Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

by William Wordsworth

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"Earth Has Not Anything To Show More Fair"

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Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth like a garment wear
The beauty of the morning. . . .

The opening lines of Wordsworth's sonnet "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" capture a rare and profound moment where the hustle and grime of London are temporarily hidden under the fresh light of morning. Wordsworth suggests that it would take an unimaginative and insensitive person not to be moved by this view. The city, with its usual chaos and industrial grime, is transformed, likened to a person elegantly wearing the morning as they might a garment. The metaphor of the city "wearing" the morning underscores the transient beauty and delicate serenity that envelops London in that moment. This passage highlights the Romantic ideal of finding the sublime in the everyday, bridging the gap between urban life and the natural world, and offering a moment of quiet reflection on beauty, often overlooked. Wordsworth's admiration for this scene challenges the reader to find majesty in unexpected places.

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