It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free ~ William Wordsworth

This poem is an ... sonnet because it ....

Italian, has a sestet and an octave -> no rhyming couplet

Does this poem follow the iambic pentameter of a sonnet?

Yes

What is iambic pentameter?

Each line has 10 syllables, 5 unstressed and 5 stressed (alternating)

Does this poem have an actual title?

No, the title is the first line of the poem (a lot of sonnets do this)

The setting/background of this poem

the speaker is on a walk in Calais with his daughter, Caroline who he is speaking to and directly addresses in the sestet

William Wordsworth has a deep belief of ...

pantheism

What is pantheism (in general and in the context of the poem)?

the belief that God is in everything -> that nature is a manifestation of the divine

What does the word "free" imply?

there are no worries or pain

What does the word "holy time" in line 2 refer to?

the word "time" refers to sunset, and the word "holy" indicates that sunset is a spiritual time to connect with God -> it is the evening prayer time for a nun

Explain the simile in line 2 and 3: "...as quiet as a Nun breathless with..."

Nuns are typically reclusive and they devote their lives to silent contemplation, hence the sunset is being compared to them to describe its silent beauty and the holiness of the sunset -> link between nature and the divine

What is the function of the colons in line 3 and 4?

they indicate the comparison of the nun and nature/the sunset, and the comparison of the sunset with heaven's gentleness. They also cause slight pauses

What does line 5 mean: "the gentleness of heaven is on the sea"

personification; heaven is described as being gentle which adds to the peaceful atmosphere. The sea is reflecting the skies/Heaven. It is calm and gentle and it is beautiful and Godly

What does line 6 imply: "Listen! the mighty Being is awake..."

"Being" refers to God which demonstrates his power because the speaker indicates that it is God who has called the sun to set

Lines 7 and 8: "And doth with his eternal motion make...everlastingly"

The sound of the waves of the sea is compared to "thunder" which describes the setting of the sea. The word "everlastingly" refers to how the sea and God are both never-ending and will be "eternal"

Line 9: "Dear child!..."

directly addresses his young daughter, Caroline

What does the speaker mean in lines 10 and 11: "if thou appear untouched by...less divine"

if she is not aware of the divineness and beauty of nature, it does not make her any less touched or protected by God, it is simply because she is too young to understand

Lines 12 and 13: "Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year...Temple's inner shrine..." mean

a metaphor for the special place in heaven that children occupy. Like a father holds a baby to protect it, the girl is unknowingly protected by God. This implies that the speaker feels comfort as a father, knowing his daughter is protected

Line 14: "God being with thee..."

even when we are not aware of it, God is always with us

What is the purpose of enjambment in this poem?

to reinforce the idea of the connection of nature and God throughout the poem

The octave (is about)

describes the beauty of the scene/sunset

The sestet (is about)

the speaker's comment on the connection between beauty and spirituality

The tone of this poem is

awe, tranquility, respect, sacred

Themes of the poem

the Holiness of nature and childhood and faith