"The Green Linnet" by William Wordsworth

In William Wordsworth’s “The Green Linnet,” intentional use of unique poetic structure combined with careful observation of the linnet parallels the bird with the act of poetry itself, demonstrating that in the absence of pathetic fallacy, an appreciative relationship is established between man and the natural environment. Through a distinctive rhyme scheme and rhythm, the linnet’s song is transformed into a form of poetry. In addition, the semantics and diction that describe the bird’s inherent tendencies connects the animal in its natural world to the speaker of the poem. Uniquely structured, the rhyme and rhythm of the poem imitate the call of the linnet, suggesting that the innate musical qualities that nature possesses connects it to other art forms, such as poetry. The poem’s rhyme scheme, aaab cccb, is not representative of any specific type of poem (“Rhyme Scheme”), symbolizing the linnet’s call, which is unpredictable and does not follow a specific bird call pattern (“Common Linnet”).

Breaks in the rhyme scheme, such as in the second line of the third stanza, in which “paramours” (Wordsworth 18) does not directly rhyme with “flowers” (Wordsworth 17) and “bowers” (Wordsworth 19), present another layer to the unpredictability that is associated with the call of the linnet. This distinction is also present in the fourth stanza, where “ecstasies” (Wordsworth 27) contradicts with the rhyme established by “trees” (Wordsworth 25) and “breeze” (Wordsworth 26). Consisting of stanzas with sets of three erratically paced lines followed by a more normally paced line, the poem’s rhythm further mimics the linnet’s call, which is characterized by bursts of frantic chirps interspersed with smoother and consistent warbles (“Common Linnet”). The indentation of the fourth and eighth line of each stanza suggests a pause, which emphasizes the distinction between the two speeds and sounds that distinguish the linnet’s song. In translating the linnet’s song into poetic structure, it is evident that the musicality of the bird inspires another form of art, poetry, to serve as a representation of the natural environment. Beyond the structure of the poem, the semantics and diction of the detailed observation of the linnet relates the bird to the speaker of the poem, connecting the natural world with the human world. There is an irony in the lines “Thou, ranging up and down the bowers, / Art sole in thy employment:” (Wordsworth 19-20). While “Art” is the archaic second person singular present of “be,” its possible double meaning as referring to the linnet itself as “art” is suggested by the following lines: “A Life, a Presence like the Air, / Scattering thy gladness without care,” (Wordsworth 21-22).

These lines, which on the surface level describe the carelessness and joy of the linnet, also elevate the bird to a status of art, as the capitalization of the words “Life”, “Presence”, and “Air” emphasize importance and describe the overall goal of the poem itself, to spread joy and a simple appreciation of nature. In comparing the purpose of the linnet with the purpose of the poem, and poetry being its own art form, the linnet itself is seen as an artistic symbol of the natural world. The indentation of line 20 and the inversion that places “Art” at the beginning of the line, also highlights this specific word, while “employment” (Wordsworth 20) emphasizes the sense of duty or purpose of both the poem and the linnet. The colon that ends line 20 connects the line with those subsequent, supporting that lines 21 and 22 characterize the linnet as “art.” In the previous stanza, the speaker renounces, “Thou, Linnet! in thy green array, / Presiding Spirit here to-day, / Dost lead the revels of the May; / And this thy dominion” (Wordsworth 13-16). By describing the linnet as a “Presiding Spirit” and referring to this environment as the linnet’s “dominion,” the linnet is once again elevated to some higher status. Referencing the “revels of the May” infers the pleasure, appreciation, and celebration that stems from Spring, which symbolizes a season of new growth. Thus, as the linnet “[leads]” this celebration, it is evident that the speaker of the poem draws inspiration from the linnet, establishing a relationship between man and nature. In the lines “Too blest with any one to pair; / Thyself thy own enjoyment” (Wordsworth 23-24), the speaker observes the linnet’s tendency to function by itself, which is also a self-reflection of the speaker’s own state, who is alone in his “orchard-seat” (Wordsworth 6) watching nature. The isolation of the speaker from other human contact is apparent through the singular subject pronoun of “I” and singular possessive pronouns of “my” that are present in the poem. Thus, these two lines signify a similarity that further connects the linnet and the speaker. It is important to distinct, however, that the speaker’s form of “enjoyment” derives from the linnet rather than from himself, as evidenced by lines “Hail to Thee, far above the rest / In joy of voice and pinion!” (Wordsworth 11-12), in which the speaker praises the bird for its exceptional song and wings that the speaker has observed.

The exclamation point at the end of line 11 emphasizes the speaker’s feeling of excitement and glorification of the linnet. The line “Thyself thy own enjoyment” (Wordsworth 24) could also refer to the poem itself and the way that it is meant to be “enjoyed,” which would connect the linnet to poetry in another distinction. Intentional word choice and the presence of underlying comparisons parallels the linnet with the speaker of the poem, which demonstrates a connection between the natural world and man. Through deliberately crafted poetic structure and the semantics and diction included in the observation of the linnet, William Wordsworth’s “The Green Linnet” relates the natural artistic tendencies of the bird to the act of poetry, including both poetic form and the speaker of the poem. In doing so, it is evident that man’s relationship with nature becomes appreciative through consideration of nature’s dispositions, rather than through the use of pathetic fallacy, which dismisses the natural propensities of nature and, instead, attributes these propensities to human qualities. The musicality that described the linnet’s song enables the interpretation of the song as a form of poetry itself, enabling a structure that mimics the call of the linnet. Examining the intent of word choice and double meanings that characterized the observation of the bird, a relationship between the linnet and the speaker of the poem is discovered. In viewing the linnet’s artistic characteristics as inspirational and relatable in their individual form, man’s perspective of the natural world is broadened.