Internal Collection of Nature

            Throughout the course of this semester, our class has extensively discussed the powerful forces of nature in the sense of its effects on the poet and their resulting works. In addition, the overarching theme of the class was to focus on collecting and collection in the Romantic Period and to see how it affects the poet as well. When these two focal points are combined, what remains is some insight on what collecting nature itself can do for a singular person—in this case the poet—and how it is projected through poetry rather than another physical form of collection. This internal collection is most prominent through Anne Finch’s “A Nocturnal Reverie,” Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere” and William Wordsworth’s contributions of “Tintern Abbey” and The Prelude. These works not only give their own individual view into the beauty or power of nature, but show the affect that nature has had on the poets—enough for them all to keep a small part of it within themselves.

            Anne Finch’s “A Nocturnal Reverie” is a little different in composition and style from the other texts listed here, simply due to its sheer amount of vivid imagery regarding the fantastical. But in this, Finch has created a world around her in which she can showcase the beauty of nature and how it affects her. For the majority of the poem, the speaker makes a point of describing the night in which she is surrounded. She talks about the animals in the night, the moon, the river, the trees, the flowers, and everything else that comes to mind, until line 47, when she pleads to be allowed to remain in the surrounding nature until dawn. For when daylight breaks, “Our cares, our toils, our clamours are renew’d,/Or pleasures, seldom reach’d, again pursu’d,” (l. 49). In this, Finch allows a little insight into her personal collecting of nature—with her preference to be around it while so alive, she is left to herself to have all of her cares be taken away by it. Finch is essentially allowing her collection to replace any woes that may accumulate throughout her day-to-day life. This is not Doug commented on how Finch’s writing was “enchanting and (for lack of a better word) romanticized,” and this is a perfect description. Finch’s “enchanting” style not only lifts herself away from her toils, but her readers as well. Through her internal collection and solitude, the reader is able to simultaneously immerse themselves in her natural surroundings, thus allowing others to benefit from the collection itself. According to Miller, “[Finch] focuses more on sensory absorption of the nocturnal world than on the humoral disposition associated with it,” and this is what permits her to escape as she does (604). While the idea of a collection as escape did not really surface within the scope of the class, it is a viable and acceptable practice to do so, and Finch does it well, for her readers are able to use hers as she does. 

            Samuel Taylor Coleridge has a different sort of perspective on nature that is evident in his “Rime of the Ancyent Marinere.” Despite just about the entire class being completely unaware of Coleridge’s metaphor for the slave trade, most of the blog posts about the poem were in a positive note and did not hesitate to give him praise for the work. Part of this positive light probably comes from how well Coleridge was able to relate himself to the poem and how evident this was to the reader. If he was not passionate about this controversial topic, Coleridge wouldn’t have been likely to put so much detail into the small things such as the weather that brought the albatross into the picture—he certainly could have done it another way. Instead, his descriptions of the ice and the fog and the mist brought about a more eerie setting in which he could lose himself in while actually divulging his opinions on slavery. In her blog post on the poem, Michelle says that, “the piece suggests that one should love and respect not just man but nature as well. This poem puts into context that there are always consequences to our actions and our choices. And I love how this peace uses the preservation of nature to make that point.” Perhaps without even realizing it, Michelle has made the link between the slave trade, nature, and Coleridge’s personal feelings on both as one. Coleridge’s internal collection can therefore be said to include his personal feelings on a subject rather than something physically viewed, as with Finch or with Wordsworth, which will be addressed shortly. His fictionalized nature has just as much impact as anyone else’s perception of reality—this exemplifies the diversity that exists with Romanticism and perpetuates with the experimentation that he and Wordsworth employed, as discussed in class.

            William Wordsworth, the stereotypical Romantic, is probably the greatest example available when it comes to discussing internal collection of nature rather than the physical. This collection really begins before the writing of “Lines Composed a few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour.  July 13, 1798,” but it is discussed in the poem itself. Having visited the abbey five years prior, “Tintern Abbey” debates the differences between Wordsworth, as a person, in his current state compared to how he was upon his first visit. Part of how he comes to these conclusions results in his viewing of the abbey and the surrounding area. Unlike many poets of the period, Wordsworth is not afraid to acknowledge that the abbey does not interfere with nature but is instead becoming one with it, just as he is slowly becoming one with himself. In other words, while he had done some soul searching in the past, possibly while stumbling upon Tintern Abbey (with a tour), revisiting it has provided him with a more concrete idea of what is most important, as seen in lines 134-138, which state, “Our chearful faith that all which we behold/Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon/Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;/And let the misty mountain winds be free/To blow against thee: and in after years.” Sal Ad mentions in their blog post that “he speaks frequently of his childhood and his childhood memories. As he revisits the tranquil place that brought him so much joy, he makes a distinction between how he viewed and interacted with nature then, and how he views it now.” This contemplation on the past versus the present is what allows Wordsworth to collect these memories into one place as he does. This sort of collection exists once more in Wordsworth’s poetry in his Prelude. 

            Much like in “Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth’s The Prelude has a heavy focus on nostalgia, and “for something to make him whole again,” as said by beeclayton23. In order to create his internal collection this time around, there is a severe amount of attention paid to his childhood memories and feelings. C Jane says it best with, “I think that by doing this, Wordsworth allows his adult self to realize the importance of these childhood memories-these memories have shaped who he is as an adult.” Wordsworth’s collection is therefore more useful than others’ are because he is actually able to apply it to himself, and readers are reaping the same benefits. Many blog posts on The Prelude discussed childhood memories and nostalgia, many of them referring to personal memories of the author. If a reader is able to utilize a collection from a Romantic, then it has served one of its main purposes, as stated in the beginning of the course: to not only exist for personal satisfaction but also for the satisfaction of others, depending on the collection itself. In his article, “Wordsworth's Images of Language: Voice and Letter in The Prelude,” Kneale argues that while nature is incapable of speaking or writing its own language, it does have a rhetoric of sorts, and that Wordsworth hits on this perfectly in The Prelude, for “the poet is free to receive that language again, to hear nature's voice and to read its written texts,” (352). Thus, Wordsworth has taken nature in a way that many cannot and transformed it into something tangible and useful for the everyday man (here, the reader) via his collection of nature.

            As a whole, Finch, Coleridge, and Wordsworth alike all had their own ways of collecting nature in an internal fashion and projecting it through their poetry. What links them, however, is the availability of the reader of said poetry to access the collections at hand. While their collections were certainly personal and derived in very different ways, they are easily applied to modern thinking, as evident in this blog, for many readers are still able to make connections between these poets of the Romantic Period and their own thinking today.

Works Cited

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (text of 1834)." By Samuel Taylor Coleridge : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Finch, Anne. "A Nocturnal Reverie." By Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Kneale, J. Douglas. "Wordsworth's Images of Language: Voice and Letter in The Prelude." PMLA 101.3 (1986): 351-61. Print.

Miller, Christopher R. "Staying out Late: Anne Finch's Poetics of Evening." Studies in English Literature, 1500 - 1900 45.3 (2005): 603-23. Print.

Wordsworth, William. "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798." By William Wordsworth : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Wordsworth, William, Jonathan Wordsworth, M. H. Abrams, and Stephen Gill. The Prelude, 1799, 1805, 1850: Authoritative Texts, Context and Reception, Recent Critical Essays. New York: Norton, 1979. Print.

Recollecting Memories

The theme of nature is obviously present in Wordsworth's "The Prelude", but what about the theme of collecting? It seems that Wordsworth is recollecting childhood memories, experiences, etc. I think that by doing this, Wordsworth allows his adult self to realize the importance of these childhood memories-these memories have shaped who he is as an adult. Wordsworth really digs into the philosophical and psychological importance of these memories and relates them more specifically to society (and nature) at large. Throughout the poem, I think there are both fanciful and vitalistic views of life in "The Prelude" because Wordsworth's ideas become more developed as he gets older. I actually enjoyed the idea of recollecting memories, one because thats what this whole semester has been about-collecting, but also because don't we recollect memories in our everyday lives already?

Getting Back to Childhood

Writing the poem looking back on his childhood and the things he often did as a child bring back some sort of nostalgia for all of us, but it is not in that point of view at all. It is still grown up Wordsworth reflecting on and telling of his childhood entwined with nature. He always has this aspect of heavy reflection on himself and others in his poetry, but sometimes I think we can reflect best by reading the actions directly.I think it would have been interesting if Wordsworth had done something from his point of view as a child and tried to capture how he actually talked and acted when he was a child. When you hear a child saying something interesting or asking questions you've never thought of, I think it can really get people thinking about it more deeply. I know this has nothing to do with his intention for the poem, and I'm not sure if I'm making any sense at this point. I guess I can say I'm okay with Wordworth, but he's a bit too lofty for me, at least at times. I don't know what I'm typing anymore. Sorry.

Nostalgic Wordsworth

When Wordsworth talks about his mind being restored in his writings it just reminds me of Tintern Abbey and how he was searching for something to make him whole again. Wordsworth tends to rely on remembrance of days of his youth to get through the difficult times which I think makes his writing better  even though the time we live in is vastly different than his.

Back to Our Roots

While reading Wordsworth's Prelude, I get the feeling that I'm getting back to what got me interested in Romantic literature in the first place - the focus on nature and its effects on the speaker, more than anything. I really liked how Wordsworth focused on small details quite often - things that normally aren't exactly significant, even when there is a focus on nature in a poem. But that focus is somewhat fleeting, for there is more of a mention of civilization and the town than nature itself, and the little bits of nature still seemed to stick out to me. I'm not sure of how Wordsworth managed this or if it was intentional at all, but I must say that I certainly enjoy it.

Collecting Memories

I also thought The Prelude was very similar to Tintern Abbey in that it seemed to collect events and memories of the poet's life. The recollection and celebration of Wordsworth's young life is interesting to think about and obviously shapes the way that he writes as a poet. The idea that Wordsworth uses his memories that are connected to physical object that he experienced in childhood can bring an entirely new perspective to his works.

Coleridge.

I love the rhyme of the ancient mariner. Someone else posted on here that they felt like they were reading Doctor Seuss, I can certainly see that comparison. The poem flows really well and definitely feels like a ballad. It is easy to get into the rhythm when reading it. I also like how the piece suggests that one should love and respect not just man but nature as well. This poem puts into context that there are always consequences to our actions and our choices. And I love how this peace uses the preservation of nature to make that point. I also love the supernatural elements of the poem. These following stanzas sum up that point quite well: Farewell, farewell! but this I tell To thee, thou Wedding-Guest! He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all."

Collecting in The Complaint

Going into The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman, I had the mindset of trying to decide what was being collected here. After brief review, I came to the conclusion that the speaker herself was not collecting anything (as much as I enjoy such poems), but if she wasn't, then who was? It's not as though Wordsworth is able to collect the thoughts and memories of his speaker and use them to his advantage, nor is he of the culture where the collection of the memory of the woman would be particularly significant.

Overall, I think Wordsworth was collecting an entirely new perspective, if he could. I would not put it past him to attempt to sort of collect the different view points of those around them and work from there in order to produce some of his best poetry and thought processes. Someone of a different culture would have been fascinating to Wordsworth, and after a little research on any traditional practices, putting a speaker in a culture-specific position would allow him to expand upon his own perceptions.

Clarity in Smith

When reading "To the fire-fly of Jamaica" I found myself wondering what was going on. The clarity in that poem is tremendously different form the clarity in "Beachy Head". In "Beachy head" I found it to be very descriptive of the nature and the surroundings of the beach. I could see how she used personification to explain a lot of movements within nature and scenes that were taken place among the beach. She talks about wanting her mind to return to a state of peace. She describes nature so precisely that I can almost picture myself right there watching everything happen by seeing what she sees through her writing.

Poetry as escape

I genuinely enjoyed reading Smith's poems. Her poems are packed with interesting facts and at the same time she is able to describe nature in a sensible manner. It seems as though she used poetry as an escape from surpressed feelings of sadness. In Sonnet XLIV she states, "While I am doom'd--by life's long storm opprest, To gaze with envy on their gloomy rest." it indicates to me that she envied the dead because they were freed of the saddness that haunts her. Despite her deppressed tone this might very well be the reason why her work evokes emotion so preceisly and makes her work all the more interesting to read.

Collecting Differences

When Wordsworth visits Tintern Abbey on the occasion described in the poem, it has been five years since his last visit, and rather than wandering on his own in a rather moody and generally "poetic" fashion, he is visiting on a tour with others. I think the poem highly reflects on the passage of time as a whole and how, while nature is generally unaffected by it, Wordsworth has certainly changed. For the better? I'm not too sure. The start of the poem focuses heavily on how very little the abbey and the surrounding landscape have changed aside from its usual transformation with the seasons. Wordsworth himself, however, though collecting the same landscape for the second time, views it differently and completely separately from his first experience. Though I think he may be a bit startled at how much he has changed as a person, he accepts this and views the abbey and its surroundings as a familiar comfort.

Flying from Dread

In Tintern Abbey Wordsworth wonders almost endlessly at the beauty and glory of nature. There is his view of it at the time he wrote it and the retrospective of when he was last there. This thoughtful, pondering tone to the work made it seem like run-on thoughts, yet it was still interesting because of the detail and the content. The lines that struck me the most were lines 71-73:

...more like a man
Flying from something that he dreads, than one
Who sought the thing he loved.

These lines got to the heart of this work for me because the whole collecting nature and the picturesque idea seems to stem from the desire to escape from the realities of the world. This is a continuing theme throughout human history; if we never wanted to have a taste of something truly fantastical, we would not be as we are. Wordsworth is expressing his desire to escape from the mundane and/or troublesome things that make up our realities.

Understanding nature.

I would like to make a comparison of Wordsworth's idea of experiencing something and coming back to it to understand the beauty and Andy Goldsworth's  (an artist who works with nature's found objects) philosophy of nature and art

Andy Goldsworthy uses materials he finds in nature to create an installation without using man-made products to keep it together so eventually his piece of art is destroyed by nature-wind blows it away, water waves take it down, water streams take it away. Well instead of Goldsworthy feeling upset he lets nature take his installation away because it is his gift to nature- he would not have been able to create it without nature. This is how Goldsworthy explains his relationship with nature "I have become aware of raw nature is in a state of change and how that change is the key to understanding...When a change comes, the idea must alter or it will, and often does, fail. I am sometimes left stranded by a change in the weather with half-understood feelings that have to travel with me until conditions are right for them to appear" (http://www.ucblueash.edu/artcomm/web/w2005_2006/maria_Goldsworthy/philosophy.html).

Goldsworthy's philosophy is similar to Wordsworth because in "Tintern Abbey" Wordsworth decided to enjoy the spot on the hill only after he changed in "Five years" and so did nature. He believed in order to understand he had to let go of all abstractions and let nature take control-this is what Goldsworthy did too. Not only did it help him understand nature's role, but his own in the world of nature.

Finding Peace and Beauty Within Nature

Wordsworth describes finding peace and quiet while observing nature. He mentions running away from the chaos that he witnesses outside of nature. Wordsworth elaborates tremendously about feelings of restoration, guidance, and the sadness that he inhabits from observing human life versus the nature that he observes and loves. He describes himself worshiping and finding a friend that never betrays him within nature. He also describes remembering the nature scene for a place to find peace and heal. Wordsworth definitely painted a picture in my head and gives me the impression that nature is his "happy place."

Change of Perspective

In Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" he speaks frequently of his childhood and his childhood memories. As he revisits the tranquil place that brought him so much joy, he makes a distinction between how he viewed and interacted with nature then, and how he views it now.
     
           The tall rock
           The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood
           Their colours and their forms, were then to me
           An appetite: a feeling and a love,

His boyish wonder and innocence allowed him to see nature in a different light; he yearned for it and felt deep passion. As he comes back to the banks of the Wye, he realizes his change of perspective and although it is not the same, he is not sadden by it. He appreciates what age and life experience have brought him despite his loss of childlike outlook. He can now, "look on nature, not as in the hour / of thoughtless youth..."  In his older years, he can view nature with a deeper and more mature understanding.

Often times I had loved something as a child and then gone back to it later in my life, and felt completely different about it. It is really strange to see the evolution of your mind and how your opinions and perspective have changed. To know that something that once held so much wonder and amusement is now different to you can be disheartening, but it can also be enlightening.

The Power of Memory

      Lines Composed a few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour.  July 13, 1798. While  the poem is most commonly referred to as simply Tintern Abbey I feel it is quite important to be aware of the entire title. That simple line lets the reader know what to expect of this poem. Wordsworth is not at Tintern Abbey, he is a few miles above it on a hill...and this is not his first visit. To me this poem is all about the power of memory and how it can effect you. Wordsworth said it himself when he said that the memory of Tintern Abbey had "no slight or trivial influence/On that best portion of a good man's life." The idea seems to be presented that the beauty and joy taken in on his first visit gave Wordsworth the ability to be a better human. In times of darkness he could close his eyes and revisit this place to give himself some peace. Another show of the memory of this location is that on this visit he has brought his sister ("friend") with him and he hopes that "Thy memory be as a dwelling-place/For all sweet sounds and harmonies" and when she thinks of him after he is gone that "with what healing thoughts/Of tender joy wilt thou remember me,/And these my exhortations."
      In conclusion....I think Wordsworth is an amazing poet who brings an image to the page with a special mastery. When he writes it I can imagine sitting on that hill above Tintern Abbey seeing, hearing, and feeling all of the things he did at that long ago moment. The love he has for nature is present all throughout this poem.

Comparing "A Nocturnal Reverie" and "Loves of the Plant"

While I was reading Darwin's "Loves of the Plants," I noticed a very prevalent similarity between it and Anne Finch's "A Nocturnal Reverie." At first, both stories seemed comparable just by the subject matter: nature, or in Darwin's case, plants. Both authors made heavy use of vivid descriptions to make sure the reader can get a clear picture inside their minds. However, the execution of these two poems are vastly different. While Finch's description of nature was more enchanting and (for a lack of a better word) romanticized, Darwin's description focused more on personifying each plant. Lines such as "O'er her warm cheek the blush of beauty swims/And nerves herculean bend her finewy limbs," used allusions to help the reader find a connection between the plant world and ours. Not only is this clever writing, it's also slightly educational. Darwin, being both a writer and a botanist on the side, decided that this would be a fun way to educate the general public on the studies of famous botanist Carl Linnaeus. Ultimately, both works are satisfying by transporting the reader into the world of nature and letting it consume you for awhile.