Essay on Divinity in It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free

Divinity in It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free During the late 17th and early 18th centuries the style of poetry changed drastically. Poets shifted their focus away from the audience and concentrated on the internal self. This created the expressive, lyric poetry we now recognize as typical of Romanticism. William Wordsworth is one of the most famous of the Romantics, as well as author of It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free. Written in 1807 after a trip to France to visit his daughter, It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free focuses on Wordsworths view of nature and childhood as essentially divine. Written as a Petrarchan sonnet, It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free can be divided into two parts, an octet†¦show more content†¦Further along in the poem, the Being makes a sound like thunder (8), another symbol of strength and power. One of the most important features of a divine being is eternal existence. Wordsworth describes nature as being in eternal motion (7); it is constantly changing and evolving. A third quality essential to divinity is absolute perfection. One scene in the poem depicts the sun sinking from the heavens down into the sea. Wordsworth creates an image of such harmony and perfection; it is hard to question the divine essence of nature. In the sestet, Wordsworth switches the focus from the divinity of nature to the divinity of childhood. Although Wordsworth is addressing his daughter specifically, his view of her as divine can be applied to all children. While childhood is regarded as a time of ignorance, where serious thoughts are seldom entertained, the Romantics also view childhood as a time of innocence. Wordsworth addresses both these views in It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free. By declaring that, eventhough his daughter is untouched by solemn thought, [she] is not therefore less divine(10-11), Wordsworth is saying that a childs ignorance is his or her innocence. As the poem continues, the child is portrayed as [lying] in Abrahams bosom all the year (12), suggesting that her soul is blessed by God. Wordsworths use of the image of the Temples inner shrine is perfect inShow MoreRelatedFar On The Sands : A Shakespearean Sonnets1536 Words   |  7 Pagesand poets focused on nature and its influence. T wo of those poets, Charlotte Smith and William Wordsworth, wrote many pieces on the beauty of nature and their personal experiences with the beaches of England. In â€Å"Far on the sands† and â€Å"It is a beauteous evening,† Smith and Wordsworth describe their respective experiences on the shore at sunset. Both authors use structure, theme, allusions, and imagery to effectively convey their perceptions of nature. While the sonnets share a setting and the topicsRead MoreWilliam Wordsworth and Matthew Arnold1759 Words   |  8 PagesRomantic writing in his poem, It is a beauteous evening, calm and free, a poem written for his daughter with whom he had recently been reunited (Wordsworth Complete Poetical Works). Unlike his ode, this poem is shorter and is a sonnet. Nonetheless, Wordsworth references the beauty of nature in the broad sun/Tis sinking down in its tranquility, again referencing his favorite item in nature, the sun. In this poem, Wordsworth expresses his belief in divinity and religion. When writing, thou liestRead MoreWilliam Wordsworth And Matthew Arnold Essay1795 Words   |  8 PagesRomantic writing in his poem, It is a beauteous evening, calm and free, a poem written for his daughter with whom he had recently been reunited (Wordsworth Complete Poetical Works). Unlike his ode, this poem is shorter and is a sonnet. Nonetheless, Wordsworth references the beauty of nature in the broad sun/Tis sinking down in its tranquility, again referencing his favorite item in nature, the sun. In this poem, Wordsworth expresses his belief in divinity and religion. When writing, thou liestRead MoreWilliam Wordsworth: A study of his poetry and its reflection of Romanticism Who is William Wordsworth? Why is he called a Romantic poet? How does his poetry reflect Romanticism?5604 Words   |  23 PagesWordsworths poetic life began in earnest. He revisited France where he came into brief contact with a Frenchwoman, Annette Vallon, by whom he had a child. His reunion with his daughter is beautifully depicted in his sonnet, It is a beauteous evening, calm and free.On this visit to France, Wordsworth became engrossed in the literary work and philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Because of this influence, he developed strong republican sympathies and became absorbed in the revolution out of genuine