Resolution and Independence (The Leech Gatherer) by Wordsworth relates directly to nature. The poem has been given to titles, what it seem a more superior one (Resolution and Independence) and a lesser one (The Leech Gatherer). I believe this is because the poem has two depths. One side of the poem is about independence and determination found both in the Leech gatherer and Wordsworth himself in not to be sad.
It was first published in 1807 in a collection titled ‘Poems in two volumes’ The poem is written in stanzas consisting of seven lines in each. It has the rhyme scheme ABABBCC. The first six lines are iambic pentameter and the last line contains one extra iamb.
The first two stanzas show the mod of the narrator through descriptions of nature. The first line
“There was a roaring in the wind all night”
is instantly negative. ‘Roaring’ is onimatapaya the wind cannot roar however this is symbolic, showing anger and frustration, both of which Wordsworth is feeling at the beginning of the poem.
He builds a pure pictoral image of the scene and as he begins to do this his mood lightens, he uses a lot of personification to amplify this. In line 15 the first appearance of Wordsworth (the narrator) appears, he identifies himself as a traveller on the moor who has been seduced by the scene
‘The pleasant season did my heart employ”. He is presented with a beautiful scene and objects such as ‘grass bright with raindrops’ and a mist which glitters in the sun. When the object is depicted to Wordsworth he responds to it. A concept which runs throughout Wordsworth’s poetry is that man is as one with nature. He himself does not exist outside nature but he is exists within it. They are inseparable.
The moors are described in great detail in the first two stanzas, thus indicating Wordsworths familiarity with the moors of England, as he grew up in the hills and wrote many poems describing them (Richter 283)
At this point in the play Wordswoth is content with himself, nature allows him to look inside himself and look around. The moors are seen to be cheerful. His use of nature as a means of description continues throughout the poem. However his mood changes in line 26 once again, his content mood is lost, he tells of his unknown reason of why his mood has suddenly sank as low as it had been high.
He tries once again to think of pleasing thoughts, in the form of nature, to lift his his mood. “I heard the skylark singing in the sky” He presents himself as a “happy child of earth” tying the world of man into the world of nature, his sad thoughts discourage him once again and his language is taken to extremes such as ‘blissfull creatures’ and ‘my whole life’ he describes the place as lonely contradicting himself from previous statements. Nature has not changed, it is still as beautiful, he is once again comparing nature to himself, he is really the lonely one.
In line 55 Wordsworth introduces another person to the scene, Once again using extremes, describing him as ‘the oldest man’
He is leaning over a pond and is described as in that “naked wilderness” this man in naked of soul and pretence, he is a bare part of human exsistance. Wordsworth draws from nature to give us a description of the man.
“motionless as a cloud the old man stood” Wordsworth also refers to clouds in his poem “Daffodils” when he states “I wandered lonely as a cloud” Clouds are symbolic of dreams and fantasy and this can lead to the imagination and surrealism. Wordsworth is looking for a natural comparison in this natural place. You cannot however touch or grasp a cloud, this is how Wordsworth feels about this man, distanced.
This description lasts for two stanzas emphasising Wordsworths first impression. Stanza 9 shows how out of place the man appears on the moor and stanza 10 describes his body positioning through the appearance of a great weight placed upon him “A more than human weight upon his framne had cast” The man doesn’t seem alive because his is so still, yet another comparison to nature as nature can often seem entirely still in this so busy world. He is also extremely ill which projects feelings of pity and care instantly towards the old man. There are also religious links “their pilgrimage” and the “constraint of pain or rage” something is preventing, constraining him form moving on, suggesting possibly him constaining form death, from being with god.
In the 12th and 13th stanzas Wordsworth approaches the old man and begins conversation. He takes great care in describing the speech of the old man,
“Choice of word and measured phrase, above the reach/of ordinary men; a stately speech” He is masked in the ore, describing him in a much more stately manner than he obviously is in figure.
The next stanzas carry on describing the old man. He is completely elevated in Wordsworths image of him, each word is chosen carefully by the old man, Wordsworth elaborates on this making him seem profound he describes his voice as “like a stream” this creates the image of it flowing and running past him. Wordworth studies the whole entirety of this man insead of listening intently to the actiual words.
This man changes Wordsworths mood. He makes him realise his is not to be sad, he is in a beatifull place and he have thoughts of the things to come. Wordsworth is struck by the determination of the man and the way he never gives up. He is able to see that one can preserve through life and remain sharp.
Wordsworth focuses on nature as an inspiration, he was inspired immensely by his surroundings to write this poem, the poem embodies the Romantic Ideas of nature and imagination as well as the emphasis on the man and the language of the common man.
This Lime Tree Bower my prison by Coleridge also has many links to nature. It is written once again when Coleridge (like wordsworth at first) is on his own with time to reflect on his surroundings. At first his tone is sad and melancholy. It is written in blank verse with no rythum. Coleridge is left to sit under a lime tree due to a scoulded foot whilst Wordsworth and Charles Lamb are enjoying a walk, The disappointment described in the first few lines is very intense. He uses exclamation to show his anger and frustration at being left alone. He begins the poem with ‘well’ as if to start an expression or statement. He feels frustrated and annoyed he feels his inability to walk will deprive him of future memories of both the beautiful countryside and his friends conversation. His mood is sombre and dejected. The landscape in the first part of this poem echoes Colridges dark mood, He describes nature as ‘deep’ and ‘narrow.’ He imagines the contasting landscapes his friends will en He describes the ash tree using personification, that is unsunn’d and damp with a ‘few poor yellow leaves’ . He has told his friends to visit a particular place ‘that roaring dell, of which I told’ he begins to follow their journey in his imagination which lightens his mood. His tone begins to change and the use of exclamation marks is minimised. his language becomes more poetic, a way of emphasising his affectionate feelings for “My gentle –hearted Charles!” From this entity of love there is an entourage of strong feelings, When he begins to think of this place describing it as ‘a most fantastic sight’ it is obvious that he loves it. He recreates the scene in his own mind,
“With some fair bark perhaps whos sails light up,
The slip and smooth clearblue betwixt two isles’
He uses illiteration to emphasis points. He also uses colours such as ‘blue betwix’ ‘purple shadow’ ‘yellow light’ all to expand on his happy mood. He has now emerged from self pity and begins to command nature to unveil its true beauty so that his friends can enjoy what he has previously witnessed. “Shine in the slant beams…burn, ye clouds! Live in the yellow light, ye distant groves!” It is clear that Coleridge envisions a sublime moment of natural beauty and fulfilment for Lambs enjoyment.
Using memory and powers of imagination Coleridge is able to recall more memories. The tone has now changes from melancholy to celebratory as Coleridge enters imaginatively into his friends experience. His vexations have turned to wonderment. He is happy for Lamb to enjoy a brief liberation of city life although he fails to recognise that Lamb likes the city. He knows that when the emerge from the dell his friends will be able to rejoice in the distant view of the sea. Imagining Lamb in this scene makes Colerigdge regognise the joy he will be sensing and desires a sublime experience for him. He wishes him to see a rich sunset “thou glorious Sun! Shine in the slant beams in the sinking orb”
In imagining this for Lamb, Coleridge is overcome with joy himself. He
begins to look around himself, anjoying the nature which is all around him. “A delight Comes sudden on my heart.” He is not missing out on nature. He is part of it. It has come to him. He has been soothed just by being there without even noticing it at first. There is beauty all around him. There is a small image of nature right infront of him which he was too blind to see at first through his anger and frustration. The Bower is filled with radiance and sublimity and as he feels happy and content he is sure Lamb will feel the same. Nature has stimulated and revived his spirits. he is impressed by what surrounds him and the silence which is aiding his reflection: “Wheels silent by, and not a swallow twitters, Yet still the solitary humble-bee Sings in the bean-flower!” Coleridge realises that nature has never deserted him and he was stupid to think so. HE describes nature as a power that can influence peoples lives and something that links together everything. Nature has linked him with his friends on their walk and at the end of the poem Coleridge is sure that Lamb will have seen the sunset too. There for joining them in matrimony.