The Role of Memory in Wordsworths Tintern Abbey - Essay Example

30 September 2006 The Role of Memory in Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey Tintern Abbey is one of William Wordsworth's most acclaimedand memorable poems. Its full title is Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour July 13, 1798. This poem appeared in a collection of poems called the Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth and his intimate friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge collaborated on this collection of poems. Wordsworth wrote his famous Preface to the Lyrical Ballads to make his readers cognizant of his purpose in writing such poetry. In the course of his lucid yet passionate prose, Wordsworth states that "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction, the tranquility gradually disappears, and an emotion kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is actually produced" (12). These lines capture in essence the role played by memory in preserving emotion and in poetic expression. Tintern Abbey in particular is imbued with the spirit of these lines and best embodies the role of memory in Wordsworth's poetry. At the onset of the poem Wordsworth declares that five years have elapsed since his visit to this idyllic location. With gentle contentment he allows the sheer beauty of the well remembered and much beloved landscape to sink into his being and permeate his very senses. His detailed description of nature bedecked in all finery transports the reader and one can almost see the "steep and lofty cliffs" and hear the "soft inland murmur" of the flowing water (Wordsworth 112). He becomes nostalgic and is filled with bittersweet remembrances connected to this gorgeous spectacle. Slowly he is lifted up on the wings of memory and he sees himself as the boy he once was and as the man he has become and recollects the eventful time between the two stages of his life. In the said five years, Wordsworth's life had been tumultuous and he bore witness to much suffering, sorrow and pain brought on by the darker side of human nature. He had spent time in France at the time of the French revolution and had been an idealistic supporter of the revolutionaries' cause. However in light of the tide of violence that swept the country and subsequent hostilities between France and Britain he became disillusioned and heartsick and returned to his country. Therefore his return to Tintern Abbey and its idyllic setting is a homecoming of sorts. Spurred by his memory he recollects the pleasurable bond he forged with nature and how it sustained him in trying times and happily looks forward to forging a new bond for the future. Wordsworth describes the profound effect his memory of this location has had on him despite his prolonged absence. Even as he nursed his loneliness in crowded cities and towns, his memories of this picturesque scene eased his fatigued state and rejuvenated his wearied spirit as it filled him with "sensations sweet,/ Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart,/ And passing even into my purer mind,/ With tranquil restoration" (Wordsworth 113). Thus for Wordsworth his memories serve as an opiate for the senses, bruised and battered by a harsh life. He further credits memory for his random acts of kindness. His memories of nature's bounty is like a wellspring of goodness that never runs dry and spurs him on towards achieving a state of perfect morality. Thus pleasant sensations induced by memory are responsible for bringing out all that is pure and true in him. Wordsworth also attributes memory with providing him an insight "into the life of things" (114). Oftentimes he is baffled and bogged down by the thick fog of mystery surrounding the mechanism of the world and thus obscuring his vision of life itself. But he is relieved of this cumbersome burden by memory which allows him to reach deep within himself to find answers and ultimately enlightenment. He is able to shed the trappings of civilization and his physical limitations and he is transformed "In body, and become[s] a living soul" (Wordsworth 114). Thus memory helped him release his inner spirituality and find peace. He claims that even if his blind faith in the power of memory is misplaced, he will still turn to it and embrace it wholeheartedly when the going gets rough. In modern parlance, the role played by memory in life as seen by Wordsworth can be likened to that of a car - it allows the driver by means of the rearview mirror to catch glimpses of a past that has sped by, while steering the present course and simultaneously looking out for the future as the road unwinds in front. In this sense Wordsworth recognizes the significant role to be played by memory in his future while allowing his thoughts to roam over the past, even as he looks at the magnificent vista in the present. As a boy he was in direct communion with nature and the relationship between the two was passionate and primeval in its very innocence. The joy he derived from nature was complete and unblemished by reason or judgment. Wordsworth refers to it as "The coarser pleasures of my boyhood days, / And their glad animal movements all gone by" (114-5). With a touch of melancholy he realizes that those days of uninhibited pleasure in the company of nature are long gone as he now dons the contemplative mantle of jaded adulthood. However a mature relationship with nature has its share of merits as the reckless thoughtlessness of youth is replaced by the engaging contemplativeness of adulthood. His memories of the halcyon days of childhood help him realize the mature dimension his relationship with nature has acquired. This recognition helps him make an enlightening discovery, "For I have learned/ To look on nature, not as in the hour/ Of thoughtless; but hearing oftentimes/ The still, sad music of humanity, / Not harsh nor grating, though of ample power/ To chasten and subdue" (Wordsworth 115). These are perhaps the most haunting and evocative lines in the poem. The reader identifies with the sentiments expressed by Wordsworth as he veers from nostalgia to sorrow over a simpler past never to be recovered to wisdom that sustains him in the present. His discovery of the truths behind life's realities becomes the reader's own. Such is the powerful effect wrought by memory in this poem. Having allowed his thoughts to linger on the past and present, Wordsworth finally allows them to turn towards the future. Having expressed his thoughts in a monologue, he addresses his beloved sister Dorothy towards the end. The presence of his sister even if only in spirit sends Wordsworth into transports of the utmost delight. Like the proverbial swan which imbibes all that is good while leaving behind all that is bad his sister mirrors all that is best in his life while enabling him to forget the various hurts that have been inflicted on him by the hands of fate and the vagaries of fortune. Thus through her he is able to recapture the happiness of the past and relive the best moments of his life. He says, "My dear, dear Friend; and in thy voice I catch/ The language of my former heart, and read/ My former pleasures in the shooting lights/ Of thy wild eyes" (116). Through his poem Wordsworth communicates his discoveries pertaining to the relationship between nature and humankind to his sister. He expounds at length on the merits of nature hoping his sister will see the truth of his words and benefit from the gems of his wisdom aided by the vision of his memory. He says to her, "Nature never did betray/ The heart that loved her, 'tis her privilege/ Through all the years of this our life, to lead/ From joy to joy" (Wordsworth 116). He advises her to put her trust in nature and avail herself wholeheartedly of its myriad delights. The sheer joy and happiness she is bound to experience may be stored in the warm recesses of memory to be retrieved as one approaches the winter of one's existence. Wordsworth tells his sister, "Thy memory be as a dwelling place/ For all sweet sounds and harmonies" (117). The concluding lines of Tintern Abbey reiterate Wordsworth's consideration of memory as a key factor in his life. Surrounded by the glory of nature he becomes painfully conscious of his own insignificance in the larger scheme of things and his mortality. The tone of the poem becomes brooding as he wonders if after his death his sister will remember him and the happy times they shared together in the company of nature and thus give him renewed life through her memories. She can also derive some measure of comfort from the fact that after all his wanderings and despite the ravages of times that exquisite landscape remained close to his heart both for itself and his memories of the place with her by his side. Finally it appears that Wordsworth spoke to the reader as well through Dorothy. And it is almost as if having shared such an intimate part of his life he is exhorting the reader to remember him and the pleasure he has given us through his experience with nature and his poignant memories. Thus Wordsworth has staked his claim on immortality by creating room for himself in the memories of his readers. Memory is therefore an integral part of Tintern Abbey and it has enabled Wordsworth to view his life and arrive at vital truths against the vivid landscape of his memory. It has allowed him to journey into his past, provided direction in the present and finally produced fuel to guide his future, sustained him throughout, particularly across the choppy waters of a stormy existence and finally granted him immortality. Works Cited Wordsworth, William, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Lyrical Ballads With Other Poems 1800 Volume I. Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Read More