Question- Write a critical Appreciation of the poem "Tintern Abbey".

Answer -

Autobiographical Elements: This poem was composed in July, 1798. Wordsworth was leaving Tintern, after crossing the Wye. "No poem of mine", says Wordsworth, "was composed under circumstances more pleasant for me to remember." The poem is very personal.

The Construction - The poem falls into three parts: (i) description of the scene (ii) Wordsworth's philosophy of Nature (iii) address to Dorothy.

Lovely Imagery - Wordsworth paints such lovely images of Nature as the tall mountains and hills, the green fruit-trees with unripe fruits the cottage farms, green up to the door and the smoke rising from the trees all this is a beautiful description of the landscape.

Philosophy of Nature -

(1) Nature, to Wordsworth, is not a sum total of different objects like rocks, ocean and clouds, Nature is a living personality.

"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.
Nature is true friend, never deceives her votary.

(2) Nature is a source of happiness and joy, "It is her privilege, to lead from joy to joy. Amidst the noise and weariness of city life, the memories to Tintern Abbey gave sweet sensations of joy. When in the city, the unprofitable stir and fever of the world seemed to crush his heart and stop its beating. The poet was happy to remember the scene of Tintern Abbey.

(3) Wordsworth describes calm and quite Nature:

(4) Nature is a moral teacher. It has an ennobling effect on man. Under Nature's influence, the good man is led to do little unremembered acts of kindness and love.

(5) Wordsworth is a mystic. He believes that worship of Nature enables us to understand the mystery of the world. We are laid asleep in body and become living soul and see into the life of things.

(6) Wordsworth does not look upon Nature with a painter's eye. He reads the hidden meaning of Nature. The clouds that gather round the setting sun do not mean to him red or blue clouds, but to him singnify the rise and fall of nations and empires. In the murmuring of the waters, he hears the still and music of humanity.

(7) Wordsworth spiritualises Nature; i.e., he believes that the divine spirit lives in Nature, this is pantheism (God stands revealed in Nature). The divine spirit lives in the light of setting sun, and the round ocean and the living air and the blue sky and in the mind of man.

(8) Wordsworth traces the history of his love for Nature. In boyhood, he enjoyed coarser pleasures of Nature and ran races over hills and fields like a deer, as if he were trying to run away from nature.

Next he had sensuous love of Nature, he loved the sights and sounds of Nature. He had no need of any pleasure which was not supplied by the eye. The sounding cataract haunted him like a passion.

In the next stage, Wordsworth began to read the hidden meaning of Nature. In the murmuring sound of the brook, he heard the still, sad music of humanity (the tears and woes of the world).

(9) Wordsworth is a prophet and Nature is his religion. The kingdom of heaven can be brought to this earth by the worship of Nature, in which God stands revealed.

Blank-Verse - The poem is written in blank-verse. The poet uses some of the lovely words and phrases; fretful stir unprofitable or the still sad music of humanity.

Address to Dorothy - The poet asks his sister to put herself under the influence of Nature, for that is the road to happiness and peace of mind.

Important Explanations

1. Once again............seclusion    - (Lines 4 to 7)

Reference: These lines are taken from William Wordsworth's famous autobiographical poem "Tintern Abbey", It reveals the growth of the poet's mind. It recounts the gradual development in Wordsworth's attitude towards Nature.

Context: The poet visited the banks of the river. Wye after a period of five years. He was once again impressed by the pastoral landscape enclosed by the mountains and the river.

Explanation : After five years he sees again the tall and perpendicularly rising mountains which make the lonely scene appear all the more lonely-which strengthen the impression of the loneliness of the scene. These tall and sharply rising rocks make the lonely nature scene appear even more lonely. The poet means that as he stands in the midst of tall mountains the lonely spot surrounded by them appears extremely lonely. The tall mountains create the impression that no one can inhabit this lonely spot.

N.B.  (i) Remarkably flexible and dignified lines.
         (ii) Highly lyrical utterance.
        (iii) Natural and simple lines.
        (iv) Lines sublime and musical.
        (v) Felicity and ease.     - (Lines 17 to 20)

2. And wreaths......... woods.

Reference: As above.

Context: The poet observes little lines of shrubs fencing all around this wild untrimmed countryside. The fields are green up to the very door steps of the cottages.

Explanation: The poet sees curls of smoke issuing from place in the valley. He feels that these curls of smoke indicate in a vague manner that some members of a wandering tribe are encamping some where in the midst of the mountain forest, and the smoke is emerging from their tents.

N.B.     (i) Clarity of ideas.
            (ii) Natural and simple lines.
            (iii) Highly and lyrical utterance.
            (iv) Feelingful and touching lines.
            (v) Picturesque description.

3. Feelings...........Love    - (Lines 31 to 36)

Reference: As above.

Context: The memories or impression of the beautiful object of Nature restored him to calmness whenever he fell sick of city or town life. They were a source of not only physical but also an intellectual pleasure.

Explanation: The poet owes to the memories of these beautiful objects of nature another debt. These memories stirred noble feelings in his heart and so he was persuaded to perform many little acts of charity and love like helping others. These acts were too petty and small to be remembered. All the same, he was grateful to the memories of these natural objects which urged him to perform these acts of love or charity.

N.B.     (i) Clarity of ideas.
            (ii) Highly lyrical utterance.
            (iii) Picturesque description.
            (iv) Compact expression.
            (v) Feelingful and touching lines.

4. That serene ................ a living soul.    - (Lines 42 to 47).

  Reference: As above. Context: The poet thanks to blissful mood engendered by the memories of beautiful objects of nature. They have made the mystery of life light.

Explanation: In these lines Wordsworth describes a mystical experience. He says that instincts and feelings guide men when they are in a blissful mood. They are so completely under their influence that they feel that this breathing and even the circulation of blood in their veins have temporarily stopped. In other words their body sleeps-becomes inactive-and their soul awakens.

N.B.     (i)  Clarity of ideas.
            (ii) Feelingful and touching lines.
            (iii) Picturesque description.
            (iv) Compact expression.
            (v) BHighly lyrical utterance.

5. For nature.......... in all.     - (Lines 74 to 77)

Reference: As above.

Context: The nature of his joy in Nature has changed from the earlier years when he frisked about like a deer by the mountains, rivers and streams wherever nature took him.

Explanation: The poet means that when he was a boy nature was everything to him. He is now no longer a boy, and the more crude pleasures (like leaping over mountains etc.) and the care-free animal like movements that he enjoyed when he was a boy, have passed away.

N.B.     (i) Highly lyrical utterance.
            (ii) Feelingful and touching lines.
            (iii) Natural and simple lines.
            (iv) Lines sublime and musical.
            (v) Felicity and ease.

6. Well-pleased................ moral being. (Lines 109 to 113)

Reference: As above.

Context: The spirit of God is a bynamic force. It is like the soul of everything. It is the motive force behind all thinking creatures and all other objects. It persuades everything in this universe.

Explanation: The poet is greatly satisfied to look upon nature and sights and sounds of nature as the support of his noblest thoughts. Nature is like a nurse a guide and protector of his feelings and emotions. It is also the inspirer of his moral self (His moral self is moulded and directed by nature).

N.B.    (i) Felicity and ease.
            (ii) Compact expression.
            (iii) Clarity of ideas.
            (iv) Highly lyrical utterance.
            (v) Remarkably flexible and dignified lines.

7. That on ............sake.     (Lines 150 to 162)

Reference: As above.

Context: The poet tells his sister Dorothy that after some time these intoxicating pleasures derived from a physical enjoyment of Nature will become calm and thoughtful. Then she will appreciate the spiritual significance of Nature.

Explanation: Perhaps he is away from her and he cannot recall her youthful days by looking at the light that shines in her wild eyes, she will not forget that they stood together on the bank of this delightful river wye. The poet who has been a great devotee worshipper of Nature, came to the valley untired in love and worship of Nature. He returned rather with a more affectionate love and a deeper spiritual enthusiasm for Nature. She will not forget at that time that after many ramblings and five years of absence, he visited this beautiful pastoral scene in the wye valley and that this scene is dear to him because it is beautiful in itself as well as because he visited it in her (Dorthy) company.

N.B.

(i) Remarkable flexible and dignified lines.
(ii) Clarity of ideas.
(iii) Picturesque description.
(iv) Highly lyrical utterance.
(v) Feelingful and touching lines.

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