Old Man Travelling
By William Wordsworth
He little hedge-row birds,
That peck along the road, regard him not.
He travels on, and in his face, his step,
His gait, is one expression; every limb,
His look and bending figure, all bespeak
A man who does not move with pain, but moves
With thought—He is insensibly subdued
To settled quiet: he is one by whom
All effort seems forgotten, one to whom
Long patience has such mild composure given,
That patience now doth seem a thing, of which
He hath no need. He is by nature led
To peace so perfect, that the young behold
With envy, what the old man hardly feels.
—I asked him whither he was bound, and what
The object of his journey; he replied
“Sir! I am going many miles to take
A last leave of my son, a mariner,
Who from a sea-fight has been brought to Falmouth,
And there is dying in a hospital.”
Summary of Old Man Travelling
- Popularity of “Old Man Travelling”: The heart-touching poem, ‘Old Man Travelling’ was written by William Wordsworth, a forever green English writer and poet. This descriptive poem was first published in 1979 in his first Volume of Lyrical Ballad. The poem tells the tale of a weathered traveler who embarks on a quest to procure the final remnants of foliage for his wounded child. It also sheds light on the unbound and infinite love of parents for their children. However, what makes the poem truly popular is its unique perspective on the subject of love and care.
- “Old Man Travelling” As a Representative of Love: The poem accounts for the struggling journey of an older man. As the speaker observes the old man, who gives off a calm demeanor as he walks alongside the road, the story unfolds. His bending figure hints at the pain he is enduring while undertaking this thoughtful journey. The speaker wonders why the old man is taking pains of this challenging journey. The speaker, filled with astonishment, gathers up the courage to ask the old traveler about the purpose of his journey. To console the speaker, the old man replies with significant words that he is going to take the last leave of his injured son. His son has returned severely injured from a sea-fight and dying in the hospital. Therefore, following the protocol of the navy, the father is heading to ask for his son’s leave.
- Major Themes in “Old Man Travelling”: The bitter realities of life, parent’s love, and death are the major themes of the poem. This short, inspiring poem depicts an elderly father’s journey to bid farewell to his son. At a deeper level, the poem explains the loneliness which human beings suffer in life. The man’s condition and expressions suggest he is lost in thought, not in pain. The traveler is quiet, digesting the fact that his son is counting his last moments. In the poem, the writer emphasizes the certainty of death. The traveler’s acceptance of his son’s dying condition is aided by his understanding of cyclical nature.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Old Man Travelling”
literary devices are used to bring quality to the writer’s ideas impressively and appealingly. Their appropriate usage adds a layer of meaning to the simple poetic pieces. A few literary devices in this poem is analyzed as follows.
- Allusion: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference of a person, place, thing, or idea of a historical, cultural, political, or literary significance. Wordsworth alluded to a city such as,
“Who from a sea-fight has been brought to Falmouth,
And there is dying in a hospital.”
- Alliteration: The poem shows the use of alliteration, a technique in which initial sounds of neighboring words are consonants, such as the sound of /m/ in “many miles” where the initial sound is the same and the sound of /h/ in “He hath no need. He is by nature led”.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /ee/ in “Who from a sea-fight has been brought to Falmouth”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /n/ and the sound of /d/ in “And there is dying in a hospital”.
- Dialogue: The poem shows the use of dialogue such as “Sir! I am going many miles to take / A last leave of my son, a mariner” shows the reply of the old man.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“He hath no need. He is by nature led
To peace so perfect, that the young behold
With envy, what the old man hardly feels.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “His look and bending figure, all bespeak”, “With envy, what the old man hardly feels” and “Sir! I am going many miles to take”.
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The writer has used situational irony throughout the poem to show the positive attitude of the old traveler. Despite knowing the critical situation of his son, he seems calm and content.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poet used an extended metaphor of death to show every living being is destined to taste death.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “Bending figure” symbolize the age of the old traveler.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Old Man Travelling
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The poem contains twenty lines with no stanza break in it.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Old Man Travelling” are suitable to quote while talking about the aging phenomenon.
“He travels on, and in his face, his step,
His gait, is one expression; every limb,
His look and bending figure, all bespeak
A man who does not move with pain, but moves
With thought.”