Discussion Topic
The leech-gatherer in "Resolution and Independence" by Wordsworth
Summary:
In Wordsworth's poem "Resolution and Independence," the leech-gatherer symbolizes resilience and wisdom. Despite his old age and the hardships of his profession, he remains content and dignified, offering a model of perseverance and inner strength to the poet, who is struggling with his own fears and doubts about the future.
How does Wordsworth describe the leech-gatherer in "Resolution and Independence"?
As the poem opens, the speaker is rambling in the moors on a beautiful, sunny day, but instead of giving him joy, as it usually does, the natural world leaves him full of "dejection." He is fearful and sad, thinking of the future and worrying that he might someday he might age and face:
Solitude, pain of heart, distress, and poverty.
At this point he sees the leech gatherer. He describes him as very old:
the oldest man he seemed that ever wore grey hairs.
He is so old that he is bent over so that his head and feet seem to come together. He looks like he might be doubled over with either physical sickness or a deep emotional pain. He leans on a long gray staff to support his weight. He is still for a long time, then he stirs the pond with his staff. This movement inspires...
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the speaker to talk to him.
The speaker describes the leech gatherer's speech as "feeble," but notes that his eyes still are "vivid." His voice has a "lofty" and "stately" sound that impresses the speaker. He sounds "grave" and "religious." His words seem to carry weight.
As they talk, the speaker learns the the old man goes from pond to pond gathering leeches to sell. (At that time leeches were used for medicinal purposes.) The leech supply has dwindled, and the old man is very poor, but he nevertheless earns enough to stay alive. The speaker describes his character as "cheerful" and "kind," and his mind as "firm." By the end of the conversation the speaker feels renewed: the old man's cheerful character despite his poverty and adversity has made the speaker feel "I could have laughed myself to scorn" for being so sad and worried about the future earlier. The leech-gatherer is an example of how to live with grace and dignity despite old age and poverty.
Describe the speaker's encounter with the leech-gatherer in "Resolution and Independence."
In “Resolution and Independence,” the encounter between the speaker and the leech-gatherer turns out to have great significance for the former. That's because the leech-gatherer, a man who, despite his old age and poverty, leads an honest, independent life, stands as a role model for the speaker, who fears that sorrow and despair await him.
The leech-gatherer may be old and decrepit, bent double by years of bending down to collect leeches, but there's something admirable about the way he goes about his work without any fuss or bother. There's also something about the way he talks, his “stately speech.” that attracts the attention of the impressed speaker. The old man may not be a poet, but his “lofty utterance” has a kind of poetic quality all the same.
In their brief conversation, the leech-gatherer tells the speaker about the many hardships that he's endured over the years. As well as being old and poor, he finds his work “hazardous and wearisome.” And yet it's still an honest living, and it's notable that when the speaker inquires as to his profession, the leech-gatherer answers with a smile, an indication that, despite the many privations of his daily existence, this is a man who counts his blessings.
The old man has set an example for the speaker to follow. He is impressed by the leech-gatherer's firmness of mind and resolution, so much so that he takes himself to task for being so miserable in the past. From now on, he hopes to show similar resolution and independence as the old leech-gatherer.
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