William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth, in his preface, defines a poet as a “man speaking to men” (210). In terms of how this definition relates to his poetry, Wordsworth tries to write about humanity and human issues using language that is readily understood. His aim is not just self-expression but ultimately communication. He is not one to become the misunderstood artist type; it really does matter to him if his readers understand what he is talking about. Above all, he emphasizes connections, whether in discussions of people or nature.

In line with his poet definition, Wordsworth tends to focus on human relationships. Simon Lee, for instance, focuses on the bonds of friendship and love. There is a friendship between the speaker and Simon Lee. The speaker is able to describe Simon Lee with a detail that hints at this event being more than just a single chance encounter between the two. Simon Lee is depicted not only with a physical description but also with a history. Wordsworth does not gloss over the fact that Simon Lee is older and that with age comes physical decay. Indeed, Simon Lee’s physical losses are described in great detail, “And he is lean and he is sick/his little body’s half awry/His ankles they are swoln and thick; /His legs are thin and dry” (lines 33-36, 198). Simon Lee is not what he once was. He is now “a little man” who “once was tall” (197). In addition to his shrinkage, Simon Lee is “bereft/of his right eye” (lines 25-26, 198). However, despite his missing eye, “his cheek is like a cherry” (line 16, 197). This description of his cheeks hints that perhaps Simon Lee’s real beauty lies not in his physical appearance but in his personality. It is Simon Lee’s ability to find joy that makes him so loveable, “And still there’s something in the world/at which his heart rejoices” (lines 45-46, 198). Really, Simon Lee is a very unique subject for a poem. He is not beautiful in the classic sense of the word. He lacks the symmetry of renowned sculptures or the glow of the idealized lover or the awe-inspiring power of nature. Perhaps this unconscious contrast with more common subjects of poetry is part of what makes Simon Lee so engaging for the reader. In any case, Simon Lee has a different worth: he cannot do much physically, but he can still enjoy human connections.

The other relationship Wordsworth highlights in Simon Lee is the union between Simon Lee and his wife Ruth. They have a beautiful, sweet relationship. They are a couple who help each other out. The speaker notes, “Old Ruth works out of doors with him/And does what Simon cannot do” (lines 49-50, 198). They are not very strong or productive due to their advanced age, but they both have a pride in at least trying to work their land. The speaker comments, “And though you with your utmost skill/from labour could not wean them” (lines 53-54, 198). They could simply give up and accept their failing health and poverty, as Simon has “few months of life left”; however, their perseverance is refreshing and inspiring (line 65, 199). The reader, at the end of the poem, feels a connection to old Simon Lee and his wife. They are very real characters, not unique in their circumstances. Simon Lee and Ruth are a couple one could run into just about anywhere. As Dr. Glance mentioned in the podcast, Wordsworth’s writing about people of Simon Lee and his wife’s class is significant. Their inclusion shows that everyone is important and interconnected; it is not just the rich that matter. It is also important that these characters have names. The naming of the characters gives the poem a much more personal feel. Simon Lee is not just some poor man that the author helped. In addition, the fact that Ruth is named speaks of the importance of women and not just women in general but poor women too.

Simon Lee’s joy at being helped with the stump is much greater than one would expect at simple relief from a chore. Simon Lee’s reaction is described, “The tears into his eyes were brought/And thanks and praises seemed to run/So fast out of his heart, I thought/They never would have done” (lines 97-100, 199). Simon Lee’s joy is that the speaker would see him in need and help him. It is the joy of human connection. It is a very strong and very real joy. The intensity of Simon Lee’s reaction is mirrored in the speaker’s reaction, his reflection, “Alas! The gratitude of men/Has oftener left me mourning” (lines 104-105, 199). As Dr. Glance noted in the podcast, the reason for the author’s feeling of sadness given Simon Lee’s joy is not explicitly given in the poem. However, I would venture that, in view of Wordsworth’s connection concentration, it is the speaker’s feeling of attachment to Lee that makes him express this view. Perhaps the speaker realizes that the fact that a simple act of kindness made such an impact on Simon Lee speaks to our innate interdependence as human beings.

As human beings, we have a need to feel wanted and needed. Social connections and intimate relationships help us fulfill that need. Yet we also have, for lack of a better term, a spiritual component. This spiritual component revels in being part of something greater than ourselves. Being out in nature is one way to keep this part of ourselves alive. Nature puts us in perspective. It tells us where we belong in the universe. Wordsworth’s view on nature, as mentioned in the podcast, is that nature is precious because it is disappearing due to industrialization. Wordsworth values both nature and human connections. His The world is too much with us demonstrates that being too busy and materialistic leads to a deprivation of feeling and an under-appreciation of nature. He writes, “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (line 2, 234) and later “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” (line 4, 234). Being too busy does not make a human being feel more fully alive, but instead leads to a void or a deadened feeling. This too worldly person seeks “glimpses that would make me less forlorn” (line 12, 234). The irony is that this person is ignoring the beauty of nature which is right in front of him. The greatness of nature does not move him anymore, “The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The Winds that will be howling at all hours/And are up-gathered like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not.” (lines 5-9, 234). This speaker, who could exemplify the Industrial society with its emphasis on progress, has lost the ability to see beauty and so feels disconnected. Indeed, this person and by extension the Industrial society seems to be becoming more and more like the machines and technologies in which they put such faith and less like human beings. He (and they) have lost a sense of the immense interconnectedness and worth of both people and nature.