A Commentary on William Wordsworth’s Poems

There are many strategies in which a writer can convey his message to his readers. One is allusion, a literary device that lets the readers have a mental image of what the writer is trying to express in his article. The dictionary defines it as an â€Å"indirect reference or citation† to a person, place or something that is presumed to be known already by the reader. Others classify it as an indirect mention of something that the writer may intentionally or unintentionally do so. It is up to the reader to see and grasp the necessary connection.Wordsworth’s breathtaking ranges in poetry encompasses the entire arc of his career from writing pieces of poetry and lingering passionate meditations on demands set forth by the contemporary society for purposes which indulges the art of love, heroism, nature and a whole sense of unpredictable somber and angry poems which stages the flames of war and a whole lot more of uprising circumstances. His so-called nature pieces gave not only a slight impact on readers, but it made people internalize each and every line of his poems such as in Tintern Abbey in the specific lines.â€Å"Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, that on a wild secluded scene impress, thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect, the landscape with the quiet of the sky† (Wordsworth, Owen and Wordsworth). It was believed that the purpose of his works is to send subliminal messages to the British society of his time. He is a man armed with romanticism which is considered moribund in modern literature. His skill of captivating hearts of readers with his ability to revive legends by placing it into lyrics gave him a towering height of success and respect which is up to date appreciated by literature fanatics.Unlike E. S. Yeats who received mostly admiration on his works, William Wordsworth on the other hand had a lot of criticisms regarding his works especially on The Prelude. Some said his works were â€Å"not being poetry at allà ¢â‚¬  and that they were just replica of other authors’ creations. Nevertheless, these were not barriers for Wordsworth to be recognized as one of the most influential British poets in the 18th Century (Colville).Among his greatest works were published after his death in 1850 which gave him a breakthrough in the limelight and a tank of deliberate criticisms at that. Given the fact that his works were often questioned, he remained steadfast upon his works and continued writing epics, tragedies, culture and religion. His enthusiasm on nature which triggered the rationality of the reading public were ironically given ample respect. He was described as a writer dancing shallow waters, and enables one to judge his works either positively or negatively. It was between: love him, or hate him.William Wordsworth in his works in Lyrical Ballads which includes the â€Å"Tables Turned† and Tintern Abbey† also says that it will make everything about him right again, put his life back into perspective especially those about his friend, Samuel Taylor Coleridge as reflected on the lines of the poem, The Tables Turned which reads, â€Å"May teach you more of man, of moral evil and of good, than all the sages can† (Wordsworth, Owen and Wordsworth). Again, he talked about the Coleridge and mentioned the woman he loves and how she is the object of his desires, and also, pain.But then, in addition to feeling let down, Wordsworth also implies that he is not sure about how his friend does things in the poem as reflected by the lines, â€Å"Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; our meddling intellect, mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:–we murder to dissect†. The essence of the British romantic period is its ability on making readers read and at the same time comprehends what they are reading. This literary device which is used in prose and poetry help in visualizing a mental picture by playing with words alluded.The fragile fact in th e usage of such is the level of expectation evoked by the allusion. The style is like â€Å"counting chickens with eggs†. In general, the utilization of allusions by a novelist shows an anticipation that the bookworm is proverbial with the allusion made, otherwise the effect is nowhere to be found in the tentacles of the purpose. Colville, Derek. The Teaching of Wordsworth. American University Studies. Series Iv, English Language and Literature, Vol. 7. New York: P. Lang, 1984. Wordsworth, William, W. J. B. Owen, and William Wordsworth. The Fourteen-Book Prelude. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1985.