Student Question
What is your personal response to the poems by William Wordsworth?
Quick answer:
William Wordsworth's poetry evokes a personal and universal response by capturing intimate experiences with nature. Poems like "It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free" and "I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud" emphasize personal emotions and connections with the natural world, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences. Wordsworth's ability to express subjective feelings that resonate universally makes his work accessible and relatable, encouraging personal exploration of his themes and sentiments.
In order to write a personal response, the reader must simply read with the heart in tune with the sentiments expressed in Wordsworth's poem. For instance, how many of us have not reacted to the twilight, that magical time in which day and night are suspended from each other? Indeed, "It is a beauteous evening, calm and free" often as we enjoy the colored ribbons of the setting sun that weaves itself with the night. It is a peaceful "beauteous" time as we watch and we share Wordsworth's sentiments expressed in his poem "It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free."
The very nature of the question is a personal one. This will mean that few, if any, could give an answer that is going to suffice. Much of this is going to come from you. That being said, this is not that difficult to answer because the nature of Wordsworthian poetry is a personal and subjective. This will mean that he seeks to bring out a personal, yet universal quality to his poetry. For example, in the poem, "I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud," there is a very personal expression to the experience of nature. The field of daffodils and the moment of being a part of nature is something that Wordsworth believes can possess personal connection. This is something upon which you can comment. When Wordsworth plays with the same ideas in the "The Solitary Reaper," in terms of expressing what it means to be a part of a singular moment where there seems to be "life" present, one can connect it to their own experiences of the recreation of "the moment." It is in this light where the subjectivity of Wordsworth possesses a universal quality because he is demanding that individuals are able to express their own subjective experiences based on what Wordsworth present. This might be where you could start in your own personal exploration of Wordsworthian poetry and thought.
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