In preface to the Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth says
that “a poet is a man speaking to men in the language of men”.
Thus in his
poetry he uses simple and clear language that can be understood by ordinary
people. His topics are drawn from common life. He also says that “poetry is the
spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: It takes its origin from emotion recollected
in tranquility.”
Wordsworth is called a Romantic poet. Romanticism is
a movement in literature and art that developed in Europe in the late 18th
and 19th centuries. It held classicism which held society as the
most important thing, denied expression to men’s emotional nature and
over-looked its important inner forces. Romanticism upholds high values and
aspirations of individuals above those of society. Romantic poets looked to the
middle ages and direct contact with the nature for impressions.
"I wandered lonely as a cloud" is a short lyric
greatly admired for its typical Wordsworthian simplicity, spontaneity and
naturalness of style and diction. Rooted in a real life experience, its rich
imagery and pictorial descriptions greatly enhance the charm. The poem is a
great testimony to the great bond between man and nature.
One of the major themes of the poem is the healing
influence of Nature. It brings the soothing touch of tranquility and restores
to him his inner peace. The joy offered by nature is not merely instant. Nature
can bless a responsive heart with perpetual joy.
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