Topic > Naturalism in Tintern Abbey

William Wordsworth was a Romantic English poet with a large body of work, and naturalism abounds in almost all of his poetry. Nature is one of the main themes in Wordsworth's famous works such as "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and "It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free". However, perhaps his most naturalistic piece is “Tintern Abbey”. Wordsworth views nature as a good or even necessary influence that can ultimately shape a person's behavior and personality and even help them learn from past mistakes. This is the case of “Tintern Abbey”, in which the speaker talks about the natural beauty of this place. “Tintern Abbey” expresses Wordsworth's naturalism through a vivid description of natural scenes and his explanation of the refuge these views provided and the personal growth they stimulated. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Wordsworth's poem is divided into four long stanzas. In the first stanza, Wordsworth dives straight into describing this place near Tintern Abbey, but not before pointing out how long it has been since his last visit. Evidently “five years have passed; five summers, with the duration / of five long winters!” (Wordsworth 1-2). This is significant because it demonstrates and underlines Wordsworth's affection for this place right from the start. Wordsworth then proceeds to recount every detail as if it were there yesterday. It is “nature this” and “nature that” for much of the first 22 lines while setting the stage for the rest of the poem. Wordsworth describes, “These waters, that flow from their mountain springs / With a sweet murmur inland” (Wordsworth 3-4). He's pretty excited to be here again, and it's almost like he can't decide what to see first. He feels like he is just a boy once again, visiting this place for the first time and feeling completely overwhelmed by the wonderful views. “The day has come when I rest again / Here, under this dark sycamore, and see / These plots of land, these clumps of orchards,” (Wordsworth 9-11). “Once more I see / These rows of hedges, hardly rows of hedges, little lines / Of sporting wood running wild,” (Wordsworth 14-16). This place must have had a profound effect on Wordsworth for him to remember it so clearly. Not a single detail of this natural wonderland is missed. Perhaps, these details stayed with him because they were often on his mind. Wordsworth says, “But often, in solitary rooms, and amid the din / Of towns and cities, have I owed them / In hours of weariness, sweet sensations” (Wordsworth 26-28). The beauty of nature served as a refuge for him in hours of tiredness and helped him live in the hustle and bustle of the city. In his youth, these visions amazed and fascinated him, but in adulthood he is able to see them with a more mature perspective. “These beautiful forms, / To them I might have owed another gift, Of more sublime aspect; that blessed mood, / Where the heavy and weary weight / Of all this unintelligible world, / Is lightened,” (Wordsworth 23, 37-38, 40-42). Wordsworth owes much to the natural beauty of this place. These views of nature have comforted him over the past five years and allowed him to overcome a world-weary attitude. In Wordsworth's mind, and in poetry for that matter, nature is a symbol of hope. This place near Tintern Abbey is his refuge because he remembers it as a place full of wonder and hope. Furthermore, Wordsworth describes this mood as an almost meditative state. The world-weary burden is lifted and is replaced by a “peaceful state of mind and. 2014.