“Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802,” by William Wordsworth is a beautifully written sonnet about Wordsworth’s description of London and how it compares to nature. Wordsworth’s poems are usually detailed and present stunning portrayals of the natural wonders that surround us but yet are ignored. This sonnet provides readers with imagery and personifications of London and nature that surrounds the city. William Wordsworth allows his readers to really imagine the city and to help us see the city as he
does through the use of imagery and personification.
The poem is written in sonnet form which is comprised of fourteen lines that are divided into an octave and a sestet and there is a rhyme scheme present which is ABBAABBA CDCDCD. The sonnet is also written in iambic pentameter which makes the sonnet move smoothly and creates this smooth speaking voice which is easy to read. Wordsworth also uses a lot of positive language which makes the poem seem more calm and beautiful. Words like “glittering,” “bright,” “splendour,” and “glideth,” creates this sense of magical feeling and brings London alive. Even though London is industrialized, noisy and dirty, Wordsworth is in awe of London’s beauty during this time of day and he uses positive language to express his emotions about the city and the view he is experiencing.
The use of imagery in the sonnet makes the readers more in awe of what Wordsworth is envisioning and thinking about as he is watching London. “The beauty of morning; silent bare,/ Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie/ Open unto the fields, and to the sky” (l. 5-7). Wordsworth creates this beautiful imagery of London right before anyone is awake and as the day goes on gets noisy and busy, he sees London as “silent” and “bare.” Everything is calm and relaxed. Even the industrialized objects are still and not in use. He enjoys this moment of when it is morning and nothing is in motion. In Charles J. Smith’s article “The Contrarieties: Wordsworth’s Dualistic Imagery,” he writes, “Wordsworth tries to show (1) that some parts of these lives are in themselves enduring and valuable, and (2) that, viewed in relation to God’s ideal, eternal plan, each life takes on meaning and purpose” (Smith). Wordsworth’s use of imagery shows that he gives meaning and purpose of inanimate objects. He tries to bring objects to life and evoke a sensory experience as if the reader was viewing the same city right next to him.
Wordworth uses personification throughout the poem to give the city life and create a sense that the city is a living object. “Never did sun more beautifully steep/In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill” (l.9-10). Wordsworth personifies the sun and creates a third person narrative using the word “he.” He brings the sun alive into a living creature, rising up over the city over the “valley, rock, or hill” (l. 10). Another example would be, “The river glideth at his own street will:/Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;” (l.12-13). He personifies the river with the third person narrative “he” and also personifies the houses as sleeping animate beings. In J. Hillis Miller’s “The Still Heart: Poetic Form in Wordsworth,” Miller writes, “The persuasive figure in ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ is of course the personification of the city as a sleeping human figure who wears only the transparent garment of the morning, as opposed to the usual clothing of smoke” (Miller). He examines ordinary things that we see every day and creates beautiful undertones to bring those objects alive. Personifying objects brings out more meaning and insight to the author’s imagination and ideas. Readers can also see the imagery that the author describes through personification.
William Wordsworth’s poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802,” brings out a sense of positive feelings and a magical overview of London right before the city comes alive. He uses imagery and personification to bring out the beauties of the city and to create this sense of nature in a busy and loud city. Wordsworth’s poems are always full of beautiful imagery and detailed descriptions of the places he visits and he allows his readers to capture the same emotions as he did during that moment in time.
Miller, J. Hillis. "The Still Heart: Poetic Form in Wordsworth." CSUN Library Access to Restricted Resources. 1971. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/468604?seq=10&Search=yes&term=William&term=Composed&term=Wordsworth&term=Bridge&term=Westminster&term=upon&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doAdvancedSearch?q0=Composed+upon+Westminster+Bridge&f0=all&c1=AND&q1=William+Wordsworth+&f1=all&acc=on&wc=on&Search=Search&sd=&ed=&la=&jo=&item=8&ttl=287&returnArticleService>
Smith, Charles J. "The Contrarieties: Wordsworth's Dualistic Imagery." CSUN Library Access to Restricted Resources. 1954. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/459777?seq=17&Search=yes&term=William&term=Composed&term=Wordsworth&term=Bridge&term=Westminster&term=upon&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doAdvancedResults?hp=25&la=&wc=on&acc=on&gw=jtx&jcpsi=1&artsi=1&q0=Composed+upon+Westminster+Bridge&f0=all&c0=&q1=William+Wordsworth&f1=all&c1=AND&sd=&ed=&jo=&si=1&jtxsi=>
Dear Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Wordsworth and Expressive theory of Romanticism. Wordsworth's explonation of his emotional response in poems presented as, "Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" where emotions and feelings are "recollected in tranquility" reflect the true nature of a real poetry.
In “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802,” I like how you revealed the powerful language of poem which personifies the city life to create a glimpse of a living object. I totally agree in personification the city life because living objects who accomodate the city are human beings and nature, "He uses imagery and personification to bring out the beauties of the city and to create this sense of nature in a busy and loud city."
Moreover, your detailed analysis of the poem in terms of style, meter, and rhyme scheme created a greater image of Wordsworth's expressivness of the poetry through iambic meter. It creater a clearer understanding of his writing addressed to a common man and written about the rustic life of a common man. Through the iambic pantemeter, the speaker creates a greater idea of busy city life with, "ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie" (Line 6).
I really liked your choice of the poem, as usually Wordsworth was writing his criticism to Imperialism and Western Civilization associated with City life and Industrialization. However, this poem reveals the magnificance and power of the city life.
Well done! I like the conclusion, but I would include in the introduction what you mention in the second paragraph about the poem being written in iambic pentameter. You could also explain what that does for the poem, how it makes the reader feel, or what tone it sets. You also mention the diction Wordsworth uses, but you didn’t mention that in your introductory paragraph either. That’s one more thing you can also expand on, which can be a new paragraph. In the third paragraph it would be really nice if you would emphasize the contrasts Wordsworth shows in the poem between the beauty of London in the morning and London when there is hustle and bustle. Also in the third paragraph, the secondary source you used could be explained a bit more and touch on what Smith is explaining about how some parts in life are “enduring and valuable,” and how according to God’s ideal each life holds meaning and purpose. At the end of this paragraph you say that “He tries to bring objects to life and evoke a sensory experience…” there you could add how he accomplishes this; what does the speaker say or what literary devices does Wordsworth use? Finally, in the fourth paragraph something can also be said about the other secondary source that is included. I like the source you used by Miller because he explains that the city is a “sleeping human figure” that’s wearing a garment. Here you can add commentary. That’s about it!
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