‘The Wren’ was written by the famous poet John Clare. Like ‘Daffodils’ the subject of the poem is also a part of nature. It is about a wren, and the note of it is very uplifting and slightly nostalgic. He questioned why specific birds were ‘so fondly praised, in poets’ rhymes,’ and why birds like the wren, was not. This showed his urge to separate himself from the majority of poets who do not admire birds like the wren. He then further elaborated on this, stating how the song of the nightingale was ‘sweet’ and ‘melodious.’ The nostalgic tone of the poem is evident when he wrote “And still they come to tell the happy stories of the past again.” It implied the life before the Industrial Revolution, when nature and wildlife prevailed in the countryside. He found consolation in birds as they made him feel at ease, which in turn, gave him happy memories. This differs from ‘Daffodils’ where the tone of the poem was more thoughtful and slightly sorrowful. Wordsworth often described his loneliness and “pensive mood” whereas Clare’s poem was more light-hearted. It also contrasts his other poem, ‘Sonnet: The Nightingale’ as the atmosphere is considerably darker and more mysterious.
In ‘Sonnet: The Nightingale,’ Clare wrote about the song of the nightingale and how it brought over him a sense of calmness. He showed how the song of the nightingale accompanies people in the dark in different ways. With the ploughman, he finds pleasure in listening to the song of the nightingale and imitating it. The term used is ‘feels’ to suggest that music can affect not only the hearing, but the sense of touch, too. He used several literary devices in the poem including emotive language and imagery. The emotive language helps the reader to relate to the poem, whilst the imagery allows them to depict the scene as well as the atmosphere in their heads. He also used a hyperbole when he writes ‘Lose all their paths in dusk to lead him wrong.” He employed this technique to show how when time is consumed doing something one enjoys, like listening to the song of the nightingale, in can be hard to follow a track or path.
John Keats wrote the poem ‘Ode To A Nightingale,’ which resembles a tribute to the nightingale. Keats used several literary devices, including emotive language. This can be seen when he wrote ‘I have been half in love with easeful death.’ He portrayed his longing for a peaceful death which insinuated that he was depressed, and saddened by his life. He seemed to find solace in nature, as it pulled him away from his fears and worries. When the poem began, it was about the nightingale, in its literal definition. However, as the poem progressed, it turns into a symbol. Keats used the nightingale in order to signify the music of nature and the joy derived from it. He used a lot of the five senses of a person, which allows the readers to easily picture the images his words create. He clearly stated that he wanted to escape from reality, through either alcohol consumption, or death. Keats seemed to associate wine with happiness, and used it to console himself as it pulls him into another world albeit one of fantasy. He enjoyed being in this imaginary place, as he wrote ‘That I might drink, and leave the world unseen,’ which refers to drinking alcohol, to dull his senses and change his conception of the place he was at. Later in the poem, he wrote that the bird is ‘immortal.’ The literal meaning would not make sense as the bird will eventually die. However, Keats uses the nightingale as a symbol for ideal beauty, which in fact never dies. He also used the nightingale to hint upon the sense that, unlike humans, it does not know it is going to die, and through this, achieves true immortality.
Emily Bronte wrote the poem ‘Stars’ which describes the beauty of sleep and the stars. Whilst Wordsworth and Keats praise the beauty of nature, Bronte seems to prefer the night to the day and the darker side to nature. She wrote about how she finds peace in the stars and contentment in nature. The poem is written in a very literal sense, as it depicts the brightness and immortality of the stars. Bronte used a lot of metaphors in her writing, e.g. ‘All through the night, your glorious eyes were gazing down in mine.’ The stars are portrayed as eyes, and this is used to give the effect that the stars can see her and are perhaps watching over her. The structure of the poem is shorter than that of ‘Daffodils’ or ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ which makes her sentences more dramatic and gives a greater effect to her words. She also stated that she prefers the night, to the day writing about the sun: ‘Hide me from the hostile light that does not warm, but burn.’ This line suggests that physically and emotionally, she cannot handle being in the sun or daylight and also how darkness is more welcome to her, rather than the light of the sun. She described the sun as ‘blood red.’ The colour red is usually used to symbolize danger or a warning which makes the effect of her words greater when included with the word ‘blood.’ She shows the readers how the night is better when compared to the day as the stars and sky imitate a safe haven.
The poems all share a common theme; they all seek consolation from nature, but in different forms. Some seek it in the literal sense, such as from flowers and stars, whilst others use metaphors to express the beauty of nature. However, they all stem from the same cause; poets that are trying to convey the art of nature and the peace in it through words. All the poems have an underlying theme, portraying the sentimental feel about nature, and how it can help people through a variety of emotions, the most common being depression. Through this, each poem depicts in unique ways how nature can relieve one of sadness and pain.
