Personification In William Wordsworth's Composed Upon Westminster Bridge

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Horace from Lord Byron’s poem Don Juan states that it is difficult to write about issues that are common to people however, it can also refer to the difficulty of writing about objects that exist in our environment that people often overlook such as nature and buildings. Emotional problems are difficult to write about because it requires a certain amount of vulnerability and often people struggle to express them in a way that is easily understood. Common objects can also be challenging to explain because they exist around us and their existence is second nature to us. In order to see beyond the simplicity of what we believe these objects to be, a person would need to be able to change their perspective of it. In this essay I will attempt to …show more content…
“The river glideth at his own sweet will” illustrates that the river has human qualities and connects the reader to the image of the tranquil movement of the river water (Wordsworth, 2017, p.71, line 12). Davies (2009, p.60) explains Wordsworth was conflicted by London because; “its loveliness and hatefulness always fascinated him.” He was horrified by the poverty that existed here. However, he was also mesmerised by its nature’s beauty at certain times. In this poem, he is experiencing a moment of awe and this is evident in the words he uses. “Majesty” expresses royalty and superiority and words such as “beauty”, “splendour” and “mighty” indicate the city is vast and magnificent(Wordsworth, 2017, p. 71).This description of the city is usually clouded by all the pollution and it is difficult to see the awe he feels. As with other Romantic poems, the image created is an exaggerated one. “Earth has not anything to show more fair” is a hyperbole used to express his deeply profound emotions (Wordsworth, 2017, p.71, line …show more content…
Blake highlights the problems of London which appears all around. Blake (2017, line 3) says “And mark in every face I meet”. This “mark” is the effect of poverty reflecting on their face. This might be dirt on their face or a woeful expression from their hardships. He continues to list the ominous parts of the city using phrases that are semi-oxymoronic such as “blackning Church”, “youthful Harlots”, “new-born Infants tear” and “Marriage hearse” (Blake, 2017). He uses words that have a pure and almost innocent connotation and pairs them with words have a negative connotation to show how the once untainted city has been ruined. Blake is surrounded by the suffering of people so the content for his writing is not difficult to find. His repetition of the word “every” depicts that poverty surrounds him and he is cynical that this will improve. In order to write about the beauty of the city, he would have to change the way he sees it which would require great effort. It is difficult to talk about the harsh conditions that surround him because it forces him to face the difficulty of ending it and the feeling of powerlessness it creates. It is easier to pretend the problem does not exist. Blake chooses to reveal and confront these difficulties in his poem in order to evoke the emotions he feels about the

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