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”: “Old Man Travelling” by William Wordsworth, a forever green English writer and poet, is a descriptive poetic piece. It was first published in 1979 in his first Volume of Lyrical Ballad. The poem unfolds the story of an old traveler who intends to get last leaves for his injured son. It also sheds light on the unbound and infinite love of parents for their children. However, the poem’s popularity lies in the fact that it deals with the phenomenon of love and care from a different angle.
- “Old Man Travelling” As a Representative of Love: The poem accounts for the struggling journey of an older man. It begins as the speaker contemplates the pinching serenity of the old man, who seems moving with composure alongside the road. 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. Astonished by the old traveler’s struggle, the speaker dares to inquire about the reason for his traveling. To console the speaker, the old man replies with significant words that he is going 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 yet inspiring poem unfolds the struggle of a weakened old father traveling on his own to take leave for his son. At a deeper level, the poem elucidates the loneliness which human beings suffer in life. The man’s worrying condition and expressions indicate that he is not moving with pain but is lost in his own thoughts. The traveler is quiet, digesting the fact that his son is counting his last moments. Through this short poem, the writer explains no matter how long we stay in this world, our inevitable fate is death. Perhaps the traveler’s understanding of the cyclical nature has made it easy for him to accept the dying condition of his son.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Old Man Travelling”
literary devices are used to bring qualify the writer’s ideas impressively and appealingly. Their appropriate usage adds a layer of meaning to the simple poetic pieces. Wordsworth has also employed some literary devices in this poem whose analysis is 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 has 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 “many miles” where the initial sound is the same that is /m/.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /e/ in “Who from a sea-fight has been brought to Falmouth” and the sound of /o/ in “The object of his journey; he replied.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /h/ in “He hath no need. He is by nature led” and the sound of /n/ 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. William Wordsworth has used imagery in this poem such as “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 has 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.”
