Nutting by William Wordsworth - Book Report/Review Example

The entire poem, especially the illustration of the child and its experiences, help the poet introduce the readers to the specific characteristics of Romantic language and style. A careful reading of the poem is necessary to find the Romantic elements in it and to relate the poem to the historical facts of the period. Such a reflective reading of the romantic texts in general, and 'Nutting' in particular, requires careful analysis of every word and phrase in the poem. According to Stephen Bygrave "it goes right down to the level of the single word.

Even single words in Romantic texts can be charged in a way we may not notice." (Bygrave, 13) Therefore, this paper undertakes a careful reading or analysis of the poem 'Nutting' by Wordsworth in order to identify the various elements of Romantic originality in the language and the form of the Romantic poetry, including rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, imagery, tone, word order, alliteration, and point of view etc. A profound understanding of the language used by Wordsworth in the poem 'Nutting' is essential in order to comprehend the novelty and nature of Romantic writing and simplicity is the essence of his language which uses the language of the common man.

"One of the most famous claims for the novelty of Romantic writing comes in a document.Wordsworth's 'Preface' to the Lyrical ballads of 1802 Wordsworth challenges the reliance on[earlier conventions and specialized language], arguing in the Preface that the language of poetry ought to be the 'language of men'. The Preface defends his choice of language and subject matter for the poems in the Volume." (Bygrave, 23) Therefore, the poet is greatly careful about the choice of the language and words in the poem 'Nutting' and he turns the common man's language into extra ordinary language which lures the reader in the Romantic ecstasy.

In other words, Wordsworth has been able to manipulate the natural language in a meaningful way to stir up the images which illustrate the poet's memories and the conventional devices of figurative language are given little attention. Wordsworth's skill in turning common language into poetic genius is evident all through the poem and a prosaic analysis of the lines, "Perhaps it was a bower beneath whose leaves / The violets of five seasons re-appear / And fade, unseen by any human eye; / Where fairy water-breaks do murmur on / For ever; and I saw the sparkling foam," best illustrates this quality.

(Wordsworth, lines 30-4) One notices how fascinatingly the poet describes the stream and the landscape is produced before the eyes of the reader in common man's language. The poetic diction and the symbolism used by the poet in these lines also enhance the appreciation by the reader. The beauty of the language also guides the reader to comprehend the meaning of the expressions. Every expression in the poem, in the form of words and phrases, also suggests some essential realities in the life of the poet.

Through the form as well as the language of the poem, the poet is able to convey his original idea and the loss of innocence in the child is the main theme of the poem which is clear from the images used in the poem. Expressions and images such as 'heavenly days', 'eagerness of boyish hope', 'wallet', 'nutting-crook', 'far-distant wood', 'frugal Dame', 'nook / Unvisited', 'broken bough', 'withered leaves', 'ungracious