William Wordsworth Essay Example

William Wordsworth was an English poet during the romantic period. He was born on April 7th, 1770, and died on April 23rd, 1850. He was alive during a period of new technological advancements happening all around him. William Wordsworth strongly felt that nature, and even humans, are threatened by industrialization. Wordsworth’s love and passion for nature are expressed in his writing. He wrote poetry not only to express his love for nature but also to make us eco-conscious. He believed that nature had feeling and purpose and viewed it as an entity. William Wordsworth’s poems Tintern Abbey and Steamboats, Viaducts, and Railways are works of eco-criticism. 

“Steamboats, Viaducts, and Railways” is a poem talking about technological advancement intruding on the beauty of nature. In lines 4-7, “Nor shall your presence, howsoe’ er it mar The loveliness of Nature, prove a bar To the Mind’s gaining that prophetic sense Of future change, that point of vision, whence” (Wordsworth, William Steamboats, Viaducts, and Railways, 191) Wordsworth is is talking about change; going from the ‘lovliness of nature’ to a ‘prophetic sense of future change.’ He is talking about industrliztion impacting the beauty of nature. Again in lines 9-11, Wordsworth says “In spite of all that beauty may disown In your harsh features, Nature doth embrace Her lawful offspring in Man’s art; and Time,” (Wordsworth, William Steamboats, Viaducts, and Railways, 191) he is touching on how the harsh features of the railways cutting through nature, is running the view, the loveliness, of nature. The once untouched nature is now being cut right through by new inventions, destroying the nature peacefulness and instead of this calm natural nature view, its harsh with metal and technology (Wordsworth, William Steamboats, Viaducts, and Railways, 191).  

“Tintern Abbey” Is a poem talking about Wordsworth revisiting a place 5 years later and seeing how everything is changed/changing due to industrialization. After 5 years Wordsworth returns to a place that he once thought was extremely beautiful and made him happy with the view and the nature, but when he returns a lot has changed due to industrialization, the once beautiful view is now being disrupted by harsh metal and smoke. In lines 150-152, wordsworth is talking about the disrtruction of the forest and of the hills and of the green landscape. He writes “Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs, And this green pastoral landscape, were to me More dear, both for themselves and for thy sake!” He goes on to talk about the selfishness in line 152 sayings “both for themselves and for thy sake” (Wordsworth, Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,...) talking about how the people have been doing this and destroying nature for thief own benefits and theirs alone. Again in lines 122- 123 he talks more about the selfishness of people, stating “Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men, Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all.”

In his poems, Wordsworth is communicating with the reader in attempt to make them more aware of the consequences of industrialization happening all around them; not just the visual disruption but also the disturbance it has on nature and on humans. Industrialization is not without consequence. When something new comes along don’t forget about the natural environment and think about how what you are about to introduce into the world affects everything it surrounds, how it affects both us and nature. We put stuff out into nature without care and do not realize the effect on us and the effect on nature. It comes put the ‘unnatural’ right through the natural beauty surrounding us.