Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Composed from Westminster Bridge Essay -- Literary Analysis

Composed from Westminster Bridge invokes a strong sense of nature into the reader. It is from this that we can see the yellowish pink of Wordsworths London. One can argue that it is the purpose of this sonnet to highlight the power of nature and how civilization fits in around it. Primarily this can be seen in the linguistic choices of the Sonnet, particularly the role of personification, the function of phonological features such as rhyme and rhythm and the position of secondary sources. Using this methodology we should be able to explore the awe inspired respect of nature and how the city of London meshes with nature. Wordsworth makes heavy use of personification within the Sonnet. These personifications animate the city beyond the literal comment we encounter into a more natural affair.This city now doth like a garment wear/ The Beauty of the morning silent, bare. To propose that the city is wearing a garment implied that it is being covered up or censored. We could take this as a sign that nature hides the sins of civilization in the morning time when the people are still asleep. Further more as nature is being worn by civilization we could infer that Wordsworth solely takes on this appreciation of the city due to the effects of nature. To prove this we can look at Wordsworths description of London in relation its surroundings. The description of Londons Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples in the syndetic list is almost paralleled in the latter line of In his first Splendour valley, rock or hill which is the view of Suckersmith who states that the listed details of the city skyline, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples find a careful parallel in the features of the natural landscape, valley, roc... ...aldenBlackwell Publishing 2006) p.534-535 All subsequent references are to this edition Harvey shaft of light Sucksmith, Ultimate Affirmation A Critical Analysis of Wordsworths Sonnet, Composed upon Westminster Bridge, and the Image of t he City in The Prelude, The year book of English studies 6 (1976) p. 115 Charles V. Hartung, Wordsworth on Westminster Bridge Paradox or Harmony?, College English 4 (1952) p.202 Harvey Peter Sucksmith, Ultimate Affirmation A Critical Analysis of Wordsworths Sonnet, Composed upon Westminster Bridge, and the Image of the City in The Prelude, The year book of English studies 6 (1976) p. 115 C. V. Wicker, On Wordsworths Westminster Bridge Sonnet, The News Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain innovative Language Association 9 (1955) pg.4 Carl Woodring, Nature and Art in the Nineteenth Century, PMLA 92 (1977)pg. 193

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