Student Question
What are the characteristics of Romantic poetry in Wordsworth's poem, The Table Turned?
Quick answer:
In "The Table Turned," Wordsworth's poem exhibits Romantic characteristics by advocating for emotional connection and individuality over formalized study. It emphasizes the value of the natural world, urging readers to let "Nature be your teacher." The poem critiques scientific dissection as "murder" and condemns Math and Science for trying to explain the unexplainable beauty of the world, reflecting key Romantic ideals.
There are several Romantic elements in Wordsworth's poem. The opening lines of the poem stresses the idea that individuals should abandon formalized study which seeks to eliminate emotional connection and replace with a sense of uniqueness and individuality. Such a condemnation of "formalized" study and embracing a more unconventional view of learning can be seen in each closing line of each stanza. In each, there is discussion of some tenet or principle of Romantic thought. For example, the closing line of the second stanza extols the virtue of the natural world, a critical element within the Romantic thought cycle. The fourth stanza's closing confirms this with the demand of letting "Nature be your teacher." Another idea of Romantic thought is the idea that individuals will learn and gain more with a sense of wonderment within their studies as opposed to formalized and rote instruction. This is most evident in the second to last stanza's closing which suggests that the purely scientific and calculating science of dissection is actually a type of "murder." The concluding stanza indicts Math and Science as venues of study as they seek to explain the natural phenomena and beauty of the world which cannot be explained, critical ideas in Romantic thought.
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