Lines Written in Early Spring Analysis

• The Title 'Lines Written in Early Spring'


  1. The noun 'Lines' suggests it is a common occurrence.
  2. The adjective 'Early' is a not to the early effects of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century.
  3. The noun 'Spring' can be a clear indicator of the theme of Nature, a reference to a mechanical spring, or an indication of his mental state- as flowers begin to bloom, revelations start to form.
• 'I heard a thousand blended notes.'

  1. Personal pronoun suggests he is in isolation, and to him, this is bliss. It also sets the tone for an anecdotal style throughout the poem.
  2. 'blended notes' creates imagery of cohesive harmony, and abundant orchestra.
• 'While in a grove I sate reclined,'


  1. Noun 'grove' suggests he has freedom to think and reflect. He is in his personal and therapeutic past-time.
  2. Adjective 'reclined' shows readers he is in relaxation, and most likely, decompressing from the labours of the Industrial Revolution.
  3. The use of caesura teaches us to pause in the delight. He is not rushing to go anywhere.
• 'In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts'

  1. Enjambment shows his transient thoughts are all connected, and the impact on nature causes an equal impact on his thoughts and stream of consciousness.
• 'Bring sad thoughts to the mind.'

  1. A contrast is created between the sweet and bitter thoughts, suggesting his mind and well-being fall victims to the downfall of humanity he is witnessing first-hand. Such a negative outlook could have been influenced by his time living in France amidst economic hardship and social inequality-The French Revolution.
  2. Full stop at the end of this quatrain emphasises the settling of this sublime disappointment.
• ''To her fair works did Nature link''


  1. Personification in 'her' introduces nature as a being, instilling the comforting thought of Mother Nature in readers' minds.
  2. Adjective 'fair' emphasies the contrast between the equality within Nature and the inequality within mankind. This would have heavily impacted Wordsworth's view on the Human Condition as he offers himself the opportunity to analyse our tendencies to establish corrupt, sociatal rules.
  3. The capitalisation of 'Nature' conveys his admiration for who this being is.
• ''The human soul that through me ran;''

  1. Use of the verb 'link', although holds connotations of unbreakable chains and heavy metals, the interpretation that some readers would much rather prefer is how Wordsworth continuously celebrates Nature as a divine power, whom he wholeheartedly believes was the creator of himself. These are the pantheistic elements that appear in many of his poems.
• ''And much it grieved my heart to think''


  1. Choice of diction with the verb 'grieved' introduces his innermost, darkest thoughts, and the semantic field of death/grief.
• ''What man has made of man.''


  1. Repetition within the quote introduces his beliefs about our morality.
  2. Poem has taken a dark turn as the use of a period sets a tone marked by an undeniable finality. This upsets readers as there is a lack of a questioning tone, which can suggest hope and will later lift our spirits the repetition of the final line.
• ''Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,''


  1. This line emphasises the secluded pocket of freedom he is disconnected from.
• ''The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;''


  1. The use of the noun 'wreaths' again references the flowers often used at funerals, a witty way of passively mentioning his undeniable worries he is too afraid to admit.
  2. Overall, this stanza uses a variety of colourful and vibrant imagery through emotive language to highlight the richness of nature, but it is heavily tainted by the connotations of death.
• ''And 'tis my faith that every flower''


  1. Mentioning his faith forces us to understand that this matter is truly and deeply close to his heart.
• ''Enjoys the air it breathes.''

  1. Use of personification suggests he is living vicariously through the flowers, alluding to the pollution the flowers will soon have to suffer the effects of.
• ''The birds around me hopped and played,''

  1. Birds are a recurring symbol of freedom in poems such as 'In A London Drawingroom'. Readers may get a hint of jealousy as birds are fulfilling their sole purpose, while he is pushed to fit into man-made mould.
  2. Use of anthropomorphism depicts the birds and flowers as little children in need of his protection and nurture. He wishes to do so.
• ''Their thoughts I cannot measure:-''


  1. He disassembles his understanding of why men choose to control and measure everything. Their need and thirst for power and knowledge.
• ''But the least motion which they made''


  1. It is effortless without social restriction.
• ''And I must think, do all I can,''

  1. He bares a disappointment in the impending doom and lack of control upon this preordained crisis.
  2. The use of the imperative verb 'must'.
  3. The use of caesura stresses his intent.
• ''That there was pleasure there.''


  1. Now the second stanza that ends with the word pleasure in the last line. This repetition highlights he is committed to fooling himself to believe nature will survive or is surviving. He is witnessing nature in what he believes to be its last thriving moments, and this poem acts as a bid farewell.
  2. This links to the title, which suggests that he has not written for a while.
• ''If this belief from heaven be sent,''

  1. Anaphora commencing almost sounds like a prayer. This happening is the product of a divine power.
• ''If such be Nature's holy plan,''

  1. Caesure stresses his discontent and inner religious conflict. Why has Nature contradicted itself? This links to the ongoing discussion as to why God allows evil.
• ''Have I not reason to lament''

  1. Enjambment stresses his ongoing inner turmoil and his identity as a Romantic, should he be one?
• ''What man has made of man?''


  1. Rhetorical question shows he is isolated in his beliefs.
• Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, often discussed their shared love for nature.
• Wordsworth was religious, a Christian.
• Wordsworth wrote poems during nature walks so this is a record of his personal mediations.
• Due to the French Revolution, he was inspired by ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity.
• Romanticism is about disassociating from the norms of masculinity and emphasising intense emotion.
• Awe and wonder.
• This poem is riddled with nostalgia.
• This poem follows the convention of Romanticism as it is a melange of the sublime, nature, human emotion and stream of consiousness. Out of the whole anthology, it is the most representative as it is written by one of the creators of the Romantic movement.
• French Revolution was in the late 1780s.
• During the French Revolution, there was economic hardship and social inequality. The bourgeosie demanded political representation, and we witnessed the fall of the French monarchy.
• The poem was written in 1798.
• Wordsworth lived in France during the time of the revolution.
• Wordsworth aspires to make it clear he is the speaker of the poem.
• The poem consists of quatrains which emphasises his admiration and likeness of the simple, pastoral life. On the other hand, the ABAB rhyme scheme can emphasise the complexity of his dualling thoughts. The going back and forth.