The Power of Nature

The Wye Valley (Country Life)

150     "If I should be where I no more can hear

151     Thy voice, nor catch from thy wild eyes these gleams

152     Of past existence-wilt thou then forget

153     That on the banks of this delightful stream

154     We stood together; and that I, so long 

155     A worshiper of Nature, hither came

156     Unwearied in that service: rather say

157     With warmer love-oh! with far deeper zeal

158     Of holier love. Nor wilt thou then forget,

159     That after many wanderings, many years

 160     Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs,

161     And this green pastoral landscape, were to me

162     More dear, both for themselves and thy sake!"

 (Wordsworth lines 150-162)

    This excerpt from the poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798" was written by William Wordsworth upon returning to the Wye valley five years after his initial visit. In these lines, he is speaking to his sister, who accompanies him on this visit. 

    This passage shows how immensely Wordsworth loved and treasured nature. Perhaps the most obvious indicator is when he calls himself a worshiper of it. Worship is not just praise or value, nor is it a simple act. Worship is a lifestyle. To use such a powerful word here indicates a life lived in honor and dedication to nature. We see this illustrated in lines 159-161, in which it is made clear to readers that this not an isolated instance, but spending time in nature is something he does frequently. Additionally, he shows his care for nature by capitalizing the word when it is used. This indicated that he believes nature not to be a concept, but a name. The name of something that can be equated to a person. Perhaps the most profound example of his love for nature, though, is the fact that it is how he wants to be remembered. Wordsworth was a very successful writer, but he values nature over his works. Instead of asking his sister if she will remember him for his accomplishments, he asks her if she will remember this special moment of them in nature. Wordsworth also states in lines 161 and 162 that his beautiful surroundings "...were to me / More dear, both themselves and thy sake!", further emphasizing this point.

   From this, there are still questions that arise: Why was Wordsworth pondering death in this moment? How highly should we value nature? What caused him to view nature so highly? I will leave these answers up to you.