Nature has for some time been an essential theme in literature, serving as a source for countless writers and poets throughout history. Two poets who explore the natural world in their work are William Wordsworth and Elizabeth Bishop. Wordsworth, a vital figure in the romantic movement, and Bishop, a post-romantic poet, both use nature in their poetry to explore deeper themes about the human experience. This paper compares the utilization of nature in Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Bishop’s “The Moose,” analyzing how every poet utilizes nature to convey their unique perspectives on life.
Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” is a meditation on the role of nature in moulding experience. The poem portrays the speaker’s visit to the banks of the Wye River, which he had visited as a young fellow. The region’s natural landscape fills the speaker with a feeling of awe, and he reflects on the manners by which his previous encounters with nature have impacted his identity. Wordsworth’s utilization of natural symbolism, for example, the “steep and lofty cliffs” and the “wreaths of smoke Sent up, in silence, from among the trees,” helps convey the power and magnificence of the natural world (Wordsworth 1901-1902). The poem proposes that nature has a transformative power that helps individuals find meaning and purpose in their lives
Bishop’s “The Moose” adopts an alternative approach to the subject of nature, portraying it as a vehicle for discovering human connections and feelings. The poem depicts a bus journey through rural Ontario, where the travellers see a moose standing on the road. The moose becomes a focal point for the travellers’ feelings, setting off memories and reflections on their lives. Bishop’s utilization of vivid natural symbolism, for example, the “smell of watermelon in the hot field” and the “moose’s solid weight leaned up against me,” helps create a feeling of intimacy between the travellers and their environmental factors (Bishop 243, 245).
The poem suggests that nature can unite individuals and work with close-to-home associations.
Regardless of their approaches, the two poems convey a profound appreciation for the power and meaning of nature. Wordsworth is known for emphasizing nature, which he saw as a spiritual and emotional renewal source. In “Tintern Abbey,” he depicts a visit to an area he had visited as a young fellow, reflecting the manners by which the natural world shaped his life. Wordsworth stresses the groundbreaking force of nature, proposing that being in nature can recharge the soul and restore a sense of calm. He compares to nature’s experience of being in nature to that of a blind individual regaining sight after an extended period, proposing that nature can uncover aspects of the world that could be disregarded.
Wordsworth is known for his emphasis on the power and beauty of nature. In “Tintern Abbey,” he utilizes vivid descriptions of the natural world to convey a feeling of awe and marvel. He writes, “These beauteous forms, /Through a long absence, have not been to me/As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye.” Here, he looks at the experience of being in nature as regaining sight after a period of blindness. This allegory emphasizes the extraordinary power of nature and the significant effect it can have on an individual.
The poem is an illustration of the romantic ideal of self-discovery through nature. In this sense, it is like Wordsworth’s different poems, for example, “The Prelude” and “ode: intimations of Immortality.” however, in “Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth centres around the impact that nature can have on individuals rather than what they mean for it.
Wordsworth also compares the natural world to human existence, believing they are interconnected. He writes, “And I have felt/A presence that disturbs me with the joy/Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime/Of something far more deeply interfused.” Here, he recommends that there is a spiritual or divine presence in nature that can elevate human consciousness and provide a sense of meaningfulness.
On the other hand, Bishop has a more ambiguous relationship with nature in her poetry. In “The Moose,” she portrays a bus trip through the Canadian wilderness and encounters a moose on the road. While the natural world is a specific element in the poem, Bishop emphasizes the human experience of observing it. She writes, “The bus driver, crabbily, announced civilization and we hurried off down a side road.” This line suggests that the encounter with the moose is a short-lived snapshot of beauty that is immediately eclipsed by the demands of everyday life. As Bishop puts it, the encounter with the moose is both scary and transformative.
Despite their different approaches to nature, Wordsworth and the Bishops use nature to investigate deeper themes about the human experience. Wordsworth considers nature a wellspring of renewal and a spiritual source, while Bishop investigates the natural world’s dark, more puzzling parts. The two poets utilize striking symbolism to convey the force of nature, inviting a reader to consider their relationship with the natural world.
Using nature in poetry is a longstanding custom, and both Wordsworth and Bishops are remarkable examples of poets who use nature in their work to explore subjects about the human experience. Bishop also involves nature more complexly than Wordsworth, as she frequently investigates the darker, more mysterious parts of the natural world. In “The Moose,” she writes, “We saw the earth, a cold stone, set in blackness, and tiny figures walking on it as if it were a dream, they had recently escaped from.” This section creates a feeling of confusion and proposes that the natural world can be both delightful and terrifying.
The poem’s final stanza portrays a bleak, nearly dystopian scene: “We saw the earth, a cold stone, set in blackness.” The feeling that this world has been destroyed is uplifted by the coldness of the stone and the darkness encompassing it. This feeling is upheld by the Bishop’s utilization of words like “tiny figures walking on as if it were a dream,” which proposes that these individuals are just living in their minds.
In conclusion, Wordsworth and Bishop use nature as a central theme in their poetry, yet their ways of dealing with it contrast significantly. Wordsworth stresses nature’s groundbreaking power and magnificence, associating it with human existence and consciousness. Alternatively, Bishop investigates the more ambiguous and mysterious parts of the natural world, featuring the complicated connection between humans and nature. Looking at these two poets, we can see the manners by which the romantic and post-romantic customs have evolved and diverged in their utilization of nature as a theme in poetry.
Works Cited
Wordsworth, William. Tintern Abbey. Halvorson Dixit, 1975.
Bishop, Elizabeth. “The Moose.” The Complete Poems: 1927-1979. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983, pp. 243–247.
Johnston, Kenneth R. “The Politics of” Tintern Abbey”.” The Wordsworth Circle 14.1 1983: 6–14.
Gravil, Richard. “Tintern Abbey and the System of Nature.” Romanticism 6.1 (2000): 35-54.
Flores, Susette. “Nature Greets Man: An Ecofeminist Reading of Elizabeth Bishop’s.” Mellon Research Scholars Program 2022.
Schlick, Yaël. “Writing Wonder: Elizabeth Bishop’s Ethics of Perception.” Environmental Ethics 36.3 2014: 319–332.
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