Discussion Topic
Interpretation of "what man has made of man" in Wordsworth's "Lines Written in Early Spring"
Summary:
"What man has made of man" in Wordsworth's "Lines Written in Early Spring" reflects the poet's lament over humanity's negative impact on itself and nature. Wordsworth contrasts the harmony of the natural world with the discord and suffering caused by human actions, expressing sorrow for the loss of innocence and the degradation brought by societal and industrial progress.
What does the phrase "Man has made of man" mean in "Lines Written in Early Spring"?
In "Lines Written in Early Spring," the speaker is reclining in a grove, listening to birdsong and enjoying the spring flowers, when he begins to feel rather sad: he cannot help but contrast the beauty and perfection he sees in Nature with mankind’s imperfections. In this way, the poet is describing an imperfect (unhappy) human contemplating an Eden-like scene:
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
So if Wordsworth is comparing and contrasting the works of Nature (beauty and perfection) with “What man has made of man,” then it stands to reason that he is describing the unnatural aspects of human industry: the wars, strife, and grief which lead to human suffering and unhappiness.
Wordsworth underlines this a little further in the fourth and fifth stanza, when...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
he wonders if these beautiful works of nature are happy:
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
He concludes that they are:
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
Ultimately he decides that the happiness of nature must be a “holy plan.” Therefore, if Nature’s holy plan, its divine intention, is happiness, then the suffering, war, and strife created by Man--"what Man has made of Man"--is all the more regrettable:
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
So our analysis shows that when Wordsworth uses the words, “What man has made of man,” he is referring to the works of Man, which are negative actions such as wars, producing sorrow and conflict, in contrast with the works of Nature--positive creations such as flowers and birdsong, which produce beauty and happiness.
This line is found in the following stanza:
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
What prompted Wordsworth to reflect on "what man has made of man" in his poem "Lines Written in Early Spring"?
The poem "Lines Written in Early Spring" is notable for its juxtaposition of the harmony of nature with the villainy of mankind. The flowers enjoy the air they breathe, the birds take pleasure in each little movement, and the buds on the trees delight in the spring breezes. As the speaker sits outside in a grove, he feels the peaceful brotherhood of living things that exists in the flora and fauna, and he ponders the connection between nature and man. Since mankind, too, is a product of nature, the relationships between humans should be as serene and cooperative as the relationships among birds, trees, and air. But the speaker realizes with regret that this is not the case. Thus he contemplates "what man has made of man."
Wordsworth wrote this poem in 1798. In the preceding decade, he had ample opportunity to observe the negative effects that some people had on others. Although he, like many early Romantics, viewed the French Revolution as the harbinger of a golden age, he was bitterly disappointed with the bloodshed and war that followed. The conflict affected him personally. He had been traveling in France in 1791 and fell in love with a woman named Annette. When their child was born, he intended to marry Annette, but he had to return to England due to financial difficulties. He planned to return, but war broke out between England and France, preventing his reunion with his daughter and her mother.
Did Wordsworth have such interpersonal and international conflicts in mind when he hinted at the "sad thoughts" he entertained that lovely spring day? Probably. Yet every person knows well enough firsthand "what man has done to man." We have all seen people hurt each other on small and grand scales. Like Wordsworth, we can wish for a harmony to exist among people that is akin to what he observed among the elements of nature on that placid day in early spring.