How William Wordsworth Expresses His Love for Women in His Poetry

Introduction

Over the course of history, Romanticism has been known to associate nature with being feminine or a woman. There are many qualities that can be associated with females or women in general. Through the usage of descriptive language, William Wordsworth is able to express his cavernous love and appreciation for women. Soft, beauteous, boyish, tranquil, and dear are all adjectives used to describe his love for, and experience with nature. He does an exquisite job depicting exactly what nature means to him, as a man.

William Wordsworth's Romantic Perception of Nature

In "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey," William Wordsworth asserts, “Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power / To chasten and subdue — And I have felt / A presence that disturbs me with the joy / Of elevated thoughts” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 92-95). Wordsworth feels a strong sense of something pulling him back, not in a rough or harsh way, but more in a joyous reflective way. Observing and interacting with nature allows him to feel the joy of what it is like to reflect on all of the things he loves about nature and what it meant to him in the past without denial.

Exclusion of the Feminine Perspective

Wordsworth also has a way of excluding the feminine perspective of nature by not mentioning or including his dear sister and friend Dorothy until the end of the poem. This creates a question for the readers: Is Wordsworth showing appreciation to women through his love for nature or is he excluding them and focusing on his own male perspective on nature? William Wordsworth strategically uses descriptive language to feminize nature. Wordsworth feminizes nature with the use of descriptive language, excluding the feminine presence from the poem, therefore prominently speaking from a male perspective. According to Barry (1995), the term feminine is used to refer to “a set of culturally defined characteristics.”

Wordsworth's Personal Journey with Nature

The poet shares the struggles he faced when coming to the realization of his true love for nature. “Wherever nature led: more like a man / Flying from something that he dreads, than one / Who sought the thing he loved” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 70-72). Wordsworth has yet to grasp the true essence of the beauty of nature at first. He compares it to a man who is avoiding something he feels apprehensive about. However, it’s with time that Wordsworth finds himself actually appreciating and seizing the beauty of nature. “For nature then, To me was all in all.—I cannot paint/ What then I was” (Wordsworth, 1798, lines 72, 75-76). At this stage, Wordsworth realizes the full essence of nature and how it is everything for him.

The Role of Dorothy in Wordsworth's Narrative

Another main character in the poem is said to be Wordsworth’s sister/close friend Dorothy. She is not present throughout the poem but is recognized towards the end. In the poem, he offers a prayer to nature that he might continue to do so for a little while, knowing, as he says, that “Nature never did betray / The heart that loved her,” but leads instead “from joy to joy.” Nature’s dominance over people that seek her out is such that it results in what can be considered immunity to “evil tongues,” “rash judgments,” and “the sneers of selfish men,” instilling instead a “cheerful faith” that the world is full of blessings.

The Societal Context and Wordsworth's Perspective

Women are known by society, during this time period, to not have much purpose outside of the household. Here we see the writer sharing his gratitude for the role that his sister played in his life, but way later in his life. The writer strategically uses format and this story to emphasize one major takeaway. We see that regardless of what realizations the writer may have come to, women play a role that still doesn’t match up to that of the man. Similar to how men view themselves compared to women. We see that it isn’t until towards the end of the poem that he clearly addresses a woman.

Conclusion

For a majority of the poem, there is no mention of Dorothy’s individual experience. Wordsworth strategically organized his poem this way. The exclusion of the woman’s perspective, even though it was the woman who encouraged his epiphany, speaks to the concept of toxic masculinity. The possibility of what Dorothy’s own narration could’ve addressed is compelling. Maybe during this time at Tintern Abbey, Dorothy also underwent her own ethereal realization. Or is it too far off to think that maybe Wordsworth was simply being the typical vexing brother, while Dorothy was forced to take on the task of dealing with him? From a reader’s perspective, these are questions that we may never get answers to. This is a result of too much of an imbalance in gender roles and the focus on one man’s perspective.

References

• Barry, P. (1995). Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester University Press.
• Wordsworth, W. (1798). Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey. In Lyrical Ballads.