B5: Wordsworth’s Representation of London in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge”
“Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” by William Wordsworth depicts a sleeping and arising London in the early morning. The narrator appears to be in awe of the city and the new nature the morning brings. It focuses on the beauty of the city, and a small second of the narrator’s life in which everything seems perfectly in place. This poem attributes value to the moments in life when everything slows down, and to the peace that comes as a result of these moments.
Based off of how glorified Wordsworth’s poem is, it is safe to conclude that he has positive relationship with London overall. The narrator in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” sounds like a traveler experiencing the scenic quality of the city for the first time or a person who being shocked back to an understanding of life just by passing over the Westminster Bridge. If Wordsworth had lived in London all his life, he most likely would have already been accustomed to the scene, and he would not have perceived this scene in the same sense. Since he is looking at the city with fresh eyes, he reproduces the city as a beautiful world. Wordsworth’s word choice reflects his impressed response. He uses words such as beautiful, majesty, and fair to describe the city, and his reaction to the scene is described as an unmatchable deep calm feeling. He goes as far to say that people who do not recognize the beauty are “dull.” Wordsworth’s awe and appreciation for London could not be any more explicitly stated.
The structure of the poem also works to emphasize the glory of London by drawing attention to the elaborate descriptions. The poem is structured as a Petrarchan sonnet, consisting of fourteen lines divided into two unequal sections. The first half of the poem, differentiates the beauty of the scene from anything else the narrator has ever experienced. It also describes the scene, and creates a foundation for the reader for the second half of the poem which looks at the effect of London on the narrator. By using this structure, Wordsworth successfully illustrates both the scene of London and the Thames from the bridge while emphasizing the unparalleled calming nature of the experience.
This poem draws out the idea of cities being just as beautiful and inspirational as rural areas and nature. The final line of the poem reflects this theme. The line, “And all that mighty heart is lying still!” is a paradox by itself. But, it connects London to existing as a metaphorical, majestic heart of the country. In the early morning, when London is still, the peace the beauty provokes is comparable to the feeling being surrounded by nature can induce. Since a lot of Wordsworth’s other works focus on nature, this comparison is justified as he speaks about London in a comparable way.
Personally, I related this poem to my own previous travels. As a visitor in any new area, I often feel similarly astonished by scenes with immense beauty. The first time I ever traveled to New York City, I can remember passing over the bridges entering the city, and being entirely in awe, especially since I was used to rural America. Yet, the people in the city, although very proud to be New Yorkers, seem to be so accustomed to life there that the wonder is gone. Wordsworth represents his relationship to the city in a manner relatable to any traveler or visitor to a new area, and his stylistic choices further emphasize the overwhelming calmness of these serene moments.
Nice reading here, Katie. Yes, Wordsworth using the sonnet form to set the scene and then turn the attention to London’s impact on him. Perhaps we’ll get to stand on Westminster bridge and see the view he saw–albeit with more buildings on the skyline…!