William Wordsworth and John Keats

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Recommended: The role of nature in keats

Nature, for hundreds of years man has been influenced, inspired, and

charmed by the majesty of nature. In this essay I will be discussing two romantic

writers, William Wordsworth and John Keats along with their views of

nature that are embedded within their works. Since both writers are no longer

living, I’ve decided to select two pieces by each writer and interpret how each writer

feels about nature, and from my conclusions I will be comparing and contrasting

their individual views. From Wordsworth I’ve chosen his “It is a beauteous evening”

and his “The World is too much with us”; from Keats I’ve chosen his “Ode to a

Nightingale” and his “Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art”.

William Wordsworth was born on April 7, 1770 in Cockermouth,

Cumberland in a lake district of modern England. Growing up in the Lake District

Wordsworth discovered his love for nature and at the age of seventeen he revealed

himself as a writer. After achieving his Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Cambridge

University he began traveling to near European countries such as France and

Switzerland. During this time (1789-1799) France has been going through both a

political and industrial revolution and the tension between France and England are

beginning to rise. While traveling in France, Wordsworth had a love affair with a

French girl. Due to the tensions in France Wordsworth was forced to return to the

Lake District in England, where he met Samuel Taylor Coleridge (“William

Wordsworth”). The two began writing together in their own way with other writers

becoming what the world referred to as “Lake Poets”. Lake Poets are writers who do

not follow a specific style or “...

... middle of paper ...

... 2003. 903-05. Print.

Keats, John. "Bright Star, Would I Were Stedfast as Thou Art." The Norton Anthology

of English Literature Media Companion. By M. H. Abrams and Stephen

Greenblatt. New York: Norton, 2003. 898-99. Print.

"William Wordsworth - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read

Online. Discuss." The Literature Network: Online Classic

Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries. Web.

20 Feb. 2011..

Wordsworth, William. "It Is a Beauteous Evening." The Norton Anthology of English

Literature Media Companion. By M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. New

York: Norton, 2003. 317. Print.

Wordsworth, William "The World Is Too Much with Us." The Norton Anthology of

English Literature Media Companion. By M. H. Abrams and Stephen

Greenblatt. New York: Norton, 2003. 319. Print.

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