The poem is a monologue in which the poet talks to himself, the spirit of the nature and at times to his sister. Wordsworth’s ”Tintern Abbey” takes on an opulence of ideas regarding nature’s ability to conserve memory, and grasp the past and the present. Through his writing, Wordsworth conveys his experiences with nature to readers using dynamic imagery, a narrative–like structure and abstract metaphors. He uses only present effects thus allowing the poem to evoke emotions in readers.
Tintern Abbey is an appealing poem that focuses on a single point in space that inspires a multitude of emotions and perceptions that have impacted the minds of readers across the centuries.
The aim of the poem is to capture the essence of Nature from a metaphysical aspect of the Welsh river Wye near the village of Tintern in Monmouthsire in England, and to do so in a way that the epistemological and cosmological connotations are brought forward under the eye of philosophy.
“We see into the light of things”
He recites the objects he sees and describes their effects upon him – impressing “thoughts of more deep seclusion.” His sister Dorothy is also present as another physical being that the poet is able to glance upon in order to sketch more ideas about the inkling to clinch from gazing out upon the natural world.
The progression of Wordsworth’s musings and experiences is used to stir the readers’ emotions as they embark on a journey of exposing the nature’s ability to regenerate, and inspiring the physical action or movement within the peace.
Vivid depiction of the environment paints a picture of the Abbey that almost leaps off the page to be recreated within the mind’s eye.
The senses are intensified by precision of details, like in the case of lucid imagery of “pastoral farms” surrounded by the field of green – it grants way to a dynamic sense of light and a type of peaceful comfort in nature.
Silence is an important aspect of the environment that Wordsworth notes within his lines. The silence manifests as absence of interaction with the environment beyond what the eye can see and what the mind can conceive.
In his return to the Abbey, Wordsworth contemplates the idea of keeping one’s attention within the present moment.
He reflects on the ability to perceive the Abbey as if he had somehow returned into the past, he realizes he should manipulate only the present perceptions of the environment and begins to brainstorm the future comforts.
“And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought, With many recognition dim and faint, And somewhat of a sad perplexity, The picture of the mind revives again: While here I stand, not only with the sense of present pleasure, but with the pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food for future years. And so I dare to hope.”
These half-quenched thoughts are the hazy memories of his past which he cannot forget and he feels sad to let them go. He moves forward suggesting that he is capable of reshaping the “pleasing thoughts” he once felt, with future hopes. This perception of present purpose gives the essential nourishment for future thriving.
The natural cosmos allows Wordsworth to absorb the nature’s beauty and its ability to impact human senses. Constitutive sense of the poem makes it powerfully iconic, a vehicle for self-understanding Wordsworth appears to find unique. Wordsworth greatly benefits from reminiscing over the abbey’s ruin.
Imagery is comprised of the tone of peaceful grandeur. It also follows Wordsworth’s subjective mind in his newfound experience he gained from revisiting the environment; through this experience, he is able to explain the power of an exact measurement of life, time.
The way Wordsworth adjusts to his own personal growth in character is seen in his ability to create an original interpretation of the setting despite its consistency in appearance.
It is essential to him to illustrate the scene so that the impact of five years past allows the reader to understand how the mind alters through time, and how perceptions change as one enters new stages of life. Time plays a vital role in realizing the ephemeral aspects of humanity.
For Wordsworth time is a necessary aspect of human existence. And as the time flows, in it – we find beauty, truth, meaning, and ultimate joy. His reliance on creativity allows him to fabricate an emotional comfort that subdues any fear or anxiety inherent in one’s life. The progression of time initiates emotions of fear or lack of control, which is apparent as people transition into different stages of life.
His description of a mind with “mansion” and “dwelling-place” for “sweet sounds and harmonies” is a romantic idea, which abstracts the renovation of a specific feeling(s) intrinsic to human nature. His focus on Tintern Abbey is undeniably created through different poetic devices of imagery, metaphor and rhythm, which truly help to evoke pleasant emotions in readers.
When Wordsworth communicates with his past experience, readers are able to comprehend an epic dimension of the poem that connects interaction through one’s imagination.
