Splendour in the Grass
by William Wordsworth
What though the radiance
which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
Meanings of Splendour in the Grass
The poem “Splendour in the Grass” by William Wordsworth presents the main idea of the loss of youth and vigor, and recollection of the past to compare with the past. The poet ruminates over his youth and its transitory nature that has brought him out of suffering and blessed him with a philosophic mind.
Meanings of Lines 1-6
What though the radiance
which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
The poet laments the loss of the radiance in the very first line saying that although once it was quite bright in his eyes but now it is lost. However, the splendor in the grass that he used to see with his eyesight could not be brought back nor could anything bring back the glory of the flower. The feelings of lamentations are quite clear that the poet is feeling sorrowful over the loss of his youth and the beauty that he used to see in nature through his eyesight. These verses contribute to the main idea by presenting the feeling of loss of the youthful period and the resultant beauty in everything the speaker used to appreciate.
Meanings of Lines 7-14
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
Using first person plural, the poet states that they would not feel sorry at this loss of vigor and youthful period but rather find strength and solace in what is left. He thinks that human beings when lose strength and vigor must get the “primal sympathy” that they draw out of the “human sufferings.” This feeling of sympathy for human beings is the work of the philosophic mind that old age brings with it. This is a faith that is reassuring despite the presence of death and comes with old age. This stanza presents the main idea that the transitoriness of beauty and youth brings old age that arouses the feeling of sympathy for human suffering through the philosophical mind.
Summary of Splendour in the Grass
- Popularity of “Splendour in the Grass”: Written by William Wordsworth, a renowned English poet, “Splendour in the Grass” is a thought-provoking poem. Composed in 1804, the poem reflects on aging, youth and loss of innocence. The speaker explains how life passes, fading yesterday’s splendor. The poem has become popular due to its feature of dealing with the emotions of a nostalgic person who recollects sweet memories from his past.
- “Splendour in the Grass” As a Representative of Reality: This poem is a reflection of the past when the speaker was young and had the courage and resolution to bring transformation to the world. He compares his past days with the radiance of the rising sun, which used to be bright at that time. However, as the sun sets, the brightness fades into the horizon. Also, he compares his glorious past to the splendor in the grass tips and the glory of the flower petals. Being a closer observer, he digs out similarities between humans and grass to show that their splendour exists for a short time. It cannot last forever. As soon as he realizes that humans cannot interfere with nature’s order, he tries to incite positive energy into his nostalgic thoughts. He urges his readers not to be sad over something they cannot control. He ends this poem with a powerful statement that his splendid past has helped him acquire a philosophical mind so that he could counter his discouraging thoughts.
- Major Themes in “Splendour in the Grass”: Nostalgia, wisdom, and acceptance are the major themes of the poem. The writer has beautifully divided this poem into two parts. In the first part, he compares his childhood with beautiful natural objects that attract the human eye. However, later, he emerges as a wise person who readily accepts reality. He knows that glory and charm are short-lived. No matter how strongly we urge to hold time, we cannot. Therefore, to enjoy life to the fullest, we should accept the bitter reality that time can never be reversed.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Splendour in the Grass
literary devices are modes that represent the writer’s ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is through these devices the writers make their few words appealing to the readers. Wordsworth, too, has added some literary devices in the poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /o/ in “Be now for ever taken from my sight” and again the sound of /o/ in “of glory in the flower.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /b/ in “can bring back the hour.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Wordsworth repeated the word “in” in the first stanza of the poem to emphasize the point such as;
“In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /n/ in “In the soothing thoughts that spring” and the sound of /t/ in “In the faith that looks through death.”
- 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,
“What though the radiance
which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,”
- 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. The writer has used this device in the lines where he talks about how “soothing thoughts” originate from heart-wrenching afflictions.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Wordsworth has used imagery in this poem such as; “In the soothing thoughts that spring”, “In years that bring the philosophic mind” and “In the faith that looks through death.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet has used metaphors of grass’ “splendour” and flower’s “glory”. He used this device to unfold his idea of how fast the ability to see beyond the veil fades with age.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. The poem uses symbols like happiness, sorrow, experience and aging.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Splendour in the Grass
Poetic devices such as rhyme scheme, meter, and stanza types are used to mold simple texts into better structures. Wordsworth also used some poetic devices in the poem, whose analysis is as follows.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. William Blake has used end rhyme in this poem such as; “bright/sight”, “find/behind” and “hour/flower.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs in it. The poem follows iambic pentameter for example, “What though the radiance which was once so bright”.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an AABB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are fourteen lines in the poem with no stanza break.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful when talking about the lessons people learn from life. These lines best explain the transformational stage of humankind.
“In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.”