Saturday, January 25, 2020
The Suppression of the Other and Self-Enlightenment in William Wordsworths Resolution and Independence :: essays research papers
My response to William Wordsworthââ¬â¢s Resolution and Independence focuses upon the precept that Wordsworthââ¬â¢s narrator uses the tale of the Leech Gatherer as a means to achieve ââ¬Ëresolutionââ¬â¢ to his own internal crisis. This is highlighted by, in my opinion, the narrator not so much paying attention to the Leech Gathererââ¬â¢s tale, yet instead his pre-occupation with what he wants to interpret from the tale in order to satisfy his needs. I further argue that in doing so Wordsworthââ¬â¢s poem constructs the Leech Gatherer as the ââ¬Ëotherââ¬â¢, and that his ââ¬Ëothernessââ¬â¢ is suppressed by converting him into a mere instrument by which the narrator attains enlightenment. Although my reading of the poem is heavily focused on the encounter between the narrator and the Leech Gatherer, this doesnââ¬â¢t occur until the eighth stanza. The poem starts with the narrator out for a stroll, feeling ââ¬Å"as happy as a boyâ⬠marveling at the offerings of nature in the sunshine following a ââ¬Å"roaring in the wind all night.â⬠What struck me from these opening stanzas was the rhyming pattern used throughout the poem. Set in ââ¬Ërhyme royalââ¬â¢ I found the meter both inviting and accessible, which made for an entertaining read from the outset. However from this pleasant beginning, quite suddenly and apparently inexplicably during the fourth stanza, the narrator undergoes a violent mood swing: ââ¬ËAs high as we have mounted in delight/In our dejection do we sink so low;/ To me that morning did it happen so.ââ¬â¢ This sudden change left me quite disorientated and perplexed as to cause of his depression. After re-reading the passage and considering it in the context of the entire poem I felt that this mood swing was the readerââ¬â¢s first indication of the narratorââ¬â¢s status as a poet. This notion of a poetââ¬â¢s perspective remained at the foreground of my reading and I felt constantly reminded that the narratorââ¬â¢s subsequent quest for resolution and enlightenment came from the perspective of a poet, not merely an individual. My view of the narrator within this context was not an entirely positive one, as in addition to seeming over-analytical and emotionally fragile ââ¬â ââ¬ËPerplexed and long ing to be comfortedââ¬â¢ - I felt he came across as condescending toward the Leach-Gatherer; as if he came from a position of higher moral ground by virtue of his occupation as a poet. Within this context, an observation I found significant was
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.