Nature in Romantic Poetry: “Tintern Abbey” by Wordsworth

Abstract

The poetry of the English Romantic period contains many descriptions and ideas of nature”. (Sofi 81) but before discussing the notion of nature in Romantic poetry, it is a good idea to take a look at poetry in previous ages such as New Classicism. Poetry in New Classicism was looked as a mirror. This heritage came to them from Plato. Plato believed that art is like mirror. He said Art is lie and deception. After him Aristotle, his student, said Art is not lie and deception. Both of them emphasized on that art is a mirror which reflects the nature. Nature from a new classical point of view nature is mechanic. Like a watch set by god. Some people believed that God had deserted the world, he set it to work and now we are not sure where he is and what he is doing. But when Romantic Poets nature was considered as a living entity, particularly in poet’s feelings. “Perhaps no poet and no poem epitomize Romanticism’s mystical view of nature more than William Wordsworth and his poem ‘Tintern Abbey’,” (Saylor) There is a mutual relationship between poet’s mind and the nature the result of which is art. Generally one of the wishes of poets during the era after New Classicism, Romanticism, is to use art in order to dominate nature and it was one of the wishes of poets such as Francis Bacon.