Throughout William Wordsworth’s poetry, nature plays an influential role. The highest mountain to the simplest flower, the natural world is portrayed with great importance. The dependent relationship between man and nature creates a spiritual bond that connects both the spiritual and the social worlds. The natural world has tremendous impact on Wordsworth’s imagination and this is evident in his poems.
Wordsworth portrays nature’s beauty in his use of imagery. He delights in depicting the visual beauty of various locations that are close to his heart. ‘Skating’ describes a wonderful winter scene: the ground covered with ‘polished ice’ that reflects the starlight and the sunlight slowly fading into the orange horizon as ‘The leafless trees and every icy crag Tinkled like ion’. The only sign of human habitation in this winter wonderland are the lights in the ‘cottage windows that blazed’ through the twilight gloom. Wordsworth feels in peace with nature as he enjoys the cold breeze that is refreshing him. He retires to a ‘silent bay’ from his companions and spends time alone with nature as he appreciates the beautiful and wondrous winterland in God’s creation.
This great passion for nature is also evident on many of his other poems including ‘Tintern Abbey’ as he says that nature brings ‘quietness and beauty’ into our lives and fills our minds with ‘lovely forms’ and ‘sweet sounds and harmonies’. He also mentions that nature is his ‘guide’, and the ‘guardian’ of his ‘moral being’. He senses the sublime qualities in nature as he offers the reader a glimpse of something powerful at play throughout the world.
Wordsworth feels the spiritual power in nature. In the the poem ‘It is a beauteous evening’, he makes reference to the existence to God as being the sublime power in the universe. He calls on his daughter to ‘listen’ and behold ‘the mighty Being’. The sunset described in the poem is full of religious references which can be taken as a reflection of the poet’s spiritual relationship with nature. “The holy time is quiet as Nun Breathless with adoration: the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility”.
Wordsworth’s oneness with nature is also seen in ‘To my Sister’ which brings into view the connection he has with nature as he delights in the arrival of Spring. The poem suggests strong connection between people and their surroundings. Wordsworth calls on his sister to live according to the ‘living calendar’ of nature and enjoy herself and be in love with nature.
Throughout Wordsworth’s poems we see spiritual forces that permeates the natural world which allows man to develop a relationship with nature that is morally informing. Wordsworth’s spiritual and religious connection with nature and God provides the moral values in his life which he embraces delightfully.