Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge – Wordsworth
Wordsworth’s poetry was generally typical of the romantic period, and although being a romantic poem, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge not only portrays the poet’s love for nature, but also his appreciation of the City of London. He makes it out that the city and nature cannot be separated; even a concrete jungle is beautiful as it is part of creation.
The opening line to the poem, “earth has not anything to show more fair”, is a hyperbole which shows how in awe Wordsworth is of his surroundings. He continues this for two more lines, emphasising the dullness of the “soul who could pass by” by putting the word “dull” at the beginning of the verse, preceded by a colon. This makes the word, when read out loud, very heavy and further connotes the shame the person ought to have, even though this puts the next few words in an awkward arrangement. Wordsworth then goes on to surprise the reader by revealing that “The City” is the subject of the poem, rather than the norm of the romantic period; nature. He uses the simile “like a garment wear, the beauty of the morning:” implying that the moment of sunrise does not last, and is later shed like clothes. However like clean clothes in the morning, the day is renewed with each sunrise, giving an air of purity to the city. This purity and tranquillity is further emphasised by the heartbeat-like, slow rhythm of the first part of the poem through the ‘abba abba’ rhyme pattern, and “silent, bare,” which also hints and the link between nature and London and the heartbeat-like, slow rhythm of the first part of the poem
The next line “ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie” is in a quick list, showing that Wordsworth is overwhelmed by the skyline of the city, and is in awe of its majesty. They are “open unto the fields, and to the sky” showing that the magnificence of the city goes on forever and is endless, as well as the city being in harmony with nature. However, being
Wordsworth’s poetry was generally typical of the romantic period, and although being a romantic poem, Composed Upon Westminster Bridge not only portrays the poet’s love for nature, but also his appreciation of the City of London. He makes it out that the city and nature cannot be separated; even a concrete jungle is beautiful as it is part of creation.
The opening line to the poem, “earth has not anything to show more fair”, is a hyperbole which shows how in awe Wordsworth is of his surroundings. He continues this for two more lines, emphasising the dullness of the “soul who could pass by” by putting the word “dull” at the beginning of the verse, preceded by a colon. This makes the word, when read out loud, very heavy and further connotes the shame the person ought to have, even though this puts the next few words in an awkward arrangement. Wordsworth then goes on to surprise the reader by revealing that “The City” is the subject of the poem, rather than the norm of the romantic period; nature. He uses the simile “like a garment wear, the beauty of the morning:” implying that the moment of sunrise does not last, and is later shed like clothes. However like clean clothes in the morning, the day is renewed with each sunrise, giving an air of purity to the city. This purity and tranquillity is further emphasised by the heartbeat-like, slow rhythm of the first part of the poem through the ‘abba abba’ rhyme pattern, and “silent, bare,” which also hints and the link between nature and London and the heartbeat-like, slow rhythm of the first part of the poem
The next line “ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie” is in a quick list, showing that Wordsworth is overwhelmed by the skyline of the city, and is in awe of its majesty. They are “open unto the fields, and to the sky” showing that the magnificence of the city goes on forever and is endless, as well as the city being in harmony with nature. However, being