Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Analysis

Wordsworth’s poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” seems to be based from memories and the cycles of life through nature. Memory seems to be very important to Wordsworth, almost like it enlightens the mind. When the poem starts, Wordsworth lays the foundation of Tintern Abbey from his visit five years in the past. We see this in lines 1-22 as he describes his memories of the abbey. The steep cliffs, the cottage-ground, the orchard-tuffs, the hedge-rows, pastoral farms, etc. He is using his memory of the abbey to anticipate his return to the place that gave him so much joy when he was younger. As soon as he returns he is moved by the same things that interested him during his first visit which is the first example of how powerful
When we look at lines 22-49 when Wordsworth is talking about how these memories of nature “these beauteous forms” have kept him sane in cities and towns; “Of towns and cities, I have owed to them in hours of weariness, sensations sweet, felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; and passing even into my purer mind, with tranquil restoration”. In this stanza, he is saying that his memories of nature have the power to keep him happy and tranquil no matter how uncomfortable he may be where he is; in other words, his memories of nature overpower his surroundings. They give him the “aspect more sublime; that blessed mood, in which the burthen of the mystery, in which the heavy and the weary weight of all this unintelligible world, is lightened;”. This burden being lifted goes beyond nature, and into spirituality or possibly supernaturalism showing just how powerful his memories are. The ethereal atmosphere that Wordsworth creates could be intertwined with the pleasure he gets from his memories of nature, again portraying how powerful memory
I believe he then goes on to talk about praying that nature gives her memories to last a lifetime from lines 121-134 that will never betray her. This is so she can “…so inform the mind that is within us, so impress with quietness and beauty, and so feed with lofty thoughts…” that no one, not even “evil tongues”, selfish men, unkind greetings or dreary daily life may disturb “our cheerful faith, that all which we behold is full of blessings”. I believe Wordsworth is still trying to portray how powerful memory is here by saying that his sister, with her memories of nature will encompass others and bring them joy as well even when they go through life and its hardships. This brings us to line 141 through line 146 “thy memory be as a dwelling place for all sweet sounds and harmonies… of tender joy wilt thou remember me”; this is where Wordsworth is, once again, bringing up memory and its powerful usefulness. He then moves on to lines 149-159, to make sure she doesn’t forget that they stood together on the banks of the stream, both worshippers of nature. That they had a warmer love, a holier love, and that after many years, and many new places that they both should remember the woods, the cliffs, the green lands, and that they were dear to them in more ways