h e round ocean and t h e l i v i n g a i r ,
And t h e b l u e s k y , and i n t h e mind of man:
A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t impels
A l l t h i n k i n g t h i n g s , a l l o b j e c t s of a l l t h o u g h t ,
And r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s .
The l a s t t h r e e l i n e s o f t h i s e x c e r p t from " T i n t e r n Abbey" a r e echoed
i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal.:'!
However, i n " T i n t e r n Abbey" t h e landscape
is a l i v e with a "presence" o r with "A motion and a s p i r i t , t h a t impels.
--
--
and r o l l s through a l l t h i n g s " whereas i n "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l , "
because Lucy is dead, t h e landscape a l s o seems t o be dead:
t h a t t h i s landscape c o n t a i n s a r e inanimate and i n e r t .
the "things"
They are "Rolled
around i n e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course,': b u t no motion o r s p i r i t r o l l s through
them.
I n " f i n t e r n Abbey" t h e p o e t d e f i n e s h i m s e l f a s a " t h i n k i n g thing"
..
and f e e l s a c l o s e harmony betwen himself and a l l o t h e r t h i n g s .
Instead of
t h i s "sense sublime" of t h e u n i t y o f men's minds w i t h t h e i n a n i m a t e
u n i v e r s e , t h e s p e a k e r o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " f i n d s h i m s e l f s h u t
o u t from t h e u n i v e r s e of t h i n g s with which Lucy h a s merged.
is remote, t h e l a n d s c a p e a l s o seems remote.
Because Lucy
H i s l o n e l y s p i r i t awakens i n
a seemingly empty u n i v e r s e .
The s p e a k e r ' s i m a g i n a t i o n i s "unsealed" o r r e l e a s e d by h i s g r i e f , b u t
LUCY'S
s p i r i t , on t h e o t h e r hand, h a s been s e a l e d by t h e e n d l e s s slumber o f
death.
There is no s u g g e s t i o n i n t h e poem t h a t Lucy's s o u l l i v e s on a f t e r
t h e d e a t h o f her body:
Lucy "seem'd a thing" when s h e was a l i v e ; now t h a t
s h e i s dead s h e is a t h i n g .
There is no t r a c e of t h e d i v i n e i n t h e u n i v e r s e
o f "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l
."
Instead of ascending to a s p i r i t u a l
p l a n e o f b e i n g a f t e r d e a t h , Lucy h a s descended down t h e c h a i n o f b e i n g , t o
t h e l e v e l o f v e g e t a b l e and m i n e r a l s o r of "rocks and s t o n e s and trees."
Because t h e e f f e c t o f Lucy's d e a t h upon h e r l o v e r i s a t e r r i b l e l o s s , h i s
v i s i o n o f d e a t h ' s consequences f o r Lucy is a l s o
a b l e a k one. The r e p e a t e d
n e g a t i v e s of t h e f i r s t two l i n e s o f s t a n z a two emphasize t h a t dying
"No motion h a s s h e
r e p r e s e n t s a l o s s f o r Lucy a s w e l l a s f o r h e r l o v e r :
now, no f o r c e /
She n e i t h e r h e a r s n o r sees.
. . ."
Like t h e "rocks
and
s t o n e s and trees," Lucy no l o n g e r walks o r runs now t h a t s h e is dead; n o r
does s h e b r e a t h e o r speak o r laugh.
without v i t a l i t y o r "spirit.','
Lucy h a s no " f o r c e " anymore:
she is
She no l o n g e r h e a r s o r sees o r f e e l s .
Lucy no l o n g e r h a s nmtion o r f o r c e because s h e i s no l o n g e r a f f e c t e d
o r "touched" by " e a r t h l y y e a r s . "
Lucy's c o r p s e i s "Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s
d i u r n a l course" b u t t h i s motion no l o n g e r impels Lucy.
t u r n s , b u t Lucy is s t i l l .
The e a r t h s t i l l
The image of t h e e a r t h ' s r e g u l a r movement
c o n t r a s t s with and e n p h a s i z e s t h e s t i l l n e s s o r permanence o f t h e
inanimate o b j e c t s i t c a r r i e s a l o n g w i t h i t .
Now t h a t Lucy i s dead, t h e
s p e a k e r is compelled t o recognize t h a t s h e i s a l s o p a r t o f t h i s e t e r n a l
r e p ~i t i o n .
The correspondence between t h e "thing" Lucy seemed t o be i n l i f e ,
d e s c r i b e d i n t h e f i r s t s t a n z a , and t h e t h i n g s h e a c t u a l l y is now t h a t s h e
is dead, described i n t h e second s t a n z a , i s emphasized by t h e p a r a l l e l
s t r u c t u r e of t h e two s t a n z a s .
Each s t a n z a b e g i n s with two s h o r t s t a t e m e n t s ,
and each s t a n z a b u i l d s towards t h e t h i r d and f o u r t h l i n e s , which a r e
enjambed.
The corresponding o b s e r v a t i o n s about Lucy t h a t t h e t h i r d and
f o u r t h l i n e s c o n t a i n a r e given added weight because o f t h e i r l e n g t h , i n
c o n t r a s t t o t h e b r i e f s t a t e m e n t s t h a t come b e f o r e .
Aided by t h e r e g u l a r i t y
o f t h e poem's rhyme scheme, t h e r e p e t i t i v e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e two s t a n z a s
imparts a sense o f an i n e x o r a b l e proceeding towards t h e f i n a l l o n e l y v i s i o n
o f Lucy's k i n s h i p w i t h "rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s . "
Using " d i u r n a l " r a t h e r than t h e s i m p l e r word " d a i l y " t o d e s c r i b e t h e
e a r t h ' s course c r e a t e s an impression o f majesty and power which c o n t r a s t s
w i t h t h e g e n t l e image i n s t a n z a one of "The touch of e a r t h l y y e a r s
."
Because t h e e f f e c t o f time was s o i m p e r c e p t i b l e o r g e n t l e , t h e s p e a k e r w a s
a b l e t o ignore i t .
By i g n o r i n g time t h e s p e a k e r seems t o p i t t h e puny
powers of h i s wishes a g a i n s t i t o r t o t r y t o h a l t t h e " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l
course."
The f o o l i s h n e s s of h i s former s t a t e of mind i s t h e r e f o r e
emphasized by t h i s f i n a l image of t h e e a r t h ' s r e g u l a r and r e l e n t l e s s
revolutions.
tw3
Counting time i n y e a r s i n s t a n z a one and i n days i n s t a n z a
suggest both t h e s p e a k e r ' s i n c r e a s e d awareness o f t i m e ' s passage and
h i s unhappihess and l o n e l i n e s s now t h a t Lucy i s dead.
h e a v i l y on h i s hands now.
Time hangs more
When Lucy was a l i c e , t h e y e a r s passed q u i c k l y
and i m p e r c e p t i b l y ; now t h a t she i s dead, he i s aware o f t h e passage o f
each day.
The s t a t e l y m a j e s t y suggested by " e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course" i s
echoed i n t h e rhythm of t h i s l i n e .
i n "round",
The l o n g vowel sounds, t h e d i p t h o n g
t h e s e p a r a t i o n o r pause between t h e "i" and t h e "u" i n
"diurnal1', t h e r e p i t i t i o n o f "r", "1" and "sf' sounds and t h e pause one
t e n d s t o make between " e a r t h ' s " and " d i u r n a l " a l l slow t h e r e a d e r down and
add f o r c e t o t h e image t h a t t h i s l i n e c o n t a i n s .
--
line
I1
r " , 11s " and "nl'
-- a r e
The dominant sounds of t h i s
r e p e a t e d i n t h e poem's l a s t l i n e .
This
r e p i t i t i o n of sound u n i f i e s t h e l a s t two l i n e s and t h e r e f o r e i n c r e a s e s t h e
f o r c e o f t h e image of Lucy's u n i t y with t h e u n i v e r s e of " t h i n g s . "
P o e t i c a l Works o f 1832 Wordsworth i n s e r t e d commas i n t o t h i s l i n e
and s t o n e s , and t r e e s
."
For t h e
--
"r o c k s ,
These pauses g i v e t h e l i n e a weighted emphasis
which i m p a r t s a t e r r i b l e f i n a l i t y t o t h i s image.
Lucy's having taken h e r p l a c e with t h e "rocks and s t o n e s and t r e e s "
reminds us t h a t s h e is now i n t h e ground
--
i n h e r grave.
The l e x i c a l
r e p e t i t i o n o f "rocks and s t o n e s " emphasizes t h a t Lucy's c o r p s e i s an
inanimate "thing.
II
But u n l i k e a rock o r a s t o n e , Lucy's c o r p s e w i l l n o t
remain v i r t u a l l y unchanged by time:
i t w i l l decay and t u r n t o d u s t , t o
become p a r t of t h e e a r t h from which t r e e s can grow.
Extending t h e p h r a s e
"rocks and s t o n e s " t o i n c l u d e " t r e e s " h a s t h e e f f e c t o f l e s s e n i n g t h e
b l e a k n e s s of t h i s image s i n c e although they do n o t " f e e l , " trees a r e
nevertheless l i v i n g things.
They grow and change.
every winter, t o be reborn i n t h e spring.
T r e e s a l s o "die"
They belong t o t h e s e a s o n a l
c y c l e s o f n a t u r e , which a r e a s permanent i n t h e i r r e p e t i t i o n as a r e r o c k s
and s t o n e s .
Lucy's d e a t h awakens h e r l o v e r ' s imagination o r " s p i r i t " by
f o r c i n g him t o r e c o g n i z e t h a t Lucy i s p a r t of t h i s e n d l e s s c y c l e , b u t t h i s
37
u n d e r s t a n d i n g is overshadowed by t h e knowledge t h a t s h e i s l o s t t o him.
"THREE YEARS SHE GREW I N SUN AND SHOWER"
While t h e f o c u s o f "Three y e a r s s h e grew i n s u n and shower" i s
- _o- s t e n s i b l y
upon t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f Lucy and "Nature,"
- - _
_--
__
the d e t a i l s of t h i s
1-
---
r e l a t i o n s h i p a r e p r e s e n t e d by h e r l o v e r , from h i s p o i n t o f view.
------I-.--
----
C
___-__--_
-------
--
--- -
.
.
Like t h e
----____
f i r s t t h r e e Lucy poems, t h i s poem i s concerned w i t h t h e s p e a k e r ' s f e e l i n g s
about Lucy's d e a t h :
t h e b i t t e r n e s s of h i s g r i e f i s r e v e a l e d by h i s
c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of Nature a s a domineering and powerful b e i n g .
P r e f a c e t o L y r i c a l Ball*
In the
(1800) Wordsworth s i n g l e s o u t p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n
a s a p a r t i c u l a r l y deplorable l i t e r a r y device:
I n t h e s e Poems I propose t o myself t o i m i t a t e and, a s f a r
a s i t i s p o s s i b l e , t o adopt t h e very language o f men, and
I do n o t f i n d t h a t such p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n s make any r e g u l a r
o r n a t u r a l p a r t o f t h a t language. I wish t o keep my
r e a d e r i n t h e company o f f l e s h and blood. 47
By p e r s o n i f y i n g Nature i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew, " t h e r e f o r e , Wordsworth
seems t o have gone a g a i n s t h i s own c r e e d .
However, l i k e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s
r a t h e r mechanical comparison o f Lucy t o a " r o s e i n June" i n " s t r a n g e f i t s
of p a s s i o n , " t h e s p e a k e r ' s use o f " p o e t i c d i c t i o n " i n t h i s poem r e v e a l s
much about h i s s t a t e of mind.
The l o v e l y images of Lucy's l i f e w i t h Nature a r e s i m u l t a n e o u s l y used
t o demonstrate N a t u r e ' s imperiousness:
"The f l o a t i n g c l o u d s t h e i r state
s h a l l l e n d / To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend"; "The stars o f midnight s h a l l
be d e a r / T o + h e r .
. . ."
t h a t cannot be denied:
Nature commands and i t i s s o .
T h i s i s a power
Three y e a r s s h e grew i n sun and shower,
Then Nature s a i d , "A l o v e l i e r flower
On e a r t h was n e v e r sown;
T h i s C h i l d I t o myself w i l l t a k e ,
She s h a l l be mine, and I w i l l make
A Lady of my own.
N a t u r e ' s p o s s e s s i v e n e s s i s emphasized i n t h e s e l i n e s by t h e f i r s t person
pronouns Nature uses w h i l e c l a i m i n g Lucy.
The greedy, demanding power
o f Nature o v e r r i d e s t h e f u t i l e c l a i m t h a t t h e s p e a k e r makes t o Lucy i n t h e
l a s t s t a n z a o f t h e poem:
Thus Nature spake -- t h e work was done
How soon my I.ucyls r a c e was run!
--
These l i n e s from t h e l a s t s t a n z a are r e m i n i s c e n t o f Genesis:
God s a i d , l e t t h e r e be l i g h t :
and t h e r e was l i g h t . "
(I:3)
"And
They s u g g e s t
t h a t N a t u r e ' s power i s a s g r e a t a s God's, o r t h a t i n t h e u n i v e r s e o f t h e s e
poems Nature i s t h e governing f o r c e .
and heaven, i n g l a d e and bower.
And Nature i s everywhere:
. . ."
"In earth
I n s t e a d o f God's, N a t u r e ' s w i l l i s
t o "be done i n e a r t h , as i t i s i n heaven"
(Matthew VI:10).
The opening l i n e s of "Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower" t e l l us
-
t h a t Lucy had been n u r t u r e d by t h e n a t u r a l world from h e r b i r t h o r =the
...
___----
A
t h r e e y e a r s b e f o r e Nature n o t i c e d and d e s i r e d h e r :
-A
l o v e l i e r flower/
"Lady":
consort.
__--------
On e a r t h was n e v e r sown.
..
.I'
"Then Nature s a i d , ' A
Lucy becomes N a t u r e ' s
s h e i s r a i s e d i n s t a t i o n , from one f l o w e r among many t o N a t u r e ' s
Lucy i s s i n g l e d o u t by Nature f o r p a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n :
Myself w i l l t o my d a r l i n g be
Both law and impulse, and w i t h me
The G i r l i n rock and p l a i n ,
I n e a r t h and heaven, i n g l a d e and bower,
S h a l l f e e l a n o v e r s e e i n g power
To k i n d l e o r r e s t r a i n .
*
39
J
A l l Lucy's d e s i r e s o r "impulses" w i l l o r i g i n a t e w i t h o r be"kindledW
by N a t u r e ' s "overseeing power.''
Her a b i l i t y t o govern o r t o " r e s t r a i n "
them w i l l a l s o come from Nature.
Lucy w i l l be wholly i n f l u e n c e d by
Nature and Nature w i l l bestow h i s kingdom upon h e r , t o s e r v e h e r :
f l o a t i n g clouds t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l lend/
....
II
"The
To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend
N a t u r e ' s promises a r e r e m i n i s c e n t o f p a s t o r a l l o v e p o e t r y such
as Marlow's "The P a s s i o n a t e Shepherd t o H i s Love," i n which t h e shepherd
o f f e r s h i s sweetheart " a l l the pleasures.
and f i e l d s , /
. ./
That v a l l e y s , g r o v e s , h i l l s ,
48
Woods o r s t e e p y mountain y i e l d s . ' '
A l l t h e b e a u t y of t h e
n a t u r a l world i s given t o Lucy because Lucy belongs wholly t o Nature, and
h e r own b e a u t y d e r i v e s e n t i r e l y from s e n s o r y e x p e r i e n c e :
Nor s h a l l s h e f a i l t o -.see
Even i n t h e motions of t h e s t o r m
A b e a u t y t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy.
...
And b e a u t y born of murmuring sound
Shall pass i n t o her face.
And v i t a l f e e l i n g s of d e l i g h t
S h a l l r e a r h e r form t o s t a t e l y h e i g h t ,
Her v i r g i n bosom s w e l l .
(my i t a l i c s )
...
Lucy's d e a t h f o r c e s h e r l o v e r t o an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f h e r p h y s i c a l
n a t u r e o r t o a r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t Lucy belonged t o N a t u r e , who w i l l n o t
s h a r e h e r w i t h h e r human l o v e r .
A s he l o o k s back upon Lucy's l i f e , i t
seems t o t h e s p e a k e r t h a t he l o s t Lucy t o Nature:
t h e poem i s n o t u n l i k e
a l o v e r ' s complaint w i t h Nature r e p r e s a t e d as a more powerful and t h e r e f o r e
v i c t o r i o u s r i v a l who h a s t a k e n Lucy from t h e s p e a k e r .
_-But&possessing
--.__
-.
-.-
Luw,&i~.llrq-.@
-. ~ t r o y ~
her.
..
_
.
,
'
A t t h e same time t h a t s h e i s endowed w i t h t h e
beauty o f t h e n a t u r a l world, Lucy a l s o r e c e i v e s h e r doom:
the end-result
of N a t u r e ' s l o v e f o r Lucy seems t o be t h a t Lucy's "race" is t h e s o o n e r run.
Although everyone belongs t o Nature
--
everyone d i e s e v e n t u a l l y
--
death
seems t o have come s o o n e r f o r Lucy because h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Nature
was e s p e c i a l l y c l o s e .
I f Lucy had been less l o v e l y , t h e s p e a k e r i m p l i e s ,
she might have e s c a p e d N a t u r e ' s n o t i c e and s t i l l be a l i v e .
N a t u r e ' s r e f e r e n c e t o Lucy as a f l o w e r i n s t a n z a one r e c a l l s t h e
1
<omparisons
t h a r o s e i n "Strange f i t s o f p a s s i o n " and w i t h a
v i o l e t i n "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways.
-
the co
n associ tion
_--kc?yL',
y./-
-L' -
-
of Lucy's l--i f e i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew."
----''_,\'
-
(
.
,
,
'
/
beauty bestowed
on Lucy w a s f l e e t i n g .
---
_---
-
7
.+>-
A s i n t h e o t h e r poems,
-
/--.
ty
Like
__-- t h e b e a u t y o f f l o w e r s , t h e
.-
L a t e r i n t h e poem, t h e ominous l i n e s
--
"While s h e and I t o g e t h e r l i v e / Here i n t h i s happy d e l l " ( s t a n z a s i x ) a l s o
s u g g e s t t h e t r a n s i e n c e o f Lucy's l i f e , a s w e l l a s p r o v i d i n g a b i t t e r c o n t r a s t
with t h e f i n a l image o f t h e s p e a k e r a l o n e on t h e h e a t h .
o f Lucy's l i f e w i t h Nature a r e images of motion:
t h e s p e a k e r ' s r e f e r e n c e t o Lucy's l i f e a s a
11
Many o f t h e images
t h e s e images c u l m i n a t e i n
race" i n t h e l a s t s t a n z a and
they emphasize, t h e r e f o r e , t h a t even while Lucy w a s s o v i b r a n t l y a l i v e , h e r
l i f e was q u i c k l y p a s s i n g :
She s h a l l be s p o r t i v e a s t h e fawn
That w i l d w i t h g l e e a c r o s s t h e lawn
O r up t h e mountain s p r i n g s .
...
The f l o a t i n g c l o u d s t h e i r s t a t e s h a l l l e n d
To h e r , f o r h e r t h e willow bend,
Nor
- s h a l l she f a i l t o see
Even i n t h e motions o f t h e s t o r m
A b e a u t y t h a t s h a l l mould h e r form
By s i l e n t sympathy.
...
and s h e s h a l l l e a n h e r e a r
To many a s e c r e t p l a c e
Where r i v u l e t s dance t h e i r wayward round,
And beauty born o f murmuring sound
S h a l l pass i n t o h e r face.
Lucy's t i r e l e s s motion a l s o s u g g e s t s h e r y o u t h f u l n e s s and echoes t h e
d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e p o e t ' s boyhood i n " T i n t e r n Abbey":
When l i k e a r o e
I bounded o ' e r t h e mountains, by t h e s i d e s
Of t h e deep r i v e r s , and t h e l o n e l y streams,
Where e v e r n a t u r e l e d .
...
Unlike most of t h e o t h e r images o f Lucy, s h e i s a l s o d e s c r i b e d i n
s t a n z a t h r e e as p o s s e s s i n g "the b r e a t h i n g balm,/
calm/
Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s . "
. . . the
s i l e n c e and t h e
These l i n e s c o n t r a s t w i t h t h e image o f
Lucy a s " s p o r t i v e as t h e fawn" i n t h e same s t a n z a and t h e r e f o r e s u g g e s t a
range o f l o v e l i n e s s t h a t i s r e m i n i s c e n t of t h e images o f t h e v i o l e t and t h e
s t a r i n "she dwelt among t h e untrodden ways."
p o s s e s s i n g "the s i l e n c e and t h e calm/
The image o f Lucy's
Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " a l s o
foreshadows h e r d e a t h and t h e "calm, and q u i e t scene" s h e b e q u e a t h s t o h e r
lover.
The d e s c r i p t i o n of Lucy a s " t h e b r e a t h i n g balm&
. . . Of
mute
i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " s u g g e s t s t h a t s h e was t h e l i v i n g embodiment o f t h e i r
soothing q u a l i t i e s .
Like t h e mountains o r trees o r c l o u d s , Lucy's p r e s e n c e
could calm and q u i e t e n h e r l o v e r ' s s p i r i t .
no l o n g e r " t h e b r e a t h i n g balm.
--
s h e h a s become one o f them.
.
But a f t e r h e r d e a t h , Lucy i s
./ Of mute i n s e n s a t e t h i n g s " (my i t a l i c s )
To t h e s p e a k e r , "This h e a t h , t h i s calm, and
q u i e t scene" seems a s a d reminder "of what h a s b e e n , /
And n e v e r more w i l l be.
I n c o n t r a s t t o t h e images of movement and o f s e n s o r y l i f e t h a t f i l l t h e
rest o f t h e poem, we a r e f i n a l l y t o l d t h a t Lucy's "race w a s run":
Lucy h a s
stopped running, s h e i s dead, and, because Lucy i s s t i l l , t h e l a n d s c a p e
"
a l s o seems s t i l l , a "calm and q u i e t scene."
l a s t s t a n z a , "Thus Nature spake
--
Like t h e f i r s t l i n e o f t h e
t h e work was done
LUCY'S "race" being"runt' h a s a b i b l i c a l t o n e .
--,I1
t h e image of
I t is reminiscent of t h i s
famous passage from E c c l e s i a s t e s :
I r e t u r n e d , and saw under t h e s u n t h a t t h e r a c e i s
not t o t h e s w i f t , nor the b a t t l e t o the s t r o n g ,
n e i t h e r y e t bread t o the w i s e , nor y e t r i c h e s t o
men of understanding, nor y e t f a v o u r t o men o f s k i l l ;
b u t t i m e and chance happeneth t o them a l l .
(1X:ll)
The t r a n q u i l a c c e p t a n c e o f t h e bounds o f time t h a t I s e n s e i n t h i s
passage i s n o t a c h i e v e d by t h e s p e a k e r of "Three y e a r s s h e grew," however.
Although t h e r e f e r e n c e t o t h e "calm and q u i e t scene" t h a t Lucy l e a v e s h e r
l o v e r s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e s p e a k e r ' s a t t i t u d e t o h e r d e a t h i s one o f a c c e p t a n c e
and r e p o s e , a s does h i s simple s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d s t a t e m e n t , "She d i e d , " t h i s
impression i s undercut by t h e n o s t a l g i c l a s t l i n e s o f t h e poem.
Lucy
l e a v e s t h e s p e a k e r a l o n e on t h e h e a t h w i t h "The m e w r y o f what h a s been/
And never more w i l l be. "
I have argued t h a t because Lucy is dead, t h e l a n d s c a p e o f "A slumber
d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " a l s o seems dead:
i t i s u n f e e l i n g , unresponsive and
--
inanimate.
I n "Three y e a r s s h e grew" t h e s p e a k e r d e s c r i b e s t h e world i n
-.
which Lucy l i v e d and, l i k e t h e landscape o f " T i n t e r n Abbey," t h a t world i s
f i l l e d w i t h motion and s p i r i t .
i s f u l l o f movement and d e l i g h t .
The kingdom t h a t Nature bestows upon Lucy
Perhaps t h e c o n t r a s t between t h e land-
s c a p e s o f t h e s e two "Lucy" poems may be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e changing
circumstances i n which Wordsworth composed t h e poems:
"A slumber d i d my
s p i r i t s e a l " was composed d u r i n g t h e b i t t e r l y c o l d w i n t e r a t G o s l a r ;
"Three y e a r e s h e grew" was composed i n t h e s p r i n g , a f t e r t h e Wordsworths
43
had l e f t Goslar.
However, i n s p i t e o f t h e warm promise o f s p r i n g and
t h e knowledge t h a t he was on h i s way home t o England, Wordsworth's mood
does n o t seem t o have a p p r e c i a b l y l i g h t e n e d .
The f i g u r e o f Nature i n
"Three y e a r s s h e grew" is domineering and p o s s e s s i v e , and a l t h o u g h t h i s
poem does n o t end on s o d e s o l a t e a n o t e as "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t seal,'.'
t h e tone o f t h e l a s t s t a n z a i s n o t d i s s i m i l a r .
CHAPTER
--
It
3:
GRASMERE
----
I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was probably composed i n A p r i l , 1801:
Wordsworth i n c l u d e d t h i s poem i n a l e t t e r he wrote t o Mary Hutchinson on
A p r i l 29, 1801, w i t h t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s t h a t i t s h o u l d be read a f t e r "She
dwelt among t h e untrodden ways."
Like "She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways",
"I t r a v e l l 'd among unknown men" emphasizes t h e importance of p l a c e :
the
s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n of where Lucy dwelt i n both poems c o l o u r s h i s
e v o c a t i o n o f Lucy.
Reading t h e poems i n t h i s sequence, t h e l o v e f o r
England t h a t t h e s p e a k e r e x p r e s s e s i n "I t r a v e l l Id among unkown men" grows
o u t of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Lucy and t h e l a n d s c a p e t h a t i s s u g g e s t e d i n
II
She dwelt among t h e untrodden ways".
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" was
f i r s t p u b l i s h e d i n 1807 when i t appeared w i t h a n o t h e r poem a b o u t Lucy,
"Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been," i n Poems, i n Two Volumes,
although t h e r e is e v i d e n c e t h a t Wordsworth had i n t e n d e d t o p u b l i s h i t i n t h e
1802 e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s a f t e r "A slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " and
49
then changed h i s mind. "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" e v e n t u a l l y
Poems
o f 1815 i n t h e p o s i t i o n
appeared w i t h t h e o t h e r "Lucyt' poems i n t h e Wordsworth had d e s i g n a t e d i n 1801, a f t e r "She dwelt among t h e untrodden
ways.
I'
I n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" Wordsworth seems t o l o o k back
upon t h e t e r r i b l e w i n t e r he and Dorothy s p e n t i n i s o l a t i o n i n Germany and
t o c o n t r a s t t h a t melancholy time with a p r e s e n t t h a t i s happy and s e r e n e .
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" e x p r e s s e s a c o n f i d e n c e t h a t i s s i m i l a r
t o t h e optimism w i t h which Wordsworth concluded " T i n t e r n Abbey" i n
J u l y , 1798.
The theme o f t h e c o n t i n u i t y o f t h e l a n d s c a p e o r o f p l a c e
a s a b r i d g e between p a s t and p r e s e n t i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men"
i s r e m i n i s c e n t o f Wordsworth's admonition t o h i s s i s t e r a t t h e end of
t h e earlier poem:
Nor, perchance -I f I s h o u l d be where I no more can h e a r
Thy v o i c e , n o r c a t c h from t h y w i l d e y e s t h e s e gleams
Of p a s t e x i s t e n c e -- w i l t t h o u t h e n f o r g e t
That on t h e banks o f t h i s d e l i g h t f u l s t r e a m
W
e s t o o d t o g e t h e r ; and t h a t I , s o long
A worshipper o f N a t u r e , h i t h e r came
Unwearied i n t h a t s e r v i c e
Nor w i l t thou t h e n f o r g e t ,
That a f t e r many wanderings, many y e a r s
Of absence, t h e s e s t e e p woods and l o f t y c l i f f s ,
And t h i s green p a s t o r a l l a n d s c a p e , were t o me
More d e a r , b o t h f o r themselves and f o r thy sake!
....
However, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" a l s o l o o k s back on a t i m e
of c r e a t i v e s u c c e s s from one f i l l e d w i t h f r u s t r a t i o n .
The w i n t e r o f 1798-
1799 was a h i g h l y p r o d u c t i v e time f o r Wordsworth; "I t r a v e l l ' d among
unknown men" i s t h e o n l y new poem he i s known t o have completed d u r i n g a
l o n g s i l e n c e t h a t began i n t h e summer o f 1800 and l a s t e d u n t i l November,
50
1801. By comparing h i s p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n w i t h t h e p a s t , Wordsworth seems,
t h e r e f o r e , t o s e e k t o r e a s s u r e himself a b o u t h i s l i f e i n Grasmere and t o
t h u s overcome t h e m a l a i s e t h a t g r i p p e d him i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.
I have s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems were a n e x p r e s s i o n
o f Wordsworth's i n t e n s e l o v e f o r Dorothy and r e f l e c t t h e i r s i t u a t i o n d u r i n g
t h e w i n t e r o f 1798-1799.
These poems seem t o m e t o emerge o u t o f t h e same
i n t r o s p e c t i p n t h a t produced P a r t One o f t h e two p a r t P r e l u d e . S i m i l a r i t i e s
-
between t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e f i r s t p a r t o f The R e c l u s e , Home a t Grasmere,
51
which was w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800, and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown
men" s u g g e s t t o me t h a t t h i s l y r i c was g e n e r a t e d by ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sa t t e m p t s
t o proceed w i t h Home a t Grasmere i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.
I n a book about
Wordsworth's p o e t r y o f 1800 John Dings d e s c r i b e d Home a t Grasmere as"a
d i v i d e d poem."
H e s u g g e s t s t h a t two impulses l a y behind Wordsworth's
composition o f t h e poem: t o write a b o u t h i m s e l f and t o d e s c r i b e t h e
52
p a s t o r a l l i f e . A number o f s h o r t p a s t o r a l poems s u c h as "Michael" and
"The w rot hers" seem t o have grown o u t o f Wordsworth's i n t e n t i o n , s t a t e d
a t t h e end o f t h e e a r l y s e c t i o n o f Home a t Grasmere, t o "look f o r man"
b u t t h e l i n e s w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800 a r e c h i e f l y a l y r i c a l
o v e r f l o w i n g o f powerful and i n t i m a t e f e e l i n g .
I1
Wordsworth b e g i n s h i s
g r e a t argument" o f t h e harmony between t h e Mind o f Man and t h e e x t e r n a l
53
World w i t h a c e l e b r a t i o n o f h i s l o v e f o r Grasmere and f o r Dorothy.
The
impulse t o w r i t e a b o u t h i m s e l f i n Home a t Grasmere seems t o have been
54
s t r o n g e r t h a n t h e impulse t o "give p i c t u r e s o f Nature, Man and Society.'!
Wordsworth a l s o gave way t o t h e urge t o w r i t e a b o u t h i m s e l f i n "I
t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men":
t h i s poem seems t o g i v e e x p r e s s i o n t o
f e e l i n g s t h a t Wordsworth could n o t t u r n i n t o philosophy i n t h e s p r i n g of
1801, Wordsworth's r e t u r n t o t h e "Lucy" s e r i e s a t t h i s t i m e s u g g e s t s t h a t
h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r was on h i s mind, a s i t had been i n t h e
w i n t e r o f 1798-1799 and i n t h e s p r i n g of 1800.
L
r
I
But t h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p was n o t t h e same a s i t had once been.
In
Germany and d u r i n g t h e e a r l y months a t Grasmere, Dorothy had been t h e
c e n t r e of ~ o r d s w o r t h ' sl i f e .
I n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801 Wordsworth was a t
home i n Grasmere and i n c l o s e c o n t a c t w i t h f r i e n d s s u c h as C o l e r i d g e and
47
t h e Hutchinson s i s t e r s and he w a s less dependent upon h i s s i s t e r ' s l o v e
and s u p p o r t .
Wordsworth d i d n o t f o r m a l i z e h i s engagement t o Mary
Hutchinson u n t i l A p r i l , 1802, b u t t h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p had probably begun
t o e s t a b l i s h i t s e l f i n t h e s p r i n g of 1801.
October, 1802, Wordsworth grew up:
When he married Mary i n
he s t e p p e d o u t o f t h e childhood world
he had r e g a i n e d i n h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s i s t e r and assumed the r o l e
o f an a d u l t .
I n "I t r a v e l l ' d m n g unknown men" Wordsworth seems t o o f f e r
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y a l o v e poem t o Dorothy, t h e s o u r c e o f s o much of h i s f e e l i n g
f o r t h e E n g l i s h l a n d s c a p e , and a d e c l a r a t i o n o f h i s independence.
During t h e i d y l l i c months f o l l o w i n g W i l l i a m and Dorothy Wordsworth's
a r r i v a l i n Grasmere a t t h e end of 1799, Wordsworth composed numerous s h o r t
poems and a l s o made a j u b i l a n t s t a r t upon Home a t Grasmere.
But d u r i n g t h e
summer o f 1800 Wordsworth found himself i n c r e a s i n g l y f r u s t r a t e d i n h i s
a t t e m p t s t o compose p o e t r y .
I n J u l y he wrote t o J o s i a h Wedgewood t h a t
"ill h e a l t h h a s f o r some time rendered l i t e r a r y l a b o u r n o t a d v i s e a b l e f o r
55
I n September.Dorothy d e s c r i b e d Wordsworth's poor h e a l t h and i t s
me."
r e l a t i o n t o h i s work i n a l e t t e r t o a f r i e n d :
William's h e a l t h i s by no means s t r o n g , and h e
h a s w r i t t e n a g r e a t d e a l s i n c e we f i r s t went t o
Al foxden, namely d u r i n g t h e y e a r p r e c e d i n g o u r going
i n t o Germany, w h i l e we were t h e r e , and s i n c e o u r
a r r i v a l i n England, and he w r i t e s w i t h s o much f e e l i n g
and a g i t a t i o n t h a t i t b r i n g s on a s e n s e o f p a i n and
i n t e r n a l veakness a b o u t h i s l e f t s i d e and stomack which
now o f t e n makes i t i m p o s s i b l e f o [ r ] h i m t o [writelwhen
h e i s i n mind and f e e l i n g s i n such a s t a t e t h a t he
56
c o u l d do i t w i t h o u t d i f f i c u l t y .
During t h e summer and autumn of 1800, Wordsworth b u s i e d himself
p r e p a r i n g t h e second e d i t i o n o f L y r i c a l B a l l a d s f o r p u b l i c a t i o n .
wrote t h e P t e f a c e t o t h e second e d i t i o n a t t h i s time.
He
Wordsworth's
b.
d e f i n i t i o n o f "good poetry" a s " t h e overflow of powerful f e e l i n g s " i n
t h e P r e f a c e s u g g e s t s t h a t he b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e s o u r c e of h i s p o e t r y l a y
i n t h e d i s t u r b a n c e s of " f e e l i n g and a g i t a t i o n t t t h a t Dorothy d e s c r i b e d i n
h e r l e t t e r , b u t by c o u r t i n g such a s t a t e o f mind Wordsworth t r o d a r a z o r ' s
edge.
Overwhelmed by pain and weakness, wordsworth is n o n e t h e l e s s s a i d t o
be "in mind and f e e l i n g s i n such a s t a t e t h a t he c o u l d [ w r i t e ] w i t h o u t
d i f f i c ~ l t y . ,I~r o~n i c a l l y , t h e s t a t e of mind t h a t w a s supposedly most
conducive t o composing p o e t r y could a l s o make composition i m p o s s i b l e .
111 h e a l t h continued t o o p p r e s s Wordsworth throughout t h e autumn
of 1800.
References i n Dorothy's j o u r n a l t o Wordsworth's a t t e m p t s t o
m r k a r e i n t e r s p e r s e d with r e f e r e n c e s t o h i s n o t f e e l i n g w e l l :
(October 19)
Wm worked a l l morning a t t h e s h e e p f o l d ,
b u t i n vain. H e l a y down i n t h e a f t e r n o o n t i l l 7 o ' c l o c k ,
b u t could n o t s l e e p . I s l e p t , my head b e t t e r -- he
unable t o work.
(October 21)
a t the sheepfold.
Wm had been u n s u c c e s s f u l i n t h e morning
(October 23)
t h e evening.
Wm was n o t s u c c e s s f u l i n composition i n
Wm could not compose much, f a t i g u e d
(October 27)
himself with a l t e r i n g .
(October 31)
Wm very s i c k and very ill.
(November 1)
Wmbetter.
(November 4 )
Wm s a d l y t i r e d .
(November 7)
Wm s t i l l unwell.
(November 23)
Wm n o t w e l l .
(November 26)
Wm very w e l l and h i g h l y p o e t i c a l
Wm was n o t w e l l , had laboured u n s u c c e s s f u l l y . .
(December 6 )
Wm t i r e d and n o t w e l l . 5 7
No r e g u l a r r e c o r d of t h e e v e n t s o f 1801 s u r v i v e s .
Dorothy's j o u r n a l b r e a k s
o f f on December 22, 1800, and does n o t resume u n t i l October 10, 1801.
However, t h e r e a r e r e f e r e n c e s i n family l e t t e r s t o W o r d s w r t h ' s problems
w i t h h i s h e a l t h and h i s work which suggest t h a t t h e p a t t e r n of f r u s t r a t i o n
and d e p r e s s i o n recorded by Dorothy i n h e r j o u r n a l continued.
In a l e t t e r
t o Anne T a y l o r d a t e d A p r i l 9, 1801, Wordsworth w r o t e , "I have t a k e n a
. . . and
I l i v e w i t h my sister, meaning,
58
i f my h e a l t h w i l l permit m e , t o devote my l i f e t o l i t e r a t u r e
A t the
house i n t h e Vale o f Grasmere,
."
end of A p r i l , i n t h e same l e t t e r i n which Wordsworth s e n t Mary Hutchinson
a copy o f "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," Dorothy wrote [William] i s
always v e r y ill when he t r i e s t o a l t e r an o l d poem, b u t new composition
does n o t h u r t him s o much.
h u r t i n g himself."
"Poor W i l l i a m !
I hope he w i l l soon be a b l e t o work w i t h o u t
However, t h e n e x t month Dorothy wrote t o C o l e r i d g e :
We have p u t a s i d e a l l t h e manuscript poems, and i t i s
a g r e e d between us t h a t I am n o t t o give them up t o him even i f he a s k s f o r
59
them. "
Dorothy's l e t t e r s t e l l us t h a t Wordsworth was preoccupied w i t h
We know from a l e t t e r s e n t i n A p r i l , 1801,
60
t o Thomas Poole t h a t Wordsworth had added so& l i n e s t o " ~ i c h a e l ' . ' ' A
r e v i s i o n i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.
series o f l e t t e r s from John Wordsworth t o Dorothy s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth
- and The P r e l u d e .
was a l s o working on The Recluse
A t t h e end o f March John
61
wrote t h a t he was "glad t o h e a r t h a t Wm [was] g o i n g on w i t h t h e r e c l u s e . "
A month l a t e r he thanked Dorothy f o r sending him c o p i e s o f Wordsworth's
62
poems, e s p e c i a l l y " t h e c o r r e c t i o n s i n t h e
. . . poem
t o Coleridge."
C r i t i c a l o p i n i o n i s d i v i d e d as t o whether by " t h e r e c l u s e " John
Wordsworth a c t u a l l y meant The Prelude s i n c e h i s r e f e r e n c e i n t h e second
l e t t e r t o t h e "poem t o C o l e r i d g e l ' probably r e f e r s t o The P r e l u d e .
The
e d i t o r of John Wordsworth's l e t t e r s , C a r l Ketcham, a r g u e s t h a t "WW, DW,
and C o l e r i d g e thought o f The P r e l u d e a s p a r t of The R e c l u s e , though n o t
63
t h e main p a r t . "
Ketcham's o p i n i o n i s s u p p o r t e d by a l e t t e r s e n t from
r
C o l e r i d g e t o Wordsworth i n O c t o b e r , 1799, i n which C o l e r i d g e confused
The Recluse and The P r e l u d e :
I l o n g t o see what you have been doing. 0 l e t i t be
t h e t a i l - p i e c e of 'The Recluse!' f o r of n o t h i n g b u t 'The
Recluse' can I h e a r p a t i e n t l y . That i t i s t o be a d d r e s s e d
t o me makes m e more d e s i r o u s t h a t i t s h o u l d n o t be a poem
o f i t s e l f . To be a d d r e s s e d , as a beloved man, by a t h i n k e r ,
is the
a t t h e c l o s e o f such a poem a s 'The R e c l u s e ' . .
only e v e n t I b e l i e v e , c a p a b l e of i n c i t i n g i n me a n h o u r ' s
d4
vanity.
.
C o l e r i d g e seems t o be r e f e r r i n g h e r e t o P a r t Two o f The P r e l u d e of
1798-1799, which Wordsworth completed i n t h e autumn o f 1799.
A t t h e end
o f P a r t Two Wordsworth a d d r e s s e s C o l e r i d g e a s " ~ y~ r i e n d "and "MY b r o t h e r
. . . in
t h i s my deep devotion" (496, 508-9).
However, i n October 1979 Wordsworth had n o t y e t begun Home a t Grasmere:
The P r e l u d e o r t h e p r e f a c e t o The Recluse was a l l t h a t he had s o f a r
produced.
The two poems were less l i k e l y t o be con•’used a f t e r Wordsworth
had s t a r t e d The Recluse p r o p e r , Home a t Grasrnere, i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800.
Mark Reed a r g u e s , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t i f John Wordsworth's remark a b o u t
'the
The P r e l u d e , i t " r e p r e s e n t s a c o n f u s i o n o f t h e
r e c l u s e ' was a r e f e r e n c e t o ' r e c l u s e ' and t h e poem on Wordsworth's own l i f e u n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e
65
Reed s u g g e s t s t h a t
f a m i l y ' s u s u a l terms f o r d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e works
."
Wordsworth probably worked on The Recluse and on The P r e l u d e i n t h e s p r i n g
of 1801, and h e u s e s a t h i r d l e t t e r from John t o Dorothy, i n
whic%.ohn
s a i d t h a t he l i k e d " t h e a d d i t i o n s and c o r r e c t i o n s i n t h e l o n g [poem] ," t o
67
s p e c u l a t e t h a t The P r e l u d e I , 55-271 (1805) may have been w r i t t e n a t t h i s
68
time. Jonathan Wordsworth and Stephen G i l l a l s o f e e l t h a t John Wordsworth
would n o t have confused The Recluse and The P r e l u d e and a r g u e t h a t
Wordsworth was p r o b a b l y " a t t e m p t i n g t o g e t [on] w i t h Home a t Grasmere b u t
1799 [The P r e l u d e , 69
allowed h i d e l f t o b e s i d e t r a c k e d i n t o r e v i s i o n o f 1798-17991, p a r t of which S a r a Hutchinson was engaged i n w r i t i n g out."
51
Support f o r b e l i e v i n g t h a t Wordsworth was a t work on Home a t Grasmere,
a p a r t o f The Recluse, i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801 seems t o me t o be p r o v i d e d by
a comparison o f Home a t Grasmere with t h e one poem Wordsworth is known t o
have w r i t t e n i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men".
I n an
a n a l y s i s of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f W o r d s w r t h ' s s h o r t poems t o h i s l o n g poem,
J a r e d C u r t i s s u g g e s t s t h a t f r e q u e n t l y f o r Wordsworth " t h e s h o r t poems
became a remedy, a r e l e a s e , a r e f r e s h i n g and p l e a s u r e - g i v i n g employment
a r i s i n g almost i n recompense f o r t h e p o e t ' s discouragement and i r r e s o l u t i o n
o v e r t h e 'work o f l e n g t h and l a b o u r .
typical short
7 8oem d e a l s
l a r g e r work."
"'
C u r t i s goes on t o p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e
w i t h " t h e very same concerns t h a t had g e n e r a t e d t h e
T h i s i s t r u e o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between P a r t One o f t h e two-
p a r t Prelude and many o f t h e s h o r t poems w r i t t e n a t G o s l e r .
Much t h e same
r e l a t i o n s h i p e x i s t s between t h o s e p a r t s of Home a t Grasmere w r i t t e n i n t h e
s p r i n g of 1800 and t h e s h o r t poems w r i t t e n a t t h a t t i m e , and a l s o between t h e
e a r l y Home a t Grasmere and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men."
I n t h e l i n e s o f Home a t Grasmere t h a t were composed i n 1800 Wordsworth's
l o v e f o r Grasmere i s i n t e r t w i n e d with h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy.
The j o y he f e e l s
i n Grasmere r e f l e c t s h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy and h i s commitment t o t h e l i f e t h e y
w i l l share there.
Home a t Grasmere opens w i t h t h e p o e t ' s s o l i t a r y
r e f l e c t i o n s upon h i s boyhood d i s c o v e r y of t h e Vale o f Grasmere b u t h i s
d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s p r e s e n t h a p p i n e s s t h e r e emphasizes t h a t i t is a s h a r e d
happiness.
H i s t r i b u t e t o Grasmere s t a r t s w i t h a t r i b u t e t o " ~ m m a " ( t h e
name h e g i v e s t o Dorothy i n t h e poem):
Mine e y e s d i d n e ' e r
Rest on a l o v e l y o b j e c t , n o r my mind
Take p l e a s u r e i n t h e midst o f happy thought,
But e i t h e r She whom now I have, who now
Divides w i t h me t h i s loved abode, w a s t h e r e
O r not f a r o f f . Where'er my f o o t s t e p s t u r n e d ,
Her v o i c e w a s l i k e a hidden Bird t h a t s a n g ;
The thought o f h e r was l i k e a f l a s h o f l i g h t
O r an unseen companionship, a b r e a t h
O r f r a g r a n c e independent of t h e wind :
I n a l l my g o i n g s , i n t h e new and o l d
(85-115)
Of a l l my m e d i t a t i o n s .
...
Wordsworth then compares Grasmere t o Edan and i n v i t e s u s , t h e r e f o r e , t o
i d e n t i f y him and h i s s i s t e r w i t h Adam and Eve (117-128).
L a t e r , he
d e s c r i b e s himself and Emma as b i r d s , echoing t h e comparison of Emma's
v o i c e t o a "hidden B i r d t h a t sang" i n t h e l i n e s quoted above.
"Two of a s c a t t e r e d brood t h a t could n o t b e a r /
They a r e
To l i v e i n l o n e l i n e s s . "
and h e r e c a l l s how "Remembering much and hoping more, [ t h e y ] found means/
To walk a b r e a s t , though i n a narrow p a t h , /
With undivided s t e p s " (177-179).
A f t e r d e s c r i b i n g t h e i r journey t o g e t h e r t o Grasmere and Dove C o t t a g e , "a
home w i t h i n a home.
.
, o u r l o v e w i t h i n a love,'' t h e p o e t u s e s a p a i r of
swans a s an emblem of h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s sister and of t h e i r love f o r
each o t h e r :
--
two, a l o n e l y p a i r
Of milk-white Swans. Ah, why a r e t h e y n o t h e r e ?
To s h a r e i n t h i s d a y ' s p l e a s u r e ? From a f a r
They came, l i k e Emma and myself, t o l i v e
Together h e r e i n peace and s o l i t u d e ,
Choosing t h i s V a l l e y , they who had t h e c h o i c e
Of t h e whole world.
b u t t o us
They were more d e a r than may be w e l l b e l i e v e d ,
Not o n l y f o r t h e i r beauty and t h e i r s t i l l
And p l a c i d way o f l i f e and f a i t h f u l l o v e
Inseparable, not f o r these alone,
But t h a t t h e i r s t a t e s o much resembled o u r s ;
They a l s o having chosen t h i s abode;
They s t r a n g e r s , and we s t r a n g e r s ; they a p a i r ,
And w e a s o l i t a r y p a i r l i k e them.
(322-341)
..
An ominous n o t e c r e e p s i n t o t h e poem h e r e , f o r t h e swans a r e missing.
Wordsworth f a n c i e s t h a t a shepherd may have s h o t one o f them and he u s e s
t h i s p o s s i b i l i t y t o emphasize t h e depth of h i s l o v e f o r h i s s i s t e r and
t h e i r commitment t o each o t h e r :
"haply b o t h a r e
One d e a t h , and
t h a t were mercy given t o both" (356-357).
Dorothy's Grasmere j o u r n a l p r o v i d e s us w i t h a v i v i d and i n t i m a t e
s e n s e o f h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h e r b r o t h e r and o f t h e e m o t i o n a l c l o s e n e s s
i n which t h e y l i v e d .
Her dependence upon him and t h e i n t e n s i t y of h e r
love f o r him is r e v e a l e d by h e r d e p r e s s i o n when Wordsworth was away from
home i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800:
My h e a r t was s o f u l l t h a t I c o u l d h a r d l y speak
(May 4)
To W. when I gave him a f a r e w e l l k i s s . I s a t e a l o n g time upon a
s t o n e a t t h e margin of t h e l a k e , and a f t e r a f l o o d o f t e a r s my
h e a r t was e a s i e r . The l a k e looked t o m e , I knew n o t why, d u l l and
melancholy, and t h e w e l t e r i n g on t h e s h o r e s seemed a heavy sound.
(June 4) I l i n g e r e d o u t of doors i n t h e hope of h e a r i n g my
Brother's tread.
(June 5 )
I would n o t go f a r from home, e x p e c t i n g my B r o t h e r s .
(June 6 ) No William! I s l a c k e n e d my pace as I came n e a r home,
f e a r i n g t o h e a r t h a t he was n o t come. I l i s t e n e d t i l l a f t e r one
o ' c l o c k t o e v e r y b a r k i n g dog, c o c k - f i g h t i n g and o t h e r s p o r t s : i t
w a s M r . Rowrick's opening.
(June 7) I d i d n o t l e a v e home, i n t h e e x p e c t a t i o n o f Wm. and
John, and s i t t i n g a t work t i l l a f t e r 11 o ' c l o c k I h e a r d a f o o t go
t o t h e f r o n t o f t h e house, t u r n round and open t h e g a t e . It was
William!
71
F.W.
Bateson s p e c u l a t e s t h a t "some s o r t o f understandingm had probably
been reached be tween Wordsworth and Mary Hutchinson d u r i n g t h e Wordsworth's
s t a y a t t h e Hutchinson f a m i l y farm between May and December, 1799,
72
"presumably w i t h Dorothy1s consent. " However, Wordsworth's d e s c r i p t i o n
o f h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Dorothy i n Home a t Grasmere, e s p e c i a l l y h i s
comparison
bf
them t o a p a i r of swans, s u g g e s t s t h a t h i s d e e p e s t commitment
a t t h a t time was t o Dorothy and t h e r e f o r e t h a t marriage t o Mary
Hutchinson cannot have been a n y t h i n g m r e than a very vague p o s s i b i l i t y .
I n t h e o n l y o t h e r s e c t i o n o f Home a t Grasmere t h a t can be c o n f i d e n t l y d a t e d
t h e s p r i n g of 1800, Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s John Wordsworth, C o l e r i d g e , and
Mary and S a r a Hutchinson a s t h e b r o t h e r s and s i s t e r s of "our h e a r t s "
(859-874).
These words would seem oddly chosen i f t h e y d e s c r i b e d
Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s f o r h i s f u t u r e w i f e .
I n 1805 Wordsworth r e c a l l e d
73
t h a t h e had "no t h o u g h t s of marrying" i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1800.
Mary Hutchinson v i s i t e d Dove Cottage i n March, 1800.
John Wordsworth
was a l s o t h e r e a t t h a t time and he seems t o have formed an a t t a c h m e n t t o
her.
It seems u n l i k e l y t h a t he would have been k e p t i n ignorance of any
spoken arrangement between Mary and h i s b r o t h e r .
Recalling that spring
visit a f t e r J o h n ' s d e a t h i n 1805, Mary wrote t o C a t h e r i n e Clarkson "John
74
w a s t h e f i r s t who l e d me t o e v e r y t h i n g t h a t I l o v e i n t h i s neighbourhood."
Dorothy r e c a l l e d "John used t o walk with [Mary ] e v e r y where and t h e y were
Dorothy a l s o remembered Mary's
75
i n t i m a t e knowledge of h i s v i r t u e s . " Even
exceedingly a t t a c h e d t o each o t h e r . "
" t e n d e r l o v e of John and.
..
..
W i l l i a m wrote t o h i s b r o t h e r Richard "Mary.
loved John w i t h h e r whole
76
s o u l . " John Wordsworth l e f t Grasmere on a s e a voyage i n J a n u a r y , 1801.
He wrote f r e q u e n t l y t o Mary u n t i l he r e c e i v e d a l e t t e r from h e r i n
September, 1802, presumably t e l l i n g him of h e r engagement t o h i s b r o t h e r
William.
Although J o h n ' s l e t t e r s t o Mary were v e r y o f t e n a b o u t h i s
b r o t h e r ' s p o e t r y , which s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e bond between them may have been
t h e i r mutual i n t e r e s t i n William, t h e tone of h i s l e t t e r s was deeply
affectionate.
John d i d n o t w r i t e s o warmly even t o h i s s i s t e r Dorothy.
L
I n h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o The L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth Carl Ketcham o b s e r v e s
77
t h a t o n l y Mary w a s "thou" t o John.
I n February 1801 John w r o t e , "my d e a r
55
Mary t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t h a t thou c a n s t w r i t e but what w i l l g i v e
-
me p l e a s u r e and t o be with t h e e I read they l e t t e r s o v e r a dozen times
78
1'
i n a day.
I n John's l a s t s u r v i v i n g l e t t e r t o Mary Hutchinson,
..
dated September 12, 1802, he used l i n e s from h i s b r o t h e r ' s poem
"Michael" t o e x p r e s s h i s f e e l i n g s :
I have been reading your L e t t e r over and over again
My d e a r e s t Mary till t e a r s have come i n t o my eyes and I know
thou a r ' t k i n d and d e a r
n o t how t o e x p r e s s my s e l f
creature
But what e v e r f a r e Befal me I s h a l l l o v e thee to
t h e last and b e a r thy memory with m e t o t h e grave. 79
Although an understanding may have been reached during Mary's
v i s i t t o Grasmere i n November and December, 1801, a sequence of e n t r i e s
i n Dorothy's j o u r n a l suggest t h a t wordsworth's d e c i s i o n t o marry Mary
was not f i n a l l y resolved u n t i l March, 1802.
These e n t r i e s a r e a l s o
r e l e v a n t h e r e f o r t h e i n s i g h t they o f f e r i n t o t h e Wordsworths'
r e l a t i o n s h i p and Dorothy's f e e l i n g s :
(March 17) I went and s a t e w i t h W. and walked
backwards and forwards i n t h e o r c h a r till d i n n e r t i m e . He
A f t e r d i n n e r w e made a p i l l o w of my
read me h i s poem.
shoulder -- I read t o him and my Beloved s l e p t .
..
e
(March 21) William was very unwell t h i s evening. W
had a sweet and tender conversation. I wrote t o Mary and Sara.
(March 22) We t a l k e d a good d e a l about C. and o t h e r
i n t e r e s t i n g t h i n g s . We resolved t o s e e Annette, and t h a t Wm
should go t o Mary. 80
William l e f t t o go t o Mary on A p r i l 7.
On A p r i l 12 Dorothy received
a j o i n t l e t t e r from Wordsworth and Mary Hutchinson, presumably
t e l l i n g h e r t h a t they were o f f i c i a l l y engaged:
( A p r i l 12) Walked t o T. Wilkinson's and s e n t f o r
l e t t e r s . The woman brought me one from W i l l i a m and Mary. I t
was a s h a r p , windy n i g h t . Thomas Wilkinson came with m e t o
Barton, and questioned me l i k e a c a t e c h i z e r a l l t h e way. Every
q u e s t i o n was l i k e t h e snapping of a l i t t l e t h r e a d about my
h e a r t - I was s o f u l l of thought o f my half-read l e t t e r and
o t h e r t h i n g s . I was glad when he l e f t m e . Then I had time t o
...
look a t t h e moon while I was t h i n k i n g o v e r my own t h o u g h t s
A t t h i s time W i l l i a m , as I found t h e n e x t day, was r i d i n g by
himself between M i a l e h a m and Barnard C a s t l e , having p a r t e d
from Mary. I r e a d o v e r my l e t t e r when I g o t t o t h e house. 81
While Wordsworth was r i d i n g between Middleham and Barnard C a s t l e
he composed a poem about Dorothy, "Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had
been."
Upon h i s r e t u r n t o Dove Cottage, Wordsworth s e n t t h i s poem i n
a l e t t e r t o C o l e r i d g e , adding t h a t "The i n c i d e n t o f t h i s poem took
p l a c e about seven y e a r s ago between Dorothy and me."
After he l e f t
Mary Hutchinson, Wordsworth's mind had been on h i s s i s t e r :
Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been,
Had n o t e d w e l l t h e s t a r s , a l l f l o w ' r s t h a t grew
About h e r home, b u t She had never s e e n
A Glow-worm, n e v e r once
and t h i s I knew.
--
While I was r i d i n g on a stormy n i g h t ,
Not f a r from h e r abode, I chanced t o spy
A s i n g l e Glow-worm once; and a t t h e s i g h t
g r e a t joy had I.
Down from my Horse I l e a p t
--
I l a i d t h e Glow-worm g e n t l y on a l e a f ,
And b o r e i t w i t h me through t h e stormy n i g h t
I n my l e f t hand -- without dismay o r g r i e f
Shining, a l b e i t with a f a i n t e r l i g h t .
When t o t h e Dwelling of my Love I came,
I went i n t o t h e Orchard q u i e t l y ,
And l e f t t h e Glow-worm, b l e s s i n g i t by name,
Laid s a f e l y by i t s e l f , beneath a t r e e .
The whole n e x t day I hop'd and hop'd w i t h f e a r :
A t n i g h t t h e Glow-worm shone beneath t h e tree;
I l e d my Emma t o t h e p l a c e , -- 'Look heg3'!
0 joy i t w a s f o r h e r , and joy f o r me!
--
Given t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n which i t was composed, "Among a l l
l o w l y t h i n g s " seems i n t e n d e d t o o f f e r Wordsworth's a s s u r a n c e o f h i s
continued
l o v e t o Dorothy a f t e r h i s marriage.
,
good one:L
The poem is n o t a very
It h a s a p l o d d i n g q u a l i t y t h a t reduces t h e e x p e r i e n c e t h a t
i s described t o unintended self-parody.
The b e s t l i n e s a r e t h e f i r s t
and t h e l a s t , which have a n o s t a l g i c tone s u g g e s t i n g t h a t t h e speaker
r e c a l l s a b i t t e r s w e e t memory of a l o v e now l o s t .
Wordsworth published
t h i s poem only once, i n 1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes, where he placed
i t beside "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," having changed "Emma" t o
"Lucy".
The n o s t a l g i c e f f e c t of "Among a l l l o v e l y things1' is heightened
by i t s a s s o c i a t i o n with Lucy.
"Among a l l l o v e l y things1' and "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" frame
t h e period during which Wordsworth probably made up h i s mind t o marry
Mary Hutchinson.
I t i s u n l i k e l y t h a t t h i s d e c i s i o n was a sudden one.
Although Wordsworth included Sara Hutchinson i n almost e v e r y t h i n g he s a i d
t o Mary i n t h e l e t t e r of A p r i l 29, 1801, t h e a f f e c t i o n a t e tone of t h e
l e t t e r s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e i r f r i e n d s h i p was deepening:
W e a r e very happy t o have such good news of your h e a l t h
mind you take c a r e of yourself and c o n t r i v e t o grow f a t not a s
Dorothy does f a t one day and l e a n a n o t h e r , but f a t and j o l l y
f o r h a l f a y e a r t o g e t h e r . Dorothy and I s a t two hours i n John's
f i r g r o v e t h i s morning, 'twas a burning h o t day b u t t h e r e we had
a d e l i c i o u s cool breeze. How we wished f o r o u r d e a r f r i e n d s , you
and Sara! You w i l l r e c o l l e c t t h a t t h e r e is a g a t e j u s t a c r o s s
t h e road, d i r e c t l y o p p o s i t e t h e f i r g r o v e ; t h i s g a t e was always a
f a v o u r i t e s t a t i o n o f o u r s ; we love i t f a r more now on S a r a ' s
account. You know t h a t i t commands a b e a u t i f u l p r o s p e c t ; Sara
carved h e r cypher upon one of i t s b a r s , and w e c a l l i t h e r g a t e .
W
e w i l l f i n d o u t another place f o r your cypher, b u t you must
come and f i x upon t h e place y o u r s e l f . How we long t o s e e you my
d e a r Mary.
Dorothy's assurance t o Mary i n t h e same l e t t e r t h a t Mary d i d n o t i n t r u d e
i n t o t h e i r l i f e a l s o s u g g e s t s t h a t Mary's r e l a t i o n s h i p with Wordsworth
"Do n o t f e a r dear Mary," Dorothy t o l d h e r , "That you
83
e v e r w r i t e too o f t e n ; o r can w r i t e too o f t e n . " Wordsworth's marriage
was growing c l o s e r :
was bound t o a f f e c t h i s c l o s e r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s sister.
~orothy's
remark t o Mary s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e y were a l r e a d y aware o f t h i s and were
endeavouring t o overcome any c o n s t r a i n t s t h a t t h e y might have f e l t .
Although Dorothy accompanied William and Mary on t h e i r honeymoon and
a f t e r w a r d s l i v e d with them i n Dove C o t t a g e , h e r d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e
wedding day i m p l i e s t h a t s h e p e r c e i v e d h e r b r o t h e r ' s marriage a s a
s e p a r a t i o n f o r them.
Dorothy's account o f h e r own d i s t r a u g h t b e h a v i o u r
r e v e a l s t h a t s h e was deeply u p s e t by t h e marriage:
On Monday, 4 t h October, 1802, my b r o t h e r William was
married t o Mary Hutchinson. I s l e p t a good d e a l of t h e n i g h t and
r o s e f r e s h and w e l l i n t h e m r n i n g . A t a l i t t l e a f t e r 8 o ' c l o c k
I saw them go down t h e avenue towards t h e church. W i l l i a m had
p a r t e d from me u p s t a i r s . When t h e y were a b s e n t my d e a r l i t t l e
Sara prepared the breakfast.
I k e p t myself as q u i e t a s I c o u l d ,
b u t when I saw t h e two men running up t h e walk, coming t o t e l l
us t h a t i t was o v e r , I could s t a n d i t no l o n g e r , and threw myself
on t h e bed, where I l a y i n s t i l l n e s s , n e i t h e r h e a r i n g o r s e e i n g
a n y t h i n g t i l l S a r a came u p s t a i r s t o me, and s a i d , 'They a r e
coming'. T h i s f o r c e d me from t h e bed where I l a y , and I moved, I
knew n o t how, s t r a i g h t forward, f a s t e r t h a n my s t r e n g t h c o u l d
84
c a r r y m e , t i l l I m e t my beloved William, and f e l l upon h i s bosom.
P l a c e d i n t h i s c o n t e x t , t h e c o n f i d e n t t o n e o f "I t r a v e l l ' d among
unknown men," i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e d e s o l a t i o n o f t h e e a r l i e r "Lucy" poems,
s u g g e s t s t h a t Wordsworth had a l r e a d y begun t o t u r n away from h i s i n t e n s e
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Dorothy i n t h e s p r i n g o f 1801.
It seems t o m e i r o n i c a l
t h a t Wordsworth s h o u l d send t h i s poem t o h i s f u t u r e w i f e .
By marrying
Mary Hutchinson Wordsworth "snapped t h e t h r e a d s " t h a t bound Dorothy's
h e a r t t o h i s , b u t Dorothy's p l a c e was n o t t a k e n by Mary.
"I t r a v e l l ' d
among unknown men" seems t o m e t o be a t r i b u t e t o Dorothy i n which
Wordsworth d e c l a r e s t h a t h i s l o v e f o r Dorothy i s t h e s o u r c e o f much o f h i s
f e e l i n g f o r t h e l a n d s c a p e , and a t t h e same time a d e c l a r a t i o n o f s e l f reliance.
I n Home a t Grasmere t h e p o e t states t h a t i f o n e o f t h e swans
t h a t emblemize h i m s e l f and "Ennual' i s dead, t h e n "haply b o t h a r e gone,/
59
One d e a t h and t h a t were mercy t o them both" (356-357).
The s p e a k e r o f
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" l o o k s forward c o n f i d e n t l y t o a f u t u r e
without Lucy, i n which he w i l l l o v e England "more and more
.!I
As he had
once committed himself t o Lucy, s o he now commits h i m s e l f t o t h e English
l a n d s cape.
A s i n Home a t Grasmere, l o v e f o r a woman and l o v e f o r a p l a c e a r e
i n t e r t w i n e d i n "I t r a v e l l ' d a m n g unknown men."
The s p e a k e r ' s l o v e f o r
England grows from h i s l o v e f o r Lucy; Love of Lucy forms a bond between
him and England.
The s o l i t a r y s p e a k e r i s n o t l o n e l y among England's
mountains and green f i e l d s because t h e landscape o f f e r s a l i n k w i t h t h e
past.
The joy he had f e l t w i t h Lucy h a s been transformed i n t o j o y i n
t h e p l a c e where Lucy dwelt.
Love of p l a c e h a s r e p l a c e d h i s l o v e f o r
Lucy.
"I TRAVELL'D AMONG UNKNOWN MEN"
I n a r e v e r s a l o f t h e f i r s t f o u r "Lucy" poems i n which t h e s p e a k e r
looks back upon an i d y l l i c p a s t when he was u n d i s t u r b e d by "human f e a r s "
f o r Lucy, "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" opens w i t h t h e s p e a k e r ' s
r e c o l l e c t i o n of h i s l o n e l y t r a v e l s abroad a f t e r Lucy's d e a t h , which l e d
him t o r e a l i z e t h e l o v e he f e e l s f o r England.
The image o f t h e s o l i t a r y
t r a v e l l e r among "unknown men" emphasizes t h e s p e a k e r ' s s e n s e o f i s o l a t i o n
and anonymity w h i l e h e was away from England.
Although he was among men,
t h e s p e a k e r f e l t a l o n e , f o r t h e s e men were "unknown" t o him and l i k e w i s e ,
he was a s t r h g e r t o them.
A f t e r t r a v e l l i n g through t h e s e unnamed "Lands
beyond t h e Sea," t h e s p e a k e r r e t u r n s t o England, t h e one p l a c e t h a t i s home.
H i s l o n e l i n e s s , he d i s c o v e r s , can be e a s e d by a p l a c e r a t h e r
t h e n by
men ' s company.
These l i n e s emphasize t h e importance of "knowing" o r o f f a m i l i a r i t y :
t h e unknown Men and Lands cause t h e s p e a k e r t o r e a l i z e o r t o "know" t h e
depth of h i s l o v e f o r England.
A s t r o n g s e n s e o f homecoming i s c r e a t e d i n
t h i s s t a n z e and t h i s becomes t h e dominant mood o f t h e poem.
I n t h e last
l i n e of s t a n z a one t h e s p e a k e r r e f e r s t o h i s l o v e f o r England a s t h e l o v e he
"bore to" England o r b o t h f e l t and c a r r i e d w i t h him from beyond t h e s e a .
The s p e a k e r r e t u r n s t o f a m i l i a r p l a c e s which remind him of Lucy and s h o u l d ,
t h e r e f o r e , a l s o remind him of h i s l o s s .
I n s t e a d , t h e landscape o f f e r s
comfort; i t s c o n t i n u i t y i s a b r i d g e between t h e p r e s e n t and t h e p a s t .
The s p e a k e r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n of h i s wanderings abroad a s a "melancholy
dream" i n t h e f i r s t l i n e of s t a n z a two echoes t h e r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e p a s t
as aUsweet dream" and a s a"s1umber" i n "Strange f i t s o f passion" and "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l . "
However, i n t h e e a r l i e r poems t h e s p e a k e r
w a s shocked o u t o f a "slumbering" h e e d l e s s n e s s by t h e h a r s h r e a l i t y o f
Lucy's death.
I n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" he r e c o v e r s from t h e
mood of l o n e l y g r i e v i n g t h a t dominates t h e e a r l i e r poems, a s i f i t had
been a dream.
Now t h a t he h a s r e t u r n e d t o England, t h e r e c e n t p a s t h a s
f a d e d away l i k e a "melancholy dream."
The l o v e h e f e l t f o r Lucy awakens
w i t h i n him, transformed i n t o l o v e f o r Lucy's home.
I n modern E n g l i s h t h e f a m i l i a r form, " t h e e , " i s u s u a l l y used i n
prayers o r i n love poetry.
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" i s a l o v e poem,
a d d r e s s e d i n a tone t h a t s u g g e s t s worship, t o a p l a c e i n s t e a d of a woman.
The s p e a k e r d e c l a r e s t h a t h i s wandering, o r p h i l a n d e r i n g , among o t h e r
Lands h a s o n l y caused him t o r e a l i z e t h e depth o f h i s l o v e f o r England.
J u s t as he may once have pledged h i s l o v e t o Lucy, now he pledges i t t o
England.
"Nor w i l l I q u i t t h y s h o r e /
s t i l l I seem/
A second time," he vows, " f o r
To l o v e t h e e more and more .I1
The s p e a k e r ' s d e c l a r a t i o n of h i s l o v e f o r England seems a v a r i a t i o n
of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Nature and Lucy i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew."
I n s t e a d o f a l o v e t r i a n g l e c o n s i s t i n g of Lucy, t h e s p e a k e r and h i s r i v a l ,
Nature, i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" t h e s p e a k e r r e p l a c e s Lucy w i t h
England i n h i s a f f e c t i o n s .
.
The f i g u r e o f England i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among
--
unknown men" i s roughly p a r a l l e l t o t h e powerful f i g u r e o f Nature i n
"Three y e a r s s h e grew."
The mountains and t h e "green f i e l d ( s ) " belong
t o England; England d i r e c t e d t h e morning l i g h t t o r e v e a l and t h e darkness
of n i g h t t o conceal " t h e bowers where Lucy p l a y ' d .
England was n o t " l a w and impulse" t o Lucy.
. ."
Unlike Nature,
I n t h e e a r l i e r poem t h e
s p e a k e r p r e s e n t s Nature a s a demanding, imperious f i g u r e who t a k e s Lucy
from h e r l o v e r , l e a v i n g him a l o n e on an empty h e a t h w i t h "The memory o f
what h a s been,?
And n e v e r more w i l l be."
a p l a c e , n o t a f o r c e o r a power.
England, on t h e o t h e r hand, is
I n s t e a d of a s s o c i a t i o n s w i t h time and
chance, England s u g g e s t s home and comfort.
The image o f Lucy s p i n n i n g
"Beside an E n g l i s h f i r e " evokes a simple, r u r a l e x i s t a n c e and s u g g e s t s
warmth and c h e e r , i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o n e l y t r a v e l s abroad.
The s p e a k e r f i n d s s o l a c e f o r Lucy's death i n h i s l o v e f o r England,
Lucy's home.
Because he once f e l t "The j o y o f .
. . desire"
among
England's mountains, he a s s o c i a t e s t h a t joy w i t h t h e mountains.
Because
he had once "cherished" Lucy by an English f i r e s i d e , i t seems t o him
t h a t England must a l s o have c a r e d f o r Lucy:
Lucy was s h e l t e r e d among
England's mountains; England's mornings showed and England's n i g h t s
concealed o r p r o t e c t e d Lucy's bowers.
"I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" p r e s e n t s a much less e t h e r e a l b u t
no l e s s ambiguous image of Lucy than t h e o t h e r "Lucy" poems.
This is
p a r t l y t h e r e s u l t o f t h e ambiguous s y n t a c t i c a l s t r u c t u r e o f t h e t h i r d
stanza.
"The j o y o f my d e s i r e " may r e f e r t o t h e s p e a k e r ' s f e e l i n g s f o r
Lucy, o r i t may r e f e r t o a more g e n e r a l i z e d f e e l i n g o f j o y t h a t he had
experienced a s a s o l i t a r y wanderer among ~ n g l a n ds' mountains.
The
s p e a k e r seems t o t u r n from h i s r e c o l l e c t i o n o f " t h e j o y o f my d e s i r e " t o
r e c a l l h i s g e n t l e r c h e r i s h i n g of Lucy.
Lucy may have been t h e o r i g i n a l
o b j e c t o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s d e s i r e , b u t t h e p a s s i o n he r e c a l l s seems d i f f u s e d
o r unfocused and embraces t h e landscape as w e l l a s Lucy.
The cozy domestic
image o f Lucy s p i n n i n g b e s i d e t h e f i r e seems a t v a r i a n c e w i t h t h e w i l d
s e n s u a l f e e l i n g s t h a t t h e s p e a k e r e x p e r i e n c e d among t h e mountains.
A t t h e same time, t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of s e x u a l f u l f i l l m e n t i n t h e
s p e a k e r ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Lucy i s h i n t e d a t by Lucy's d o m e s t i c i t y and
by t h e echo of t h e marriage vow i n h i s use of "cherished" t o d e s c r i b e
85
h i s r e l a t i o n t o Lucy. S i m i l a r l y , i n s t a n z a f o u r t h e r e f e r e n c e t o t h e
concealing n i g h t s h a s a s e x u a l c o n n o t a t i o n , b u t t h i s impression i s
d i s p e l l e d i n t h e n e x t l i n e i n which we a r e t o l d t h a t Lucy used h e r
bowers f o r p l a y .
Like t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e , England's c o n c e a l i n g n i g h t s
were t o p r o t e c t and t o n u r t u r e Lucy and t h u s t o "cherish" h e r .
The n a t u r e o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Lucy is, t h e r e f o r e ,
r a t h e r ambiguous:
t h e sensuous s i d e of h i s f e e l i n g s seems s e t a p a r t
from Lucy, who seems an i n n o c e n t child-wife.
I f t h e poem emerged, a s I
have argued, o u t o f Wordsworth's f e e l i n g s f o r h i s s i s t e r , t h i s ambiguity
perhaps d e r i v e s from t h e s e x u a l taboos of a s i s t e r - b r o t h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p
which was, n o n e t h e l e s s , i n s o many ways l i k e a marriage.
The r e s u l t
of t h i s ambiguous a v o c a t i o n o f t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e f o r Lucy i n "I
63
t r a v e l l ' d a m n g unknown men" is t o s u g g e s t t h a t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p with
Lucy was one o f promise t h a t ended i n Lucy's d e a t h r a t h e r t h a n
fulfillment.
Promise i s s u g g e s t e d by t h e s p e a k e r ' s d e s i r e , by Lucy's
innocence and by t h e r e f e r e n c e i n t h e l a s t s t a n z a t o t h e l ' l a s t green
field/
Which Lucy's eye surveyed."
R e t u r n i n g t o England, t h e s p e a k e r
r e t u r n s t o t h e home he s h a r e d w i t h Lucy and a l t h o u g h Lucy i s dead, he
can f e e l himself s t i l l connected t o h e r by t h e c o n t i n u i n g s u c c e s s i o n of
m r n i n g s and n i g h t s and whenever h e l o o k s upon England's green f i e l d s .
The c o n t i n u i t y o f t h e l a n d s c a p e p r o v i d e s a l i n k w i t h t h e p a s t , b u t t h e
promise of s p r i n g t h a t is s u g g e s t e d by t h e f i n a l image o f t h e g r e e n
f i e l d a l s o o f f e r s hope f o r t h e f u t u r e .
The promise t h e s p e a k e r ' s l o v e
f o r Lucy once h e l d i s now c o n t a i n e d i n h i s l o v e f o r t h e c o u n t r y Lucy
knew.
CHAPTER 4:
CONCLUDING REMARKS
By t h e e a r l y s p r i n g of 1802 Wordswurth had begun composing p o e t r y
a g a i n , a f t e r t h e long s i l e n c e of 1800-1801.
A t t h i s t i m e he wrote a
number of s h o r t n a t u r e l y r i c s such a s "To a Cuckoo," "TO a Skylark,
t h e celandine and t h e d a i s y poems and t h e two b u t t e r f l y poems.
It
Like "1
t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men," most of t h e s e poems a r e concerned with t h e
c o n t i n u i t y o f p a s t and p r e s e n t and s e v e r a l of them, i n c l u d i n g "Among a l l
l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been," a r e n o s t a l g i c t r i b u t e s t o Dorothy's r o l e
i n t h e p o e t ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p with n a t u r e .
b u t t e r f l y poems, "Stay n e a r me,"
For example, i n one of t h e
t h e s i g h t of t h e b u t t e r f l y reminds
Wordsworth of t h e p a s t and b r i n g s h i s memories of e a r l y childhood once
more t o l i f e :
Thou b r i n g ' s t , gay Creature a s thou a r t !
A solemn image t o my h e a r t ,
My F a t h e r ' s Family!
Oh! p l e a s a n t , p l e a s a n t were t h e days,
The time, when i n o u r c h i l d i s h p l a y s
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased t h e B u t t e r f l y !
A very h u n t e r d i d I rush
Upon t h e prey: -- with l e a p s and s p r i n g s
I follow' d on from brake t o bush;
But She, God l o v e her! f e a r e d t o brush
The d u s t from o f f i t s wings. 86
Two o t h e r poems t h a t Wordsworth began t o compose i n t h e s p r i n g and
summer of 1802, t h e "Ode:
I n t i m a t i o n s of Immortality" and "Resolution
!I
and Independence,. c a s t doubt upon t h e "answer" t h a t t h e poet had found
i n "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men" t o t h e f e e l i n g s expressed i n t h e Lucy
poems.
I n c o n t r a s t t o the c l o s e n e s s o r intimacy with t h e landscape
t h a t i s suggested by t h e speaker's l o v e r - l i k e a d d r e s s t o England i n "I
t r a v e l l f d among unknown men," i n t h e "Ode" and i n "Resolution and
Independence" t h e poet f e e l s a l i e n a t e d from n a t u r e , no l o n g e r c e r t a i n of
t h e imaginative power t h a t had once allowed him t o "see i n t o t h e l i f e of
things.!'
It i s n o t my purpose t o e n t e r i n t o a f u l l d i s c u s s i o n of t h e s e
two very complex poems.
I w i l l use them i n t h i s c h a p t e r t o suggest' t h e
d i r e c t i o n t h a t Wordsworth's thoughts had now begun t o take.
According t o Dorothy's j o u r n a l , on t h e evening o f May 4 , 1802, h e r
b r o t h e r had been d i s t r a u g h t and unable t o s l e e p .
She had soothed him by
87
r e p e a t i n g verses:
"'This i s t h e s p o t ' o v e r and over again."
Wordsworth's
d e s i r e t o h e a r t h i s p a r t i c u l a r poem s u g g e s t s t h a t he needed reassurance
from Dorothy about t h e i r love f o r each o t h e r .
Wordsworth's impending
marriage and i t s e f f e c t upon h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p with h i s sister seems,
n a t u r a l l y enough, t o have been on h i s mind a t t h i s time.
The confidence
expressed i n "I t r a v e l l f d among unknown men" was n o t undisturbed by doubts
and u n c e r t a i n t i e s :
This is t h e s p o t : - how mildly does t h e Sun
Shine i n between t h e s e f a d i n g leaves! t h e a i r
I n t h e h a b i t u a l s i l e n c e of t h i s wood
Is more than s i l e n t : and t h i s bed of h e a t h
Where s h a l l we f i n d t o sweet a r e s t i n g p l a c e ?
Come! -- l e t me s e e t h e e s i n k i n t o a dream
Of q u i e t thoughts, -- p r o t r a c t e d t i l l t h i n e eye
Be calm a s water, when t h e winds a r e gone
And no one can t e l l whither - My sweet Friend!
W
e two have had such happy hours t o g e t h e r
That my h e a r t melts i n me t o t h i n k of i t . 88
I n t h i s poem Wordsworth e x p r e s s e s a d e s i r e f o r t h e p e a c e f u l s l e e p of
death.
Accyrding t o ~ o r o t h y ' sj o u r n a l , he had expressed a s i m i l a r wish
___---
less than a week e a r l i e r , on A p r i l 29:
William l a y , and I l a y , i n t h e t r e n c h under t h e
he with h i s e y e s s h u t , and l i s t e n i n g t o t h e
fence
w a t e r f a l l s and t h e b i r d s . There was no w a t e r f a l l above
a n o t h e r -- i t was a sound o f waters i n t h e a i r -- t h e
m i c e of t h e a i r . William heard me b r e a t h i n g snd
r u s t l i n g now and then, but we both l a y s t i l l , and unseen
by one a n o t h e r ; he thought t h a t i t would be a s sweet
t h u s t o l i e s o i n t h e grave, t o h e a r t h e p e a c e f u l sounds
of t h e t y t h , and j u s t t o know t h a t o u r d e a r f r i e n d s were
near.
--
A s i n "This i s t h e s p o t , " i n t h i s episode Wordsworth f i n d s t h e peace of
t h e grave d e s i r a b l e f o r both himself and h i s sister, and from t h e tone
of h e r recounting of t h e occasion, Dorothy a s w e l l a s Wordsworth s e e 4
/-
t o have found p-l-e a s u r e i n h i s cozy f a n t a s y o f how i t would be t o l i e
s i d e by s i d e i n t h e i r graves.
They would be t o g e t h e r i n d e a t h , and t h e
c l o s e n e s s they now shared need never be d i s r u p t e d .
For whatever cause o r causes, a d e s i r e f o r t h e r e f u g e o f t h e grave
seems t o have been f r e q u e n t l y on Wordsworth's mind i n t h e s p r i n g of
1802.
He a l s o e x p r e s s e s t h e s e f e e l i n g s i n a po m composed i n l a t e A p r i l :
)Z
These c h a i r s they have no words t o u t t e r
No f i r e i s i n t h e g r a t e t o s t i r o r f l u t t e r
The c e i l i n g and f l o o r a r e mute a s a s t o n e
My chamber i s hush'd and s t i l l
And I am a l o n e
Happy and a l o n e
Oh! who would be a f r a i d of l i f e
The p a s s i o n t h e sorrow and t h e s t r i f e
When he may l i e
S h e l t e r ' d so e a s i l y
May l i e i n peace on h i s bed
Happy a s they who a r e dead
Half an hour a f t e w a r d s
I have thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun
The t h i n g s which I s e e
Are welcome t o me
Welcome every one
I do n o t wish t o be
Dead, Dead
Dead without any comgany
Here a l o n e on my bed
With thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun
And hoped t h a t a r e welcome everyone
Happy am I.
0 l i f e t h e r e i s about thee
A deep d e l i c i o u s peace
I would n o t be without thee
Stay oh s t a y
Yet be thou e v e r a s now
Sweetness and b r e a t h with t h e q u i e t o f death
Paace, peace, peace 90
Although t h e poet concludes i n t h e course of t h i s poem t h a t he does not
r e a l l y wish t o give up l i f e and t h e "thoughts t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun",
n o n e t h e l e s s he continues i n a r a t h e r ambiguous f a s h i o n t o wish f o r "the
q u i e t of death" o r f o r "Peace, peace, peace":
wishing t o r e t r e a t from
t h e e m t i o n a l t u n a o i l of l i f e which he a l l u d e s t o i n s t a n z a one, he
d e s i r e s a s t a t e of l i f e which i s comparable t o d e a t h , although without
death's obliviousness.
On March 27, 1802, Dorothy t e l l s us i n h e r j%mal,
Wordswrth began
"A d i v i n e morning. A t b r e a k f a s t William wrote p a r t of
h i s g r e a t "Ode":
91
an ode." However, t h e tone of t h e f i r s t f o u r s t a n z a s of t h e "Ode," t h e
p a r t of t h e poem probably composed i n March, 1802, c o -n-t r a s.t s with -Dorothy's
memory o f t h a t "divine morning."
The new poem begins with t h e p o e t ' s
.-
r e c o l l e c t i o n of how t h i n g s once were:
the f i r s t f o u r s t a n z e s s t a t e and
r e - s t a t e t h e l o s s t h a t he now f e e l s when he looks upon n a t u r e ' s g l o r i e s .
These s t a n z a s s u g g e s t a mind s t r u g g l i n g and f a i l i n g a g a i n and a g a i n t o
r e c a p t u r e t h a t which is l o s t :
--
But t h e r e ' s a Tree, o f many one,
A s i n g l e F i e l d which I have look' d upon,
Both of them speak of something t h a t i s gone :
The pansy a t my f e e t
Doth t h e same t a l e r e p e a t :
Whither is f l e d t h e v i s i o n a r y gleam?
Where i s i t now, t h e g l o r y and t h e dream?
Dorothy's j o u r n a l r e c o r d s t h a t Wordsworth w a s working on t h e "Ode"
--
i n June, 1802.
Stanzas f i v e t o e i g h t may have been composed a t t h i s
time, although i n 1843 Wordsworth t o l d I s a b e l l a Fenwick t h a t o n l y t h e f i r s t
f o u r s t a n z a s were composed i n 1802.
Jared Curtis argues t h a t the
92
In
p l a u s i b i l i t y of Wordsworth's f o r t y - y e a r o l d memory "seems s u s p e c t . ' I
s t a n z a f i v e Wordsworth r e t u r n s t o t h e image o f l i f e a s a dream o r a slumber
t h a t he had used i n t h e "Lucy" poems.
I n t h e "Ode" Wordsworth u s e s t h i s
image t o s u g g e s t t h a t e a r t h l y l i f e i s o n l y an i n g l o r i o u s i n t e r l u d e t o t h e
soul's existence :
Our b i r t h i s b u t a s l e e p and a f o r g e t t i n g :
The Soul t h a t r i s e s w i t h us, our l i f e ' s S t a r ,
Hath had elsewhere i t s s e t t i n g ,
And cometh from a f a r .
...
Like t h e f i g u r e o f Nature i n "Three y e a r s s h e grew," i n t h e "Ode" Nature
l a y s c l a i m t o " t h e growing Boy."
Although t h e c h i l d a c t s as "Nature's
P r i e s t " o r as an i n t e r m e d i a r y between Nature and God, t h e "shades o f t h e
prison-house"
e a r t h "begin t o c l o s e " upon him a s soon as h e i s born.
E a r t h , N a t u r e ' s warden, i s d e p i c t e d as a "homely Nurse" who, l i k e a
p o s s e s s i v e moFher, wishes t o d i r e c t and i n f l u e n c e t h e c h i l d s h e l o v e s :
E a r t h f i l l s h e r l a p with p l e a s u r e s of h e r own;
Yearnings she h a t h i n h e r own n a t u r a l kind,
And, even with something of a Mother's mind,
And no unworthy s i n ,
The homely Nurse doth a l l she can
To make h e r F o s t e r - c h i l d , h e r Inmate Man,
Forget t h e g l o r i e s he h a t h known,
And t h a t i m p e r i a l p a l a c e whence he came.
I n s t a n z a e i g h t t h e poet uses images of death t o d e s c r i b e man's
earthly l i f e .
I n t h i s s t a n z a he addresses " t h e Child among h i s new-born
b l i s s e s " whom he i n t r o d u c e s i n s t a n z a seven:
Mighty Prophet! Seer b l e s t !
On whom those t r u t h s do rest,
Which we a r e t o i l i n g a l l o u r l i v e s t o f i n d ,
I n darkness l o s t , t h e darkness of t h e grave;
Thou, over whom thy Irmaortality
Broods l i k e t h e Day, a Master o ' e r a Slave,
A Presence which i s n o t t o be p u t by;
...
F u l l soon t h y Soul s h a l l have h e r e a r t h l y f r e i g h t
And custom l i e upon thee with a weight,
Heavy a s f r o s t , and deep almost a s l i f e ! 93
I n t h e "Lucy" poems, Lucy's u n i t y with t h e n a t u r a l world is completed
by h e r death.
Lucy remains w i t h t h e e a r t h a f t e r she d i e s ; h e r body i s
i
"Rolled round i n e a r t h ' s d i u r n a l course/
I n t h e "Ode",
With rocks and s t o n e s and trees."
on t h e o t h e r hand, t h e poet looks towards d e a t h a s an
awakening o r a r e l e a s e from t h e "prison-house"
'
earth.
A f t e r death t h e s o u l
presumably sheds "her e a r t h l y f r e i g h t " and r e t u r n s t o "God who i s o u r home."
Thus t h e poet f i n d s t h e s t r e n g t h t o b e a r t h e l o s s of t h e " v i s i o n a r y gleam"
I n t h e f a i t h t h a t looks through death;
I n y e a r s t h a t b r i n g t h e philosophic mind.
Although he d e c l a r e s t h a t he w i l l continue t o "love t h e Brooks which down
t h e i r channel f r e t ,/
Even more than when I t r i p p e d l i g h t l y a s they,"
n a t u r e 's l o v e l i n e s s is coloured f o r t h e "philosophic mind" by " I n t i m a t i o n s
The Clouds t h a t g a t h e r round t h e s e t t i n g sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That Hath k e p t watch o ' e r man's m o r t a l i t y ;
...
Thanks t o t h e human h e a r t by which we l i v e
Thanks t o i t s tenderness, i t s j o y s , and f e a r s ,
To me t h e meanest flower t h a t blows can g i v e
Thoughts t h a t do o f t e n l i e too deep f o r t e a r s .
"Resolution and Independence", which Wordsworth began i n May and
completed i n J u l y , 1802, 'follows a p a t t e r n s i m i l a r t o t h e "Ode."
This
poem a l s o opens w i t h t h e p o e t ' s depression i n t h e midst o f a joyous
n a t u r a l scene :
I was a T r a v e l l e r then upon t h e m o r ;
I saw t h e h a r e t h a t raced about with joy;
I heard t h e woods and d i s t a n t waters r o a r ;
O r heard them n o t , a s happy a s a boy:
My o l d remembrances went from me wholly:
And a l l t h e ways of men, so vain and melancholy.
But, a s i t sometimes chanceth, from t h e might
Of joy i n minds t h a t can no f u r t h e r go,
As high a s we have m u n t e d i n d e l i g h t
I n o u r d e j e c t i o n do we s i n k a s low;
To me t h a t morning d i d i t happen s o ;
And f e a r s and f a n c i e s t h i c k upon me came;
D i m sadness -- and b l i n d thoughts, I knew
n o t , nor could name.
I n such a m o d t h e poet comes upon t h e o l d Leech-gatherer who
seems, i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e n o i s e , t h e motion and t h e b r i g h t n e s s of
n a t u r e , "not a l l a l i v e nor dead,/
age.
Nor a l l a s l e e p
-- i n
h i s extreme o l d
. . ."
N e i t h e r a l i v e nor dead, t h e o l d man i s without v i t a l i t y ; he
--
l i k e a huge s t o n e , o r a sea-beast who h a s crawled f o r t h onto
is i n e r t
t h e shore..
The o l d man's s i t u a t i o n , t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s h e f a c e s c o l l e c t i n g
l e e c h e s from a n ever-dwindling s u p p l y , p a r a l l e l s t h e p o e t ' s own
condition:
My former thoughts r e t u r n e d : t h e f e a r t h a t k i l l s ;
And hope t h a t i s u n w i l l i n g t o be f e d
Cold, p a i n , and l a b o u r , and a l l f l e s h l y i l l s ;
And mighty P o e t s i n t h e i r misery dead.
P e r p l e x e d , and l o n g i n g t o be comforted,
My q u e s t i o n e a g e r l y d i d I renew
'HOW i s i t t h a t you l i v e , and what i s i t you do?'
--
The o l d man who wanders t h e "weary moors" s u g g e s t s t o me t h e medieval
legend of t h e wandering Jew.
..
The p o e t ' s q u e s t i o n
.?If-- t h e r e f o r e seems t i n g e d w i t h i r o n y .
--
"HOW
i s i t t h a t you l i v e
The o l d man does n o t l i v e , i f
l i f e i s t o b e p e r c e i v e d i n t h e terms p r e s e n t e d i n t h e poem's opening
s t a n z a s , he endures.
A t t h e c l o s e of t h e poem, t h e p o e t t u r n s t o God,
p r a y i n g t h a t he, t o o , w i l l a c h i e v e t h e Leech-gatherer's
"demeanour k i n d , /
stoicism o r
Yet s t a t e l y i n t h e main" i n t h e f a c e of t e r r i b l e
a d v e r s i t y and f r u s t r a t i o n :
'God,' s a i d I , ' b e my h e l p and s t a y s e c u r e ;
1'11 t h i n k of t h e Leech-gatherer on t h e l o n e l y moor.'
I n R e s o l u t i o n and Independence1' t h e o l d Leech-gatherer t o whom t h e
p o e t compares h i m s e l f seems a s one a w a i t i n g r e l e a s e from l i f e .
I n t h e "Ode,"
a l s o , t h e p o e t l o o k s towards d e a t h a s an e s c a p e from t h e "prison-house"
earth.
Between 1802, when Wordsworth composed " R e s o l u t i o n and Independence"
and began t h e "Ode,'' and 1804, when h e completed t h e "Ode
," Wordsworth
began
t o r e l y more and more upon t h e promise of "another and a b e t t e r world"
94
beyond t h e grave. T h i s i n c l i n a t i o n was m i r r o r e d i n t h e s t a t e o f r e p o s e
Wordsworth now seemed t o l o n g f o r i n l i f e .
The d e s i r e f o r t r a n q u i l l i t y
e x p r e s s e d i p "These c h a i r s they have no words t o u t t e r ' ' i s echoed i n t h e
"Ode t o Duty,!' which Wordsworth began t o compose i n 1804:
Through no disturbance of my soul,
O r strong compunction i n me wrought,
I supplicate for thy control;
Rut i n the quietness of thought;
Me t h i s unchartered freedom t i r e s ;
I f e e l the weight of chance-desires:
My hopes no more must change their name,
I long for a repose that ever i s the same.
NOTES
1
Poems probably composed by Wordsworth i n Germany during
t h e w i n t e r and s p r i n g of 1798-1799:
"The Danish ~ o y " , " ~ u t h " , "To a
Sexton", "Lucy ray", "Written i n Gelmany on one of t h e Coldest Days of
t h e Century" , "A Poet ' s Epitaphw, wo at thew", "The Fountain", "The Two
A p r i l Mornings", "Ellen Irwin", "Nutting1', "There was a boy", "Strange
f i t s of passion I have known", "she dwelt among t h e untrodden ways", "A
slumber d i d my s p i r i t s e a l " , "Three y e a r s she grew i n sun and shower",
and P a r t One of The Prelude of 1798-1799. Mark L. Reed, Wordsworth: The
Chronology of t h e E a r l y Years, 1770-1799 (Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1967) pp. 29, 34-35, 255-263.
For t h e t e x t of
t h e two-part Prelude s e e The Prelude, 1798-1799 by William Wordsworth, ed
Stephen P a r r i s h ( I t h a c a , New York: Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1977).
During t h e f i r s t h a l f of 1801 Wordsworth seems t o have been
working on The Prelude and/or The Recluse: whether he was a t work on one
o r both of t h e s e poems i s d i s c u s s e d i n Chapter 3 of t h i s e s s a y , pp. 49-51.
Between e a r l y February and A p r i l 9, Wordsworth composed a passage f o r
"Michael", quoted by Dorothy Wordsworth i n a l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l
9 , 1801. Around A p r i l 29 Wordsworth composed "I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown
,
i n December he
men." I n November he began t o compose " ~ e ~ e n t a n c e "and
began t r a n s l a t i n g some o f Chaucer's p o e t r y and commenced work on Book I11
of The Prelude. Mark L. Reed, Wordsworth: The Chronology of t h e Middle
Years, 1800-1815 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ,
William and Dorothy Wordsworth t o
1975, pp. 1-4, 6-8, 27-41, 107-139.
Thomas Poole, A p r i l 19, 1801, The E a r l y L e t t e r s o f William and Dorothy
Wordsworth: The Early Years 1787-1805, ed. Ernest de S e l i n c o u r t (1935
r e v i s e d by Chester L . Shaver (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 1967) p. 324.
2
"Lines w r i t t e n a few miles above T i n t e r n Abbey" was
composed i n J u l y , 1798.
3
W.W.
t o S i r George Beaumnt, February 20, 1805, L e t t e r s ,
p. 556.
4
William Wordsworth, L y r i c a l Ballads (1800) 2 v o l s . , v o l .
I , P r e f a r e p . xv. (See a l s o : The Prose Works of W i l l i a m Wordsworth, ed:
W.J.B. Owen and J . W . Smyser (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s , 3 v o l s . 1974,
I , p. 126.)
5
I n response t o c r i t i c i s m of h i s 1807 c o l l e c t i o n , Poems i n
Two Volumes, Wordsworth wrote t o Lady Beaumont on May 21, 1807, about
t h e poems t h a t make up "Moods of My Own Mind" : "There i s s c a r c e l y a poem
h e r e of above t h i r t y l i n e s , and very t r i f l i n g t h e s e poems w i l l appear t o
many: b u t , o m i t t i n g t o speak of them i n d i v i d u a l l y , do they n o t , taken
c o l l e c t i v e l y , f i x t h e a t t e n t i o n upon a s u b j e c t eminently p o e t i c a l , v i z . ,
t h e i n t e r e s t which o b j e c t s i n n a t u r e d e r i v e from t h e predominance of
c e r t a i n a f f e c t a t i o n s more o r l e s s permanent, more o r l e s s capable of
s a l u t a r y renewal i n t h e mind of t h e b e i n g contemplating t h e s e o b j e c t s ? "
The L e t t e r s o f William and Dorothy wordsworth: The Middle Years, ed.
E r n e s t de S e l i n c o u r t , r e v i s e d by Mary Moorman and Alan G. H i l l (Oxford:
Clarendon P r e s s , 2 v o l s . 1969-1970, I , p. 147)
6
D.W. and W.W.
L e t t e r s , pp. 331-333.
t o Mary Hutchinson, A p r i l 29, 1801,
"Among a l l l o v e l y t h i n g s my Love had been" was never
7
republished by Wordsworth a f t e r 1807. For t h e t e x t and a b r i e f
d i s c u s s i o n of t h i s poem s e e Chapter 3 of t h i s e s s a y , pp. 56-57.
8
Leon Edel, L i t e r a r y Biography: The Alexander L e c t u r e s ,
1955-1956 (Toronto : U n i v e r s i t y of Toronto P r e s s , 1957) pp. 9-10
9
David Bleich, S u b j e c t i v e C r i t i c i s m (Baltimore and Londson:
The John Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1978) p. 259.
Geoffrey Durrant, "Zeno's Arrow: Time and Motion i n Two of
10
Wordsworth's Lucy Poems," Mosaic 213 (Spring, 1969) pp. 10-24.
Haven:
Geoffrey H. Hartmen, Wordsworth's Poetry 1787-1814 (New
11
Yale U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1964) p. 17.
Hartman, p. 24
1800 P r e f a c e , p. x v i i .
(Owen and Srnyser, v o l . I , p. 127).
Hartman, p. 11.
Reed, Chronology of the Early Years, pp. 255-263.
D.W. and W.W. t o S.T. Coleridge, December 14 o r 21, 1798,
L e t t e r s , pp. 235-243.
17
Coleridge t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 6 , 1799, C o l l e c t e d L e t t e r s
of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. E.L. Griggs (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s ,
4 v o l s , 1956) I, pp 273-274.
.
18
I s a b e l l a Fenwick manuscript: n o t e regarding "Three y e a r s
"Composed i n t h e Hartz ores st." The Prose Works of William
she grew":
Wordsworth, ed. A.B. Grosart (1876) (New York: AMS P r e s s , I n c . , 3 v o l s .
1967) 111, p. 39.
19
Chronology of t h e Early Years, p. 263.
20
D.W.
L e t t e r s , p. 251.
and W.W.
t o Coleridge, Nordhausen, February 27, 1799,
21
D.W. t o Christopher Wordsworth, Goslar, February 3, 1799,
L e t t e r s , p. 243-246.
A h i s t o r y of The Recluse and C o l e r i d g e ' s r o l e i n i t s
22.
conception are d i s c u s s e d by Beth Darlington i n h e r I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Home a t
Grasmere, P a r t F i r s t , Book F i r s t o f The Recluse by W i l l i a m Wordsworth,ed.
Darlington ( I t h a c a , New York: Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1977). On
March 6 , 1798, Wordsworth wwote t o James Webbe Tobin from Alfoxden
( L e t t e r s , p. 212): "I have w r i t t e n 1300 l i n e s o f a poem i n which I
c o n t r i v e t o convey most of t h e knowledge of which I am possessed. My
o b j e c t is t o g i v e p i c t u r e s of Nature, Man and Society."
23
The Prelude 1798-1799, P a r r i s h , I n t r o d u c t i o n : The
Growth of the Two-Part Prelude," p. 3: "When [ ~ o r d s w o r t h ] s e t t l e da t
Goslar, i n October, 1798, where he was t o spend t h e w i n t e r , he e n t e r e d
an i s o l a t i o n -- shared with h i s s i s t e r , Dorothy
a s i n t e n s e a s any he
had e v e r known. Following c l o s e upon t h e y e a r of c r e a t i v e intimacy he
had j u s t shared with Coleridge, t h i s i s o l a t i o n drove Wordsworth back t o
t h e s o u r c e s of memory and l e d him t o t r a v e i n wondering- t h e t h a n k f u l
tones t h e beginnings of t h e growth of a p o e t ' s mind."
--
24
Mary Moorman, William Wordsworth: A Biography (Oxford:
Clarendon P r e s s , 2 v o l s . 1957, 1965) I, pp. 70-71.
25
No s p o r t b u t claims t h e t e n d e r t e a r
By joy o r g r i e f t o memory dear.
One Evening when t h e w i n t r y b l a s t
Through t h e sharp Hawthorn w h i s t l i n g passed
And t h e poor f l o c k s , a l l pinched w i t h c o l d
Sad-drooping sought t h e mountain f o l d
Long, long upon yon naked rock
Alone I bore t h e b i t t e r shock;
Long, long my swimming eyes d i d roam
For l i t t l e Horse t o b e a r me home,
To b e a r me -- what a v a i l s my t e a r ?
To sorrow o ' e r a F a t h e r ' s b i e r
Flow on, i n v a i n thou h a s t n o t flowed,
But eased m e of a heavy load;
For much it g i v e s my h e a r t r e l i e f
To pay t h e mighty debt of g r i e f ,
With s i g h s repeated o ' e r and o ' e r ,
I mourn because I mourned no more.
"The Vale o f Esthwaite" was probably composed i n t h e s p r i n g and summer
of 1787. Wordsworth m y have continued t o work on i t i n e a r l y 1788. I t
was f i r s t published by de S e l i n c o u r t ( P o e t i c a l Works, I , pp. 270-283).
26
F.W. Bateson, Wordsworth : A R e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n (London:
Green
and
Co. Ltd., 1954, 1956) pp. 148-162.
Longman ' s
W i l l i a m Wordsworth's and AnnetteVallon's daughter,
27
was
born
on December 15, 1792, i n France. S h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s ,
Caroline,
Wordsworth r e t u r n e d t o England, i n t e n d i n g t o f i n d a p o s i t i o n i n t h e
Church and t o e s t a b l i s h a home f o r Annette and t h e baby. War broke o u t
between France and England i n February, 1793. Wordsworth may have
r e t u r n e d t o France f o r a s h o r t time i n October of t h a t year. H e d i d n o t
s e e Annette a g a i n u n t i l August, 1802, when he made a f i n a n c i a l s e t t l e m e n t
with h e r and t h e i r daughter, f r e e i n g himself t o marry Mary Hutchinson i n
October of t h e same y e a r .
28
p. 274
Coleridge t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 6 , 1799, Griggs, I.
76
29
Geoffrey Durrant (PP. 10-24) f i n d s i t odd t h a t Dorothy
would be involved i n sending Colerfdge a poem about her own death and
even odder " t h a t she could have been p a r t y t o s o u n f l a t t e r i n g and
u n f e e l i n g a comment on h e r looks" a s i s suggested by t h e i m p l i c a t i o n t h a t
He
Lucy i s no l o n g e r I1 f r e s h a s a rose" i n "Strange f i t s o f passion".
b e l i e v e s t h a t i t i s most l i k e l y t h a t Lucy "is merely a more n a t u r a l and
English v e r s i o n o f t h e 'Chloes',,' 'Lucindas' and ' C e l i a s ' of e a r l i e r
a name f o r any 'beloved) I, I n Wordsworth's 'Lucy' poems,
poets
S t u d i e s i n Romanticism, 10, no. 3 (Summer, 1971) pp. 159-175, Spencer
H a l l dismisses a t t e m p t s t o p i n p o i n t t h e i d e n t i t y of Lucy a s " i r r e l e v a n t " .
James Taafe a l s o dismisses t h e q u e s t i o n o f Lucy's i d e n t i t y i n h i s a r t i c l e
"Poet and Lover i n Wordsworth's 'Lucy' Poems;",' The Modern Language Review,
6 1 (1966) pp. 175-179, a s does Herbert Hartman, "Wordsworth's 'Lucy'
Poems: Notes and Marginalia'," PMLA 49 ( l 9 3 4 ) , p. 141, who i d e n t i f i e s t h e
name a s "a neo-Arcadian commonplace, and e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y e l e g i a c
f i x t u r e " . N e i t h e r Frances Ferguson n o r Roger Slakey g i v e any c o n s i d e r a t i o n
a t a l l t o t h e i d e n t i t y of Lucy i n t h e i r a r t i c l e s about t h e poems.
@erguson, e he Lucy Poems : Wordsworth' s Quest f o r a P o e t i c Object ,"
English L i t e r a r y H i s t o r y , 40, no. 4 [winter, 19731 pp. 532-548; Slakey,
"At Zero : A Reading of Wordsworth' s ' She Dwelt Among t h e Untrodden Ways, "'
S t u d i e s i n English L i t e r a t u r e , 1500-1900, 12, no. 4 Ibutumn, 1972 1
629-638.
--
Mary Moorman (pp. 423-425) f e e l s t h a t t h e i d e a t h a t Lucy
r e p r e s e n t s some e a r l y and unknown l o v e o f Wordsworth who died has been
r e j e c t e d "perhaps t o o h a s t i l y " f o r l a c k of evidence. She does n o t t h i n k
Lucy i s Dorothy because "it i s n o t h a b i t u a l with Wordsworth when w r i t i n g
Richard
t o o r about Dorothy t o t h i n k of h e r a s dead o r going t o die."
Matlak, on t h e o t h e r hand, i d e n t i f i e s Lucy with Dorothy i n h i s a r t i c l e ,
"Wordsworth's Lucy Poems i n Psychobiographical Context", PMLA, 93
.
(January, 1978) pp. 46-65.
Matlak argues t h a t t h e "Lucy" poems emerge
o u t o f f e e l i n g s of resentment toward Dorothy t h a t were caused by
Wordsworth's s e p a r a t i o n from Coleridge i n Germany: t h e poems a r e a deathwish, Matlak a r g u e s , d i r e c t e d a t Dorothy because s h e prevented Wordsworth
from being n e a r Coleridge. Bateson a l s o a r g u e s t h a t i n t h e "Lucy" poems
Wordsworth symbolically k i l l e d h i s s i s t e r : " t h e dangerous r e l a t i o n s h i p
The g u i l t y p o s s i b i l i t i e s
with Dorothy was n o t s o l v e d , subconsciously.
were evaded by t h e removal, subconsciously, of t h e g u i l t y o b j e c t . " He
adds t h a t "Lucy's s e x l e s s n e s s a l s o becomes i n t e l l i g i b l e once t h e i d e n t i t y
with Dorothy i s recognized. The emotional i n t i m a c i e s must n o t have a
p h y s i c a l b a s i s , even subconsciously" (pp 153-154)
.
...
.
.
30
Bateson, p . 152. The "Nutting" fragment w a s f i r s t
published by de S e l i n c o u r t ( P o e t i c a l Works, 11, pp 504-506).
.
31
G r o s a r t , Vol. 111, p . 39. I s a b e l l a Fenwick n o t e re.
"Nutting":
w r i t t e n i n Germany: intended as p a r t o f a poem on my own
l i f e , b u t s t r u c k o u t a s n o t being wanted t h e r e . "
32
W.W.
t o Coleridge, A p r i l 16, 1802, L e t t e r s , pp. 287-8.
33
I n t h e 1800 P r e f a c e Wordsworth emphasizes t h a t i t was h i s
i n t e n t i o n t h a t i n t h e s e poems t h e f e e l i n g should g i v e importance t o t h e
a c t i o n and t h e s i t u a t i o n and n o t t h e a c t i o n and s i t u a t i o n t o t h e f e e l i n g "
(p. x v i i ) .
34
This usage of " f i t " appears f r e q u e n t l y i n Spenser's
F a e r i e Queene -- i t was probably a n a r c h a i c usage even i n Spenser's
time. Wordsworth's awareness of t h i s connotation of " f i t " i s suggested
by h i s admiration o f Spenser, expressed i n h i s 1815 P r e f a c e t o Poems
(p. x x i x ) : "The grand store-house of e n t h u s i a s t i c and m e d i t a t i v e
Imagination, of p o e t i c a l , a s c o n t r a d i s t i n g u i s h e d from human and dramatic
Imagination, is t h e p r o p h e t i c and l y r i c a l p a r t s o f t h e holy S c r i p t u r e s ,
and t h e works o f Milton, t o which I cannot f o r b e a r t o add t h o s e of
Spenser."
(Owen and Smyser, 111, p. 34).
35
Wordsworth d i s c u s s e s t h e r e l a t i o n o f p a s s i o n t o s u f f e r i n g
i n t h e "Essay Supplementary t o t h e P r e f a r e " (1815) I , p. 370: "Passion,
i t must be observed, i s derived from a word which s i g n i f i e d s u f f e r i n g : b u t
t h e connection which s u f f e r i n g h a s with e f f o r t , with e x e r t i o n , and a c t i o n
i s immediate and i n s e p a r a b l e .
To be moved, then, by a p a s s i o n , i s t o
be e x c i t e d , o f t e n t o e x t e r n a l , and always t o i n t e r n a l , e f f o r t ; whether f o r
t h e continuance and s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f t h e p a s s i o n , o r f o r i t s suppression
'I
I n t h e c o n t e x t o f my d i s c u s s i o n o f passion and p a s s i v i t y i n "Strange
f i t s o f passion," Wordsworth's remarks suggest t h a t t h e speaker was "excited
i n t o an i n t e r n a l e f f o r t o f suppression o r r e p r e s s i o n , b u t h i s e f f o r t was
without s u c c e s s .
..
...
36
1800 P r e f a c e , p. xxi: "There w i l l a l s o be found i n t h e s e
Volumes l i t t l e of what is u s u a l l y c a l l e d p o e t i c d i c t i o n ; I have taken a s
much p a i n s t o avoid i t a s o t h e r s o r d i n a r i l y t a k e t o produce i t . " (Owen and
Smyser, I , p. 130.)
37
Wordsworth d e s c r i b e s t h e process o f composition and i t s
r e l a t i o n t o passion o r f e e l i n g on p. xxxiv of t h e 1800 Preface : "I have
s a i d t h a t Poetry i s t h e spontaneous overflow of powerful f e e l i n g s : i t
t a k e s i t s o r i g i n from t h e emotion r e c o l l e c t e d i n t r a n q u i l l i t y : t h e
e m t i o n i s contemplated t i l l by a s p e c i e s of r e a c t i o n t h e t r a n q u i l l i t y
g r a d u a l l y d i s a p p e a r s and an emotion, s i m i l a r t o t h a t which was b e f o r e t h e
s u b j e c t o f contemplation, is g r a d u a l l y produced, and does i t s e l f a c t u a l l y
e x i s t i n t h e mind. I n t h i s mood s u c c e s s f u l composition g e n e r a l l y begins,
and i n a mood s i m i l a r t o t h i s i t is c a r r i e d on; b u t t h e emotion, o f
whatever k i n d and i n whatever degree, from v a r i o u s c a u s e s is q u a l i f i e d by
v a r i o u s p l e a s u r e s , so t h a t i n d e s c r i b i n g any p a s s i o n s whatsoever, which a r e
v o l u n t a r i l y d e s c r i b e d , t h e mind w i l l upon t h e whole be i n a s t a t e of
enjoyment."
(Owen and Smyser, I , p. 148).
38
For example, Dorothy records t h a t on March 14, 1802,
"William r o s e without having s l e p t -- w e s a t e comfortably by t h e f i r e
t i l l he began t o t r y t o a l t e r The B u t t e r f l y , and t i r e d himself . I '
J o u r n a l s of Dorothy Wordsworth, ed. Ernest de S e l i n c o u r t (London:
Maddillan and Co. L t d . , 2 Vols. 1959) I, p . 123.
"
The Notebooks of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. Kathleen
39'
Coburn (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 2 Vols. 1957) I, 1794-1804,
Text, e n t r y #I546 (Oct., 1803). J a r e d C u r t i s d i s c u s s e s C o l e r i d g e ' s
n e g a t i v e a t t i t u d e t o ~ o r d s w o r t h ' ss h o r t poems i n h i s book, wordsworth's
Experiments with T r a d i t i o n : The Lyric Poems o f 1802 ( I t h a c a and London:
Cornell U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1971) pp 8-10.
.
40
Durrant, pp. 12-13.
41
Ben Jonson, "To Celia" (Come my C e l i a , l e t us prove")
The Works of B r i t i s h P o e t s , ed. Robert Anderson (London, 1 3 Vols. 1795)
Vol. 4 , p. 554.
Henry Vaughan, "They a r e a l l gone i n t o t h e World of Light,"
42
Renaissance England: Poetry and Prose ,from t h e Reformation t o t h e
R e s t o r a t i o n , ed. Roy Lamson and H a l l e t t Smith (New York: W.W. Norton and
Co. Inc., 1942, 1956) p. 1032
43
L y r i c a l Ballads (l8OO), n o t e t o "The Thorn":
"Superstitious
men a r e almost always men of slow f a c u l t i e s and deep f e e l i n g s ; t h e i r minds
a r e n o t l o o s e b u t adhesive; they have a reasonable s h a r e o f imagination, by
which work I mean t h e f a c u l t y which produces impressive e f f e c t o u t of simple
elements."
44
Ferguson, p. 534.
45
Slakey makes a s i m i l a r a n a l y s i s of t h e v i o l e t and s t a r
images, pp. 632-633.
o rdsworth (Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y
46
Geoffrey Durrant , William W
P r e s s , 1969) pp. 70-71.
47
1 8 0 0 P r e f a c e , p. xx.
(OwenandSmyser, I , p. 130.)
48
Christopher Marlowe, "The P a s s i o n a t e Shepherd t o h i s Love,"
Renaissance England, p 39 3.
.
49
Jared R. C u r t i s , "A Note on t h e Lost Manuscripts of
W i l l i a m wordsworth's 'Louisa' and ' I t r a v e l l ' d among unknown men,"' The
Yale U n i v e r s i t y G a z e t t e , Vol. 53, No. 4 ( A p r i l , 1979) pp. 196-201.
50
Reed, Chronology of t h e Middle Years, pp. 1-4, 6-8, 107139. The o n l y o t h e r p i e c e of p o e t r y Wordsworth i s known t o have composed
during t h i s p e r i o d i s a s e c t i o n t o be added t o "Michael" which Dorothy
Wordsworth included i n a l e t t e r t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 9, 1801, L e t t e r s ,
p. 325.
51
The l i n e s Wordsworth i s b e l i e v e d t o have composed during
A p r i l and May, 1800, a r e Manuscript B , 1-457, 859-874 (Darlington, pp.
38-66, 92-93) and p o s s i b l y "The ~ r o s p e c t u s , " : M s . B, 959-1048 (Darlington,
pp. 100-106).
52
John Garetson Dings, The Mind i n Its Place: Wordsworth's
,'Michaelf' and t h e Poetry of 1800 (University of B u f f a l o , 1973) p. 38.
53
"
prospectus", 1006-1014.
54
W.W.
t o James Webbe Tobin, March 6 , 1798, L e t t e r s , p. 212
55
W.W.
t o J o s i a h Wedgewood, J u l y 13, 1800, L e t t e r s , p . 284.
56
D.W.
t o Jane Marshall, September 10 and 12, 1800, L e t t e r s ,
57
J o u r n a l s of D.W.,
58
W.W.
t o Anne Taylor, A p r i l 9 , 1801, L e t t e r s , p . 327
59
W.W.
and D.E.
t o Coleridge, May 22, 1801, L e t t e r s , p. 335
60
W.W.
and D.W.
t o Thomas Poole, A p r i l 9, 1801, L e t t e r s , p .
p. 298.
I , pp. 67-75
324.
61
John Wordsworth t o D.W., March 28 and 29, 1801, The L e t t e r s
of John Wordsworth, ed. Carl Ketcham ( I t h a c a : C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ,
1969( p. 110.
62
J.W.
Wordsworth, p. 119
63
'
t o D.W.,
A p r i l 22 and 23, 1801, L e t t e r s o f John
L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, f o o t n o t e 24-4, p. 207.
64
Coleridge t o W.W.,
65
Reed, Chronology of t h e Middle Years, p. 631.
66
J.W.
October 12, 1799, Griggs, I. p. 538.
t o D.W., May 3 and 4, 1801, L e t t e r s of John
Wordsworth, p. 124
J.C.
67
William Wordsworth, t h e Prelude: A P a r a l l e l Text, ed.
Maxwell (Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1971,1972-
.
68
Reed adds, however, t h a t "these l i n e s cannot c o n f i d e n t l y
be supposed t o have been i n e x i s t e n c e u n t i l e a r l y 1804." Chronology o f t h e Middle Years, p 632.
.
69
Jonathan Wordsworth and Stephen G i l l , "The Two-Part Prelude
of 1798-1799,"Journal o f English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 72 (1973)
p. 522.
70
C u r t i s , ~ o r d s w o r t h ' s Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p. 12.
71-
J o u r n a l s , I , pp. 37-46.
72
Bateson, p. 154.
73
W.W.
t o James Losh, March 16, 1805, L e t t e r s , p. 563
74
Mary Wordsworth t o Catherine Clarkson, March 7, 1805,
The L e t t e r s o f &ry-Wordsworth, 1800-1855, ed. Mary E. Burton (oxford,
1958) p. 3.
75
D.W.
t o Jane Marshall, March 1 5 , 17, 1805, L e t t e r s ,
76
W.W.
t o Richard Wordsworth, March 19, 1805, L e t t e r s ,
77
L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, p. 25.
p. 560.
p. 571.
78
J . W . t o Mary Hutchinson, February 25 and 26, 1801,
L e t t e r s of John Wordsworth, pp. 125-126.
79
J.W.
John Wordsworth, pp
t o M. Hutchinson, September 12, 1802, L e t t e r s of
. 125-126.
80
Journals, I,pp.125-128.
81
J o u r n a l s , I , p. 130.
82
W.W. t o C o l e r i d g e , A p r i l 1 6 , 1802, L e t t e r s , p. 348.
83
L e t t e r s , pp. 331-333.
84
J o u r n a l s , I , p. 176.
85
Book of Common Prayer (1559), Church of England: "I, (N.)
take thee (N. ) t o my wedded wife, t o have and t o hold from t h i s day
forward, f o r b e t t e r , f o r worse, f o r r i c h e r , f o r p o o r e r , i n s i c k n e s s and
i n h e a l t h , t o love and t o c h e r i s h , t i l l death us d e p a r t .
'
..
"To a B u t t e r f l y " ("Stay n e a r me") w a s f i r s t published i n
86
1807 i n Poems, i n Two Volumes under t h e heading "Moods of My Own Mind'."
The poem grew o u t of a conversation with Dorothy on March 14, 1802,
recorded by h e r i n h e r j o u r n a l ( I , p. 123).
87
J o u r n a l s , I , p. 143.
88
Lines 6-9 of t h i s poem were w r i t t e n between December 1798
and June 1800 a s p a r t o f "Nutting," and e v e n t u a l l y published as p a r t of
t h e s e q u e l t o t h e "Ode t o ~ y c o r i s . " This i s t h e spot" appears a s "a
f r e e s t a n d i n g poem" i n "Sara Hutchinson's Poets" -- a notebook of 1802 and
a f t e r . C u r t i s , Wordsworth's Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p. 196; Reed,
Chronology of t h e Early Years, pp. 331--332.
7
89
J o u r n a l s , I , pp. 139-140
90
D.W. n o t e s W. " r e p e a t i n g the poem:
' I have thoughts
t h a t a r e f e d by t h e sun'" on A p r i l 22, 1802 ( J o u r n a l s , I, p. 136).
The two p a r t s o f t h e poem may have been composed s e p a r a t e l y and then
joined a s one poem. F i r s t published by de S e l i n c o u r t (IV, 365-6).
C u r t i s , Wordsworth's Experiments with T r a d i t i o n , p . 176.
91
J o u r n a l s , I , p. 129.
92
J. C u r t i s i n an unpublished paper, "The Composition o f
Wordsworth's I n t i m a t i o n s Ode
."
93
These l i n e s were followed i n t h e 1807 and 1815 e d i t i o n s
of t h e poem by f o u r l i n e s d e s c r i b i n g what t h e grave means t o a c h i l d :
To whom the grave
Is b u t a l o n e l y bed without t h e s e n s e o f s i g h t
O f day and t h e warm l i g h t ,
A p l a c e of thought where we i n w a i t i n g l i e ;
These l i n e s imply t h a t t h e boy's perception o f t h e grave i s d i f f e r e n t
from t h e a d u l t ' s -- i n s t e a d of t h e d e p r i v a t i o n t h e boy i s s a i d t o p e r c e i v e ,
t h e l a s t l i n e s s u g g e s t t h a t t h e poet looks t o t h e grave a s a way-station,
"a p l a c e of thought" where he w i l l s t a r t t o recover t h e " t r u t h s " t h a t
growing o l d e r had caused him t o l o s e .
94
p. 556.
W.W.
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