ode to imitations of immorality from early childhood- Wordsworth

summary

ode explores how the loss of childhood innocence and wonder is painful, but balanced by emontial depth, maturity and wisdom gained though the process of maturing to becoming a adult.

theme of soul’s immorality

• “celestial light” speaker thinks that the soul is everlasting, with children’s world perspective evidencing his claim as youth enables them to see the divine heavenly presences.

• “imitation of immorality” highlights how the way children perceive the world link to enjoyment in heaven- suggesting that God’s presence in nature preserves their innocence and naivety.

• “daily farther from the east” underscores how maturity makes retaining innocence more difficult, yet the sun allusions suggest that the sun (soul) will rise again.

theme of childhood wonder and the pain of growing up

• “there was a time where meadows, grove and stream … did seem appalled in celestial light.” childhood’s purity and innocence make it spiritual. “was a time” is past tense so suggests regret at the lack of appreciation for that perspective.

• “heaven lies about us in our infancy!” suggests that maturity and aging make outlook on life jaded and pessmtic reinforcing childhood’s innonce. “heaven” is both a literal and metaphorical as godliness and state of happiness/simplicty. Then the exclamatory mode creates a tone of joy that juxtapose the somber tone in other parts of the poem.

• “shades of the prison- house begin to close upon the growing boy”. prison metaphorical for adulthood and the resulting loss of freedom and sense of endless possibility; implies indelible impact which while escapable isn’t really due to the permanent nature of maturity and growing up.

• “we will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind.” conclusion that maturity, while is does denote the end of innocence, also brings positives as “remains behind” implies wisdom and knowledge. collective pronoun of “we” suggests that maturity journey is a commonality all of humanity share.

theme of memory considialtion

• “there is a tree, one of many, one, a single field which I have looked upon” underlines how speaker has lost the potent connection to nature he had as a young boy with the remaining connection being weaker- conveyed though the past tense of “I have looked upon”.

• “the meanest flower that blows” implies that nature has ability to connect with the divine, inspiring the speaker with profound thoughts of eternity denoting how remains of childhood inconcce exist.

rhyme scheme

irregular iambic pentamter- the inconseitnet rhyme stenghtens how growing up isn’t linear and reflected in the disrodlt parts of the poem.

form

a ode- a poem dedicated to a person or experience so to childhood’s inherent wonder. suggests that maturity diminishes the inner child to the crux and nothing else making the poem a memorim to the inner child.

the mix of personal feelings (Lyrics) with the intellectual reflection (philophoy) has shifting links to romanctism and how personal ambition is part of outward idendity.

device of caesura

• “the fullness of your bliss, I feel- I feel it all” works with the diacope of “feel” and the two doubles (both reinforcing the thoughts of nature’s benefits and getting emontial about it") underscoring the complex emotions at the loss of the strong bond with nature.

• “appalled in celestial light, the glory and freshness of a dream” has synthesia as appeals to light, touch and sight, blending structural and language devices.

• “I love the brooks which down their channels fret, … I tripped lightly as they;” the distance from the energy deepens feelings of how distanced from nature as feels a paternal affection for them. “fret” emphasis how nature also changes with the changing of their banks both adding complexity though light (maturity’s benefits) and wearing away at them (inevitability of death). nature shows both what’s been lost and learned.

device of assonance

• “fears, /to me the meanest flower that blows can give/ Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.” the intense emotions show the deep connection with nature as helps realise reality of life- it’s plaintive long “eee” sounds.

device of parrelism

• “not in entire forgetfulness, and not in entire nakedness”. The “nots” make “clouds of glory” espically powerful as creates antipicateion for the vitalness as the soul is both forgetful and naked.

setting

• “sweet may morning” the natural setting underscores poem’s theme of how nature gives you strength and comfort. not identical to youth but rather reminding him of faith as nature is a mirror to heaven.

literary context

poem revisied a lot over the years so seen as a masterpiece/highest expression of his pastoral philopsphoy.

a core sample of a English romanctism as focused on importance of deep feeling. Coleridge saw it and responded by writing “dejection: an ode” showing how nature appreciation complex and full range of feelings can’t be expressed by one person.

historical context

Wordsworth slowly becoming more chrisitain but ideas around the immortal soul and nature’s worthiness unorthodox and non-demential spiritual beliefs.

links strongly to pantheism where nature acts as a manifestation of God- tho a philopsocial not relgious school.

Blake also thought this way as enabled deep spiritual feelings with no chrisitian authorism. as nature became more industrialised this view point'/belief became more common.