Lines Written in Early Spring (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
'Lines Written in Early Spring'
Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another from the anthology. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:
The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages of the poet
How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology
Below is a guide to William Wordsworth’s poem 'Lines Written in Early Spring', from the Worlds and Lives anthology. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam
Overview
In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
The poem in a nutshell
A “translation” of the poem, section by section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining William Wordsworth’s intention and message
'Lines Written in Early Spring' in a nutshell
'Lines Written in Early Spring', written by the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, explores complex emotions related to nature and humanity’s place in the world. During his close observations of his natural surroundings, he sees harmony and finds a personal connection with his environment. However, this leads him to consider whether humanity has forgotten this bond.
'Lines Written in Early Spring' breakdown
Lines 1–4
“I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.”
Translation
The poem begins by describing the speaker’s experience as he sits in a grove
Although the mood is positive and “sweet”, the speaker hears a variety of sounds
The speaker refers to pleasant thoughts that then bring sad thoughts to mind
Wordworth’s intention
Wordsworth refers to the mixed emotions his narrator feels in the pastoral setting
The speaker suggests they are overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings
The “blended sounds” refer to the contrasting emotions experienced:
Positive thoughts about nature can also create negative ones
Lines 5–8
“To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.”
Translation
The speaker considers how the beauty of nature connects the soul with the universe
However, they are saddened to reflect on what humankind has done to itself
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth introduces ideas typically found in Romantic poetry:
The poem raises ideas about human emotions and inner turmoil
Wordsworth finds that nature brings him closer to the universe and his soul
However, while finding a connection with nature, we are reminded of the impact of human beings in the world:
Wordsworth may be referring to violence between “man” and “man”, or to society’s departure from their inner worlds and connection with nature
Lines 9–12
“Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.”
Translation
The speaker describes what they see in the grove
They describe the flowers (primroses and periwinkle) and the green tree branches
The speaker believes every flower enjoys being part of nature
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth’s Romantic poem expresses the beauty of the natural world:
Wordsworth’s speaker observes how other living things feel a joyful connection with the universe, implying a sense of harmony within the natural elements
Lines 13–16
“The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.”
Translation
The speaker describes the birds as cheerful and playful
The speaker says they cannot guess the thoughts of animals, but they seem happy in simple activities
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth considers a disconnection between humans and animals as the speaker finds themself unable to communicate with them
Wordsworth’s speaker closely observes how other living things have the ability to find joy in the simplicity of life
Lines 17–20
“The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.”
Translation
The speaker observes how the buds on a tree’s branches appear to surrender themselves to the elements
The speaker believes that this action brings pleasure
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth uses natural imagery to convey Romantic ideas:
He implies there is pleasure in the natural elements
He seems to suggest a sense of harmony between all living things
Lines 21–24
“If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?”
Translation
The speaker summarises their observations with religious imagery
They wonder if God has provided this experience to make humans question their role in the universe
The speaker says this brings reason to “lament” (to complain about man’s actions)
Wordsworth’s intention
Wordsworth concludes his poem with an unanswered question
He uses two conditional statements to examine the experience:
If it is God and Nature’s plan to make him consider humanity, then he has even more reason to find a connection with the universe
The speaker asks if his reflections were created by nature or by God
Writer’s methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.
Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the sections below, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes William Wordsworth’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:
Form
Structure
Language
Form
The poem is in the form of a ballad, specifically a lyrical ballad. In this way, Wordsworth is able to create a harmonious tone to reflect the way the speaker finds sensory pleasure in their environment. The natural rhythm of speech (a typical convention of Romantic poetry) contributes to the theme of personal introspective reflection.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Belonging and connection | The poem is divided into six stanzas of quatrains:
| Wordsworth presents the harmony and pleasure of nature using a regular rhyme scheme, which contributes to the lyrical (song-like) quality of a folk ballad |
However, in the first stanza, Wordsworth uses a half-rhyme:
| Wordsworth presents some tension within his reflection on nature | |
Wordsworth uses a regular ballad form to present ideas about pleasure. However, his lyrical tone is disrupted at times as he considers the dichotomies of his experience | ||
Structure
Wordsworth’s poetry often makes use of an iambic meter in order to mirror the sound of speech. In 'Lines Written in Early Spring', Wordsworth destabilises the rhythm of speech in order to show the tensions in the speaker’s positive reflections.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Disconnected relationships | In the first, second and sixth stanzas, three lines of iambic tetrameter build up the pace:
| The change in rhythm conveys the speaker’s abrupt change of mood to signify mixed emotions |
In the third, fourth and fifth stanzas, Wordsworth uses a steadier meter:
| This balanced rhythm may reflect the joy and calm the speaker feels as they describe their delight with the natural world | |
Wordsworth uses a rhetorical questions to end the poem | The poem is left with unresolved conclusions, leaving the reader to consider the poem’s themes | |
The poem’s structure reflects the speaker’s changing thought process in order to raise questions about man’s place in the natural world | ||
Language
'Lines Written in Early Spring' is an exploration of humanity’s place in the natural world. Typical of Romantic poetry, Wordsworth describes nature positively as he examines distinctions and connections between humans and other living things.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Relationships with the world | Wordsworth uses hyperbole and sensory imagery to open the poem: “A thousand blended notes” | In this way, the speaker conveys extreme emotions, typical of Romantic poetry |
Wordsworth uses natural imagery to present his speaker’s experience as they sit in a grove and observe birds, trees and flowers | Employing alliteration to describe the “periwinkles” and “primrose tufts” contributes to the playful and sensual mood | |
Wordsworth conveys the speaker’s mixed feelings with contrasting verbs:
| The poem presents dichotomies about man’s place in the natural world:
| |
Wordsworth uses religious imagery to present connections in the universe as sacred:
| Wordsworth presents the sacred and spiritual connection he has to the natural environment:
| |
Wordsworth explores the intimacy of all living things in the natural world and connects this with religion, suggesting that a close connection with nature is sacred and brings tranquillity, an integral idea in Romantic poetry | ||
Context
Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about William Wordsworth that is unrelated to the ideas in 'Lines Written in Early Spring'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Wordsworth in the poem that relate to worlds and lives. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Wordsworth explores:
Belonging and connection
Relationships with the world
Belonging and connection
'Lines Written in Early Spring' is a poem from Lyrical Ballads, a collection of poems written with fellow Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in 1798:
The collection focuses on the experiences and complex emotions of the ordinary individual
Wordsworth employs simple language to depict this experience as everyday
This poem focuses on a speaker’s sense of disconnection as he relaxes in a grove:
Although he finds pleasure in the natural world, it reminds him of the lack of connection in the human world to which he belongs
Typical of Romantic poets, Wordsworth prioritises emotion over reason:
It can be argued that his poem reflects a response to an increasingly scientific world
His poem focuses on pleasure and joy, which can be found in simple connections and interactions with other living things
In 'Lines Written in Early Spring', the speaker conveys inner turmoil as he observes nature:
He is in a “sweet mood”, yet this brings “sad thoughts”
He hears a “thousand blended notes”, the hyperbole suggesting he is overwhelmed
The speaker considers that there is a difference between the way humans treat each other and how other living things work in harmony:
The repetition of “what man has made of man” reinforces how “much it grieved” his heart to consider the lack of harmony between humans
It is recorded that Wordsworth was horrified by the violence of the French Revolution
Romantic poets feared that rationalism could lead to a rejection of a spiritual world and, instead, a world that invalidates one’s emotions:
In 'Lines Written in Early Spring', the speaker ends the poem asking, “Have I not reason to lament/What man has made of man?”
Here, he applies logic to an argument about man’s connection with each other
Relationships with the world
Typical of Romantic poetry, 'Lines Written in Early Spring' expresses a speaker’s awe of the natural world
He believes that humans are connected spiritually with the natural world: “To her fair works did Nature link/The human soul that through me ran”
The speaker repeats how “pleasure” is gained from harmonious interaction between living things
Romantic poetry is considered to be an artistic response to the Industrial Revolution:
Industrialisation saw the destruction of rural areas in favour of factories and buildings
In this poem, Wordsworth uses a pastoral setting to contemplate man’s relationship with the natural world
The use of religious language expresses devout respect for the natural world:
The speaker considers it may be “Nature’s holy plan”, a “heaven sent” warning, to remind him of man’s relationship with the natural world
What to compare it to
The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about worlds and lives in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'Lines Written in Early Spring' explores the ideas of disconnected relationships between human beings and nature, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'In a London Drawing Room'
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'Like an Heiress'
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'With Birds You’re Never Lonely'
For each pair of poems, you will find:
The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'In a London Drawing Room'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both William Wordsworth’s 'Lines Written in Early Spring' and George Eliot’s 'In a London Drawing Room' employ speakers who explore their feelings about their place in the world, especially in relation to their environment. Both poems examine how a disconnection from nature affects individuals negatively and takes joy and harmony from their lives. However, while Wordsworth sets his poem in a pleasant pastoral setting, Eliot describes a dreary urban environment.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore disconnections between human relationships and the natural world | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'In a London Drawing Room' |
Wordsworth’s speaker reflects on the way humans treat each other:
| Eliot’s speaker notices the way the individuals on the street ignore each other:
| |
The speaker’s tone is pessimistic:
| Eliot’s speaker is similarly pessimistic:
| |
Wordsworth argues that humans have forgotten a “holy plan”, a sacred connection with the universe:
| Eliot comments on how urbanisation has disconnected humans from the universe:
| |
Both 'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'In a London Drawing Room' explore how external worlds impact human beings’ inner lives | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While Wordsworth describes the beauty of nature to convey how this can bring humanity pleasure, Eliot describes an urban setting to comment on its joylessness | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'In a London Drawing Room' |
Wordsworth’s poem describes how living things gain pleasure from harmonious relationships:
| In contrast, Eliot’s poem describes the lack of harmony on the London streets:
| |
The speaker personifies “Nature”, representing it as a force that runs through the “human soul” | Eliot comments on the way human beings outside her window seem to have lost connection with their world and each other:
| |
Wordsworth explores how living things find joy in simple everyday activities:
| In contrast, Eliot describes the lack of joy in the world she sees:
| |
While Wordsworth describes a pleasant and tranquil rural setting, Eliot describes a monotonous and darkened city street in order to raise questions about humanity’s relationship with the natural world | ||
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'Like an Heiress'
Comparison in a nutshell:
This is an effective comparative choice to explore individuals’ responses to their changing worlds. Both poets describe mixed emotions as their speakers observe their natural surroundings and reflect on humanity’s relationship with nature. However, William Wordsworth’s poem depicts an idyllic, tranquil setting, while Grace Nichols sets her poem in a chaotic scene.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore a speaker’s intense emotions as they contemplate human relationships with the natural world | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'Like an Heiress' |
While Wordsworth’s speaker is in a “sweet mood”, his “sad thoughts” interrupt his calm observations of nature:
| Nichols' speaker similarly feels mixed emotions as she watches the ocean:
| |
The speaker’s sadness at the way human beings have lost connection with each other is conveyed through emotive language:
| Similarly, Nichols’ speaker is emotionally affected by her observations:
| |
The speakers comment on changes observed in their natural surroundings, which bring unease and concern | ||
Topic sentence | Both poems comment on the natural world as valuable to human beings | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'Like an Heiress' |
Wordsworth uses natural imagery to describe a positive pastoral scene that pleases him:
| Nichols uses imagery to depict the beauty of nature and the speaker’s connection to it:
| |
Wordsworth uses religious imagery to allude to the close relationship between all living things and God:
| Nichols alludes to prosperity when she describes how humans and the natural world are connected:
| |
Both poems describe the natural world as having a positive impact on human beings | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | William Wordsworth’s 'Lines Written in Early Spring' depicts an idyllic, tranquil setting, while Grace Nichols sets her poem in a chaotic scene | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'Like an Heiress' |
Wordsworth presents Romantic ideas about nature using sensory language:
| Nichols’ speaker, however, conveys the way humans have polluted the natural world:
| |
Although the speaker expresses concern about humanity, they imply a faith in nature’s ability to restore harmony:
| Nichols’ poem, instead, describes an unsettled and ominous mood:
| |
The speaker in Wordsworth’s traditionally Romantic poem finds solace in nature, despite underlying frustration with humanity’s lack of harmony, while Nichols’ poem is a modern comment on the result of humanity’s disconnections with the natural world and each other | ||
'Lines Written in Early Spring' and 'With Birds You’re Never Lonely'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both William Wordsworth’s 'Lines Written in Early Spring' and Raymond Antrobus’ 'With Birds You're Never Lonely' explore contrasts between the natural world and the world of humans. Both poems consider the significance of connecting with nature to find peace and harmony. While Wordsworth’s Romantic poem expresses the joy and harmony found in nature, Antrobus expresses the sense of isolation individuals feel in the urban world.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems highlight dichotomies between the natural world and the world of humans | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'With Birds You’re Never Lonely' |
Wordsworth uses natural imagery to convey the natural beauty found in nature:
| Correspondingly, Antrobus uses natural imagery to describe nature as vibrant:
| |
Wordsworth’s poem hints at disconnections between the human world and the natural world:
| Antrobus’ poem, too, considers the contrasting environments of humans and nature:
| |
The speaker asks an unresolved rhetorical question, which conveys the frustration at humanity’s lack of harmony with each other
| Here, too, the speaker asks a rhetorical question:
| |
The poets both comment on differences between the natural world, which is described as tranquil and vibrant, and the human world, which is devoid of harmony | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Wordsworth’s poem is a Romantic poem which depicts the speaker’s spiritual connection with God in a pastoral setting, while Antrobus’ poem explores human connections with the natural world across two modern settings | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Lines Written in Early Spring' | 'With Birds You’re Never Lonely' |
Wordsworth’s poem depicts an individual reclining in a grove, a traditionally pastoral scene:
| Antrobus’ poem is set in urban London, opening in a noisy coffee shop:
| |
Wordsworth’s speaker suggests an underlying faith in God and the universe with religious imagery:
| Antrobus’ speaker appears to put faith in other humans in rural communities:
| |
Wordsworth’s poem focuses on the lack of harmony between humans, which can be restored with the help of God | Antrobus’ poem, however, implies that the lack of nature and life in urban settings leaves little room for spirituality:
| |
Wordsworth’s poem explores spiritual connections between nature, God and humans, while Antrobus examines connections forged by family, which can lead to a better connection with the natural world | ||
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