Wordsworth is a man that has won respect from even those that did not accept his political ideas because of the simple grandeur of his writings.
I found myself smiling as I read, "Simon Lee". This story tells about a wrinkled up, old couple and their daily struggles. William speaks plainly but yet, with surprising eloquence. This couple are happy and satisfied even in the midst of their dire life. Simon and his wife reminded me of my grandparents. My grandfather was a builder all the way up to his death at eighty-three. He might have constructed fewer homes, but he never retired. The weathering of years did not keep him from working and traveling all over the world as well. Elderly people, regardless of their occupation, have achieved the beauty of a long life. A simple life lived well is a thing of beauty.
His writings appear very natural and genuine. The carefully scripted images let the reader's imagination fill in all the blanks. I believe that his works are so widely acclaimed because of their simplicity of subject. He writes about topics that an average person has or will face, such as aging or the death of a loved one, like in We Are Seven. The footnote informed me that William lost his own mother when he was eight and that explains the empathetic way in which he wrote this story. The emotions of the little girl are so genuine that one can speculate that Wordsworth incorporated in his own emotionally straining childhood. Although two of her siblings have died, she refuses to count them absent. One could say that she is coping through denial, but I believe that she is letting the memory and spirit of her siblings live on in her. Wordsworth probably had a similar reaction to the death of his mother.
If one had to sum up Wordsworth in one word: Natural. His style was simple and unforced. The theme of most of his work is being enraptured in nature's glories. I must confess that poetry is not my cup of tea, but I found him enjoyable. It is no wonder that everyone seemed to like him in his day.
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I loved Wordsworth's poem "We are Seven" for some reason this is one of those poems that really has stayed with me. I believe it is the way he described the little girl and her feelings. I do not remember reading the footnote that his mother died at age 8, however after you pointed this out it makes more sense to me now. As I have said with many of the authors when they have similar experiences in their life to what they are writing about the works to me seem ten times stronger. Good post!!
"We are Seven" was one of my favorite poems by Wordsworth. It seemed to me as well that the death of his mother influenced the writing of this poem through his own experience. He understood what it was like to be young and to have lost close ones to him. You did well in discussing this. I enjoyed your post!
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