Through her illness, Dorothy Wordsworth persists on dwelling in the good and not the bad situation that she is in. In her pieces titled, “Thoughts on My Sick-bed” and “When Shall I Tread Your Garden Path,” Wordsworth makes an attempt to pursue the beautiful aspects of her life regardless of her being bed-ridden. There are instances in “Thoughts on my Sick-bed” that parallel toward her husband’s work and further indicate her observation of beauty:
“The violet betrayed by its noiseless breath, /the daffodil dancing in the breeze, /the caroling thrush, on his naked perch, /Towering above the budding trees… Yet never in those careless days /when spring-time in rock, field, or bower/was but a fountain of earthly hope/a promise of fruits & the splendid flower…When loving Friends an offering brought/the first flowers of the year/ culled from the precincts of our home/from nooks to Memory dear.” (293)
Dorothy considerably found her optimism from poetry that had been written by her love, William. She sought out the brighter side of her illness and it was her husband’s work. Through this poem I recognized the concept of soul-mate because in Dorothy’s work there is no direct reference to William but through her poetic gestures you notice that there was true love involved.
With her work, “When Shall I Tread Your Garden Path,” I notice that there is a longing to be well and be with nature. Dorothy seems to strive to be outdoors because she has been cooped up in the house for a long time. She states, “When shall I wander, free as air…A prisoner on my pillowed couch/Five years in feebleness I’ve lain, /Oh! Shall I e’er with vigorous step/ Travel the hills again?”(294) Such passion to get out of the state of being feeble, brought out her determination as a poet and woman.
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Bianca,
ReplyDeleteGood idea to focus on these two poems, because they are related by her recollections of nature from her confinement in illness. I also like the way you quote extensive passages to discuss; unfortunately, however, you do not discuss the passages in any sufficient depth.
An important error you make here is referring to William Wordsworth as Dorothy's husband. Actually, he was her brother--she never married.
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ReplyDeleteI apologize for re-posting but this is what I meant:
ReplyDeleteWith knowing that William and Dorothy weren't married at all, does that fact change your interpretation of her readings and their paralleled work? They weren't just a random male and female, they shared parents and were entitled to having the least bit of similar thinking when it came to their works. What do you think?