William Wordsworth
Wordsworth’s Use of Literary Devices Related to Nature William Wordsworth’s frequent references to nature in his poetry shows that he paid close attention to the details of the physical environment around him. His poetry relates to nature by focusing primarily on the relationship between inner life with the outer world. William Wordsworth uses literary devices such as personification, similes, and the impressions nature makes on him to show the importance of the relationship that man should have with nature. Personification is used to make it easier for his readers to relate themselves to nature. The use of similes demonstrates the importance of experiencing nature as if it were oneself because it allows one to experience nature on a different level. His impressions of nature are used to show the impact nature can have when one takes time to note the beauty in the world. All the devices are used to demonstrate the importance of a relationship with and a reliance on nature.
Personification, giving inanimate objects humanlike characteristics, is one device Wordsworth uses throughout his works. He personifies nature by describing it with human characteristics. This helps his poetry develop a relationship between man and nature by demonstrating how alike the two are. Wordsworth establishes a foundation between man and nature through highlighting the parallels and similarities of action that are shared. In his poem, The World Is Too Much With Us, Wordsworth writes:
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little do we see in nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The Winds that will be howling at all hours (Major Works 270)
Wordsworth gives human characteristics to the sea and winds to convey a more personal relationship to people. He indicates that aspects of everyday living numb one to the emotions of nature. We focus on “getting and
Personification, giving inanimate objects humanlike characteristics, is one device Wordsworth uses throughout his works. He personifies nature by describing it with human characteristics. This helps his poetry develop a relationship between man and nature by demonstrating how alike the two are. Wordsworth establishes a foundation between man and nature through highlighting the parallels and similarities of action that are shared. In his poem, The World Is Too Much With Us, Wordsworth writes:
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little do we see in nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The Winds that will be howling at all hours (Major Works 270)
Wordsworth gives human characteristics to the sea and winds to convey a more personal relationship to people. He indicates that aspects of everyday living numb one to the emotions of nature. We focus on “getting and
Cited: Wordsworth, William. William Wordsworth Selected Poems. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print. Wordsworth, William. William Wordsworth The Major Works. New York, Oxford 2008. Print. Wordsworth, William. William Wordsworth The Poems Volume One. New York Penguin, 1990. Print.