The Representation of Nature in the Poems 'Spring' and The Prelude - Literature review Example

The representation of nature in John Clares poem Spring and ‘The Prelude’ by William Wordsworth (lines 306-51 from Book First). The Prelude is considered as William Wordsworth’s richest, imaginative and rhetorically sophisticated accomplishment .The Prelude describes the formation of the poet the poem offers vivid pictures and extreme pleasure. The poem is to record an experience from Words Worth’s past and testing the philosophical and psychological importance and relate to the society and to the nature’ Wordsworth himself declared as his autobiographical poem and also considered as a long lyric poem in English literature. The poem is a meditation of poet’s torment and a key factor in Wordsworth’s philosophical approach towards nature, Pantheism. His dependence of on nature comes not from a mere worship of it, rather than the belief that philosophical, social and ethical issues can be found and discussed in nature. His autobiographical account The Prelude, Wordsworth presents his observation of the nature through nature the poet has emphasized nature is a place beyond his aesthetic admiration to one of absolute attachment. Nature, according to William words worth, is not an object for inspiration but a presence, a power, a motion and a spirit. In this poem the poet consider that nature is the best media for education. John Clare has been regarded by many as a ‘peasant poet’ who favoured the portrayal of nature in his poetry like that of the great romantic poet, William Words Worth. Most of his poems are exceptionally valuable in the use of diction and their syntax, and are notable for a peculiar perception that stands aloof from the poems of other writers of his time. As a poet, he has always been wished to regard the world as a social group in which the poor peasants should have a very prominent role. The devastating effect of the capitalisation on agriculture can be sighted in some of the poems of Clare. His habit of bringing the personal elements to his poems, and his state of little or no formal education, gained him the name, the ‘self taught poet’. His poem, ‘Spring,’ can aptly be regarded as the one among his poems that gained him the title, the peasant poet. The poem has been constituted in his typical style, depicts the royal arrival of the spring, welcomed by the nature and other living beings. With the effective of some of the literary devices, the poet has been succeeded in appealing the reader’s imagination as well as his aesthetic sense. In the poem, ‘Prelude’ the poet presents the nature like a guide who helps the poet to understand and control his manly desires. Through this treatment Wordsworth reveals that the relationship between an individual and nature is equal to the relation between a parent and a child. The poet wishes a carefree life in the lap of the nature. Wordsworth presents nature a great source of inspiration. Like a small boy he experiences the blessings of nature. One can see the different pictures of nature like the mountain slop, the forest, the open turf, where the woodcocks ran, moon and stars, the soft movement of leaves and the vast sky are the major source of inspiration for the poet. Clare begins the poem with the description of the very beginning of the spring season when the ‘Pale sun beams gleam’ (Clare Line-1) to ‘nurture a few flowers’ (Clare Line-2) All the meadows and flowers like ‘daisy’ and ‘pile wort’ are waiting to give a grant welcome to the coming spring. The tone of the poem is very effective and it suits well to the arrival of the spring. The presentation of the flowers and the bushes at the very beginning of the poem as the harbingers contribute much to the tone of the poem. Even the school boy is attracted in the arrival of the spring and he moves with a snail pace to the school by plucking the leaves of flowers and keeping it in his spelling book. As a romantic poet, Wordsworth proves his craftsmanship through the effective uses of poetic devises like figures of speech, rhyme, and imagery in his autobiographical poem, ‘The Prelude’. As in many other poems of Words worth, one can see the presentation of his own childhood experiences which had the deepest influence of his life. Wordsworth was a superior poet with a surprising and vivid imagery. Wordsworth’s poems inspired to change and develop man’s appreciation for the beauty of the nature. The following line expresses the unique example of metaphor, here the poet says that:” and the bird which was the captive of another’s toils became my prey.” (Wordsworth 326-328). Here the poet call his desire that a bird which was the result of another person’s sufferings. Another example of figure of speech is that the poet addresses himself a plunderer, which means a wanderer. The poet sings: “And woods were warm, was I a plunderer then in the high places, on the lonesome peaks.” (Wordsworth 337-338). Excessive and marvellous use of images is increase the beauty and enjoyment of the poem. One can see the frustration of the poet when he lost his childhood. Wordsworth forced his readers to make a journey to their own childhood memories. The image of “the last autumnal crocus, gives the hints for poet’s lost childhood. Crocus is a kind of small plant, is common in English landscape. Running of the woodcocks symbolises the colourful and carefree life of childhood Here the poet receives all beautiful sights of the nature are the blessings of nature. Successive use of images proves poet’s sound memory about his early childhood. So the reader should have acquire the application of the great theory about the origin of poetry, and it proves its relevance in this context, ‘poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.’ The poet considers nature as his mother, a friend, a passionate lover and a guide. The image of the soft wind is compared as the breathing of the wind. The figure of speech simile is leading the reader to the world of aesthetic pleasure. In John Clare’s poem also, one can find out the uses of different literary devices which really makes the poem enjoyable. But when comparing it with Words Worth’s poem, it can be easily understood that there is not much literary devices explicit in this poem. As it has been written in free verse (gleam, flowers, green, bushes and hedge- Clare, stanza: 1), one cannot find specific rhyme scheme in the poem. The poem is written in the five line stanzas with a simple theme portraying the charming beauty of the spring and how it has been welcomed. The waiting of the flowers and leaves like the sires and other living beings for the spring etc., springs up the charming beauty of the poem. The poet uses a forceful and captive language with overwhelming aesthetic fragrance. The poem opens a literal journey through poet’s personal life, having metaphorical meaning of his travel and poet’s anxieties lost youth hood. The given lines of the poem the ‘Prelude’, follow a systematic pattern, it contains nine five lined stanzas with no specific rhyme scheme, and constitutes a free verse. Another literary device that has been used in ‘Prelude’ is alliteration. But Clare has not been resorted to alliteration in his the poem,’ Spring’. Alliteration is used to describe the neighbouring words, beginning with similar sound frequently, then with the same letter. The poem ‘Prelude’ brings the example of alliteration in the word, ‘shining sun’. The features of the romantics are visible in these two writers. The romantics were notable for there features like love of beauty, rich suggestiveness of Hellenism and the love of nature. As one among the great romantics Words Worth always preached about the beauty of the nature in his poetry. The given poem also assures his label, the ‘nature poet’. While John Clare is called as the ‘peasant poet’, and his poems proves it aright. Here in his poem ‘Spring’, he narrates the royal arrival of the spring, welcomed by the flowers, bushes and even children. To conclude, one can infer that both poets have similarities as well as differences in their composition of poetry and in their treatment of nature. In his poems Words Worth narrates the psychological and philosophical progress of himself. Clare always regarded the world as a social group in which the poor should be given prominence in all the sectors of life. The capitalisation has always been worried the poet. Words Worth and John Clare unite in picturing their childhood experiences in their poems. Words Worth always wished to be a child and go back to the lap of the nature. The enchanting quality of the nature always over powered him and when he thought about the child’s experience with the nature he felt that ‘child is the father of man’. Clare is also the true worshipper of nature. The poor state of he peasants troubled his mind and he thought that they are the elite part of the nation. Through the poem, ‘Prelude’, Words Worth presents the relations, individual and the nature. He is of the opinion the relation between nature and individual and nature should be like that of a parent and child. If one goes back to the lap of nature, he can enjoy the greatest bliss of happiness, says Wordsworth. Both the poems, taken for the studies has been succeeded in picturing nature beautifully and the reader feel each and every pulse of the nature. Though there is slight difference in the theme and the treatment, both the poets have been used various literary devices, such as metaphor, simile, etc., to modify their own poems and have been succeeded in their attempts. The main quality of the romantics, to enjoy everything that is beautiful, especially nature is clearly visible in these two poems. Works Cited Clare, John. Spring. (Provided by the Customer). Wordsworth, William. From the Thirteen-Book Prelude. (Provided by the Customer). Read More