*Note before reading: from this view, Wordsworth would not have been looking at Big Ben because it would not have been built for another 32 years*

Upon first reading William Wordsworth’s poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” you get an immediate idea of his love for the city of London. What caught my attention was the intriguing juxtaposition of both vague and specific perspectives that he includes in his writing. The first line of the poem references Earth as a whole, so that creates a wide spectrum of discussion. Then, as he goes on he mentions “This City,” meaning London, so that starts to narrow down the lens of his influence (Line 4). Nonetheless, the city is still very large, so it is hard to tell what he could be reveling in so deeply. He continues to write more about the city’s beauty in lines 6 and 7, Wordsworth writes: “Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie open unto the fields, and to the sky.” These two lines are especially relevant to the juxtaposition, because while he does name particular places and things that are catching his eye, he names so many that it essentially becomes vague again.

I believe that this mindfulness of perspective is significant not just to Wordsworth, but also to the reader. This sense of perspective being so unclear allows the reader to wonder what Wordsworth is putting his focus of affection on, other than the city of London as a whole. While thinking on this concept, readers would then be prompted to wonder what their own personal focus would be of the beauty of London. Through this process, Wordsworth is causing his readers to view the city just the way he would, with love and admiration.

Even without the experience of the same view that Wordsworth would have been overlooking, readers get a unique angle into his relationship to the city and its characteristics. It also becomes a view that readers then yearn to experience after reading the poem, so it prompts them to visit London in person. Then they can truly decide for themselves what their favorite aspect of the city would be.

https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/big-ben

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45514/composed-upon-westminster-bridge-september-3-1802

Having read and discussed Wordsworth’s optimism in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” in a previous blog post, I was intrigued to find a much more realistic view in “The Prelude.” His tone is much more critical of London, and I think that stems from the extended time he had spent there by this point. He was no longer subject to the starry-eyed vision that comes with a traveler’s first visit, but he had been exposed to the reality of London and the secrets that it held.

One thing that was of particular note to me is the way Wordsworth describes London as a sort of paradox in saying that the city is so busy and full of life, yet full of secrets. He does so in lines 115-118, saying, “Above all, one thought Baffled my understanding: how men lived Even next-door neighbours, as we say, yet still Strangers, not knowing each the other’s name.” Wordsworth appears to take stock in the fact that Londoners do not seem as concerned with acquainting themselves with others, but rather they are more focused on their own lives. The paradox of London becomes even more clear when he takes note of just how busy the city is in line 151, saying, “Thou endless stream of men and moving things!” It’s almost as if everything around him is moving, yet he is unable to make any sense of it. He notes the diversity of the city by pointing out how many people are there from varying countries, and he goes on to discuss London’s history and what he expects (and what others expect) the city should be. It seems to me, however, that he is having a difficult time arriving at a conclusive and cohesive view of the city. The poem itself is muddling through a lot of chaos; he uses words like “roar” and “monstrous” to describe the city and the people in it. London, then, appears to be a sort of beast which cannot be tamed. More than that, the city may not be able to be defined. Wordsworth, however, does not take on a pessimistic tone, rather I think he’s simply trying to make sense of it all and where he fits in in the chaos. Where Wordsworth seemed like a third party observer in “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge,” in “The Prelude” he is very much in the scene. There’s a stark difference that comes about as a result of Wordsworth’s participation in the scene. Any city is going to become idealized when looked upon with fresh, eager eyes. When Wordsworth begins living in London long term, however, and becomes more exposed to the realities and the secrets of the city, I think he begins to question his role as a member of the society and how he fits in. His active participation no longer lets him sit in the blissful ignorance of visitation, but rather he is forced to confront the realities of his decision to become a citizen.