Compare the works of William Wordsworth and R L Thomas showing whether
or not their poems differ in themes and style
The poems of William Wordsworth and R L Thomas are written on the same
themes, people, and the landscape but in different styles. William
Wordsworth is a romantic poet that writes about the splendour of the
world in a positive way while R S Thomas writes about the hardship of
the world and attacks modern life and technology. I will compare 'The
Solitary Reaper' by William Wordsworth with R L Thomas' 'Tramp' as
well as Wordsworth's 'On Westminster Bridge' with 'Cynddylan on a
Tractor' by Thomas.
'The Solitary Reaper' is a 32 line, three-stanza poem about a lonely
woman in the Scottish mountains. The style in which this poem has a
slow and quiet rhythm reading style. He portrays this by describing
the actions of what the narrator, in the first person, did.
"I listened, motionless and still;"
William Wordsworth also uses similes to create imagery of a woman
singing and working on the Scottish Hebrides. He compares the woman
voice to a Cuckoo bird:
"A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard in spring-time from the
Cuckoo-bird."
Here, Wordsworth writes about the high quality as well as the pitch of
the woman's vocal singing to the delightful sound of the spring season
Cuckoo bird and so thinks highly of her singing ability. This poem is
written in a very positive and written with a lot of imagery.
Wordsworth is clearly in awe of this lonely woman who does her job
quietly but is still noticed by the poet. This poem is for people who
like to read at a slow pace and like descriptive words that create a
lot of imagery.
This poem, compared with 'Tramp' by R S Thomas, is very different in
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...me.)
From examining the four poems, I observed that Wordsworth wrote poems
in a slower rhythm because of the many descriptive words than Thomas'
shorter and quick pacing poems that are more to the point. These
styles perhaps show that Wordsworth's poems are overall, for adults
and Thomas' poems are more targeted to young people who have a wider
imagination and philosophise about the countryside and modern life.
I can also conclude that Wordsworth wrote poems that are from the
positive side and false, to some extent, as he only describes the
positives. His poems are so written in a 'happier' mood than Thomas'
which are more realistic but also are biased to the negative side.
Thomas' poems are generally darker, criticise on the urbanisation in
the world, and show how the countryside has been forgotten as well as
people of low class shown in the 'Tramp.'
The Romantic Period brought a significant gentleness to literature in a strong reaction to the Enlightenment era. William Wordsworth displays this eloquently in his poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” by quickly putting the reader in touch with nature as his visit confirms his memory of “[hearing] these waters, rolling from their mountain-springs / With a soft inland murmur” (3-4). Describing the sounds, rather than just the scene, bring to mind a quiet, calm, tranquil like setting. The reader understands that this tranquil location is held dear as Wordsworth recollects:
Many affiliates of minority groups disagreed upon how to deal with the injustice of racial segregation and how to progress economically and socially as a culture during the era of Jim Crow. Two famous opponents that deviated in their methods of social and economic progression were, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Washington suggested that African-Americans should help themselves become equal by becoming educated instead of sulking about discrimination; he believed they should rise above prejudice. His adversary completely conflicted Washington’s stance, he believed that Washington’s method led whites to believe the oppression was permanent. DuBois once stated, “but they are absolutely certain that the way for a people to gain their
John Muir and William Wordsworth are two very different authors, although they share similarities in expressing vivid imagery and powerful emotions centered around nature. After reading both pieces of ligature you can clearly see two authors who found happiness in the simplest way. With a moment in their life that captured their heart so dearly it stayed with them throughout years. Nature has a blissful purity that cannot be denied, Muir and Wordsworth found a safe place in nature. Can you find happiness in the simple things in life? Do you have that special place that you can escape to? Happiness is found within, you can’t search for it and hope one day it will just appear. Muir and Wordsworth did find joy in a journey through nature. However,
The Similarities and Differences of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois’s Views During the late 19th and early 20th century, racial injustice was very prominent and even wildly accepted in the South. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were two of the most renowned “pioneers in the [search] for African-American equality in America” (Washington, DuBois, and the Black Future). Washington was “born a slave” who highly believed in the concept of “separate but equal,” meaning that “we can be as [distant] as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 1042). DuBois was a victim of many “racial problems before his years as a student” and disagreed with Washington’s point of view, which led
In the year 1854, the famous writer and poet Henry David Thoreau wrote about his experience at Walden. His secluded pond allowed for him to reflect on nature and its impact on community in a passage he named, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”. He also wrote two short but important proposals for land preservation around 1858. In the year 1963, famous writer and theologian Thomas Merton wrote a letter to Rachel Carson discussing her book Silent Spring in which she exposed the danger of DDT which was previously thought harmless. In 1967 in the time of the cold war and the space race, Merton wrote a letter to Barbra Hubbard about human ecological responsibility in space. Merton and Thoreau
Holbrook, David. Llareggub Revisted: Dylan Thomas and the State of Modern Poetry. Cambridge: Bowes and Bowes, 1965. 100-101.
‘It is often suggested that the source for many of William Wordsworth’s poems lies in the pages of Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal. Quite frequently, Dorothy describes an incident in her journal, and William writes a poem about the same incident, often around two years later.’ It is a common observation that whilst Dorothy is a recorder – ‘her face was excessively brown’ – William is a transformer – ‘Her skin was of Egyptian brown’ . The intertextuality between The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals and ‘I wandered lonely as a Cloud’ allows both Dorothy and William to write about the same event, being equally as descriptive, but in very differing ways. Dorothy writes in a realist ‘log-book’ like style, whereas William writes in a romantic ballad style. This can be very misleading, as it gives William’s work more emotional attachment even though his work is drawn upon Dorothy’s diary, which in its turn is very detached, including little personal revelation. When read in conjunction with William’s poetry, Dorothy’s journal seems to be a set of notes written especially for him by her. In fact, from the very beginning of the journals Dorothy has made it quite clear that she was writing them for William’s ‘pleasure’ . This ties in with many of the diary entries in which she has described taking care of William in a physical sense. In a way this depicts the manner in which William uses his sister’s journal to acquire the subject of his poetry, which makes it seem as though Dorothy is his inspiration.
In his poem, “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” Wordsworth recaptures his admiration for Tintern Abbey, a place on the banks of the River Wye in Southeast Wakes. He discusses how he hasn’t visited Tintern Abbey in five years, yet he remembers every detail of the landscape and every feeling he experienced when he was younger. Wordsworth writes, “These beauteous forms, / Through a long absence, have not been to me /As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye:” (23-25). Wordsworth is telling the audience that this is not a new unfamiliar scene to him, as it would be for a blind man, but instead a beautiful familiar picture and though it has been a long time he remembers it vividly. As he describes the landscape, he uses words such as “tranquil” and “pleasures” to emphasize the beauty and joy he receives from the land. With such description, Wordsworth conveys to the audience a tone of appreciation and fondness. The reader knows that Wordsworth has a great love for this place.
Wordsworth shows the reader what he thinks his life is like and what he wants it to be
Thomas More was a very respected individual, theologian, and statesman around the time of King Henry VIII. King Henry appointed Thomas the Lord Chancellor of England as well as Wales in 1529 in order to replace Thomas Wolsey who did not see eye to eye with King Henry. The primary influence on Sir Thomas’s thoughts and actions was his humanist catholic faith while working tirelessly to restore christendom and was a devout catholic much like King Henry. Sir Thomas was one of the most honored people in England along with Wales at the time: Without a doubt the most respected statesman then, and possibly the most respected statesman of all time.
Wordsworth is relating a joyous walk he has taken, one which had such a profound effect on him that he recounts it with incredible vividness long after. Though I believe he embellishes on some aspects of the landscape, it remains within reason. It was this landscape that must have broken such rote practices as a daily constitutional, and that later breaks a brooding or “vacant” mood on a dreary or uneventful day. Throughout, he expresses his longing to be one with the daffodils, dancing and swaying in the wind. His wish is granted through his “inward eye”, with which he can go back and experience this walk
Dylan Thomas was born in 1914 of intellectual parents both being literature professors. Long before he could read, his father would recite poetry from classic authors. Many of his poems can be traced to the illustrated style of D.H Lawrence. The imagery he provides of disparity and death in many of his poems. In the span of Dylan’s life, he witnessed both Great Wars. The first war may have been the main topic of discussion by his parents at childhood. And later at service in the air defense over London. Because of his determined health Thomas was not able to enroll in an active combat role during World War II. Thomas life’s experiences played a major role in influencing his writing...
A comparative study of the ways in which Richard Cameron and Thomas Hardy apportion justice and sympathy towards the male characters. In 'Can't stand up for falling down' Cameron is looking at the boundaries of drama and braking them, most of the play consists of monologues, we are told of events by the female characters rather then, as is traditional in theatre, being shown them. Cameron uses this to form an intimacy between the audience and the female characters, allowing the audience to empathise with them, justify their actions and isolate the male characters. In contrast to this Hardy, in the novel, uses his authorial voice to try and manipulate the reader's sympathies and sense of justice whereas Cameron, although he tries to guide the audience, ultimately leaves them to decide upon their own opinions. The way the writers describe their characters form the basis of how they are perceived and influences whether the readers and audience want to bring them to justice or sympathise with them.
Judging one’s quality of innocence or experience can be viewed from many different angles. Likewise, the man and young girl in this poem vary in that sense. Naïveté cannot be illustrated more perfectly than through the use of comparing and contrasting an adult and a child; male and female at that. Wordsworth captures many angles of both arguments and by expressing them in dialogue form, he is able to more easily convey them to the reader.
Wordsworth had two simple ideas that he put into his writing of poetry. One was that “poetry was the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” The second idea was that poets should describe simple scenes of nature in the everyday words, which in turn would create an atmosphere through the use of imagination (Compton 2).