Romantic Characteristics of Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Essay Sample

Complete Name of Professor

Romantic Characteristics of Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
A bit different from most romantic poems, Composed upon the Westminster Bridge suggests that just like nature, human civilization and its creation do have something aesthetically pleasing to offer. Although, the author is trying to imply that it may take special circumstances for humans to fully appreciate that people and its creations are just as beautiful as the flowers of the fields or the mountains or the rivers that curve by the edges of the cliffs.
The opening line of the poem, “Earth has nothing to show more fair” establishes the beauty of the scene that is to be explored in the entirety of the piece. It is a hyperbolical statement that amplifies the beauty of what is about to be portrayed by saying that there is possibly nothing more beautiful that can be found on Earth. The second line supports the hyperbole in the first line “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by”. It calls on the reader’s imagination to appreciate the beauty of what Wordsworth is about to describe. It seems like the speaker is telling the reader that life will be worthless if one’s existence is dreary enough to simply walk by without looking at the beautiful scene around him. Now, this does not imply a scene found in nature like the flowers in the garden or the birds on the field but it refers to the amalgamation of human civilization and nature and the marvel that this combination creates.
The third line states “A sight so touching in its majesty” prepares the thought of the reader to imagine about sovereignty or royalty. It is an appeal to the mind that encourages readers to think about things that are extravagant and of the highest order. However, the theme of greatness in royalty is combined with the theme of emotional touch: it is a scene that touches the emotional and hedonic aspect of a person. The combination of royalty and majesty can be related to the themes of patriotism. The sovereign heads represent the country and the emotional element in the line refers to pride and honour for the country.
The next two lines read: “This City now doth, like a garment, wear the beauty of the morning; silent, bare”, the city is compared to a piece of garment so that the reader might understand that there is no constant thing in this world; that everything will fade and will succumb to death such that while the city may be physically pleasing today, it may no longer be pleasing days from now. Therefore, the beauty, silence and bareness are not infinite and will have their end eventually.
But the last four lines seem to speak more about the gist of this poem: “Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!”. The author tells the readers that even in a city so crowded, there is a place of quite rest: “river glideth at his own sweet will” means that despite the bustling streets and busy footsteps, the river maintains its natural ways, not affected by the movements of the people. But then again, “all that mighty heart is lying still!” implies that people still tend to ignore that beauty can be found in every place as long as you stop a little bit and appreciate the good things that are available around us.