How was the importance of nature represented within writing from the Romantic Era and writing from Canada? Consider how the writers used language and structure within their work, and if there are any similarities or differences.
The Romantic Movement was an era during the early 1800s in which individuals began to reject the previous Enlightenment Era of scientific thinking and explore their own artistic beliefs: appreciation for the natural world, emphasis on freedom, and the importance of journeying into new opportunities and lands. The Romantic Movement was marked by the explication of emotions and feelings that were brought forth through art in the form of poetry and music that captured the beauty of natural landscapes, while conveying the message that nature in life is precious and is a tool in learning, self development, and survival. These art forms elicited a sublime state in their audience. Furthermore, the Romantics believed in being true to one’s values and ideals; rejecting rules and rational science was stressed. Communication and openly revealing inner feelings were encouraged. Not surprisingly, this theme has continued in First Nations poetry as it is well known that First Nations hold passionate spiritual connections to the land and nature of their home, Canada. Throughout history, Indigenous people have not only survived on the land, its plants and animal inhabitants for food, shelter, clothing and medicine, but also showed great respect and gratitude for all the land has provided. “All First Nations believed that their values and traditions were gifts from the Creator. One of the most important and most common teachings was that people should live in harmony with the natural world and all it contained.” (Government of Canada, 17). However, as French and British explorers arrived in Canada, their greed for wealth received from the fur trade precipitated further need to own and control more and more land. As a result, they instituted unjust treaties in their favour to dictate power over land and First Nations; they stole the land and the rights of First Nations. It is noteworthy that William Wordsworth, a famous poet of the Romantic Movement, and one of the current Canadian First Nations poets, Joanne Arnott, both have written deeply passionate poems appreciating the land and natural world through words, and used it as symbolism to express their fundamental thoughts. Although The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth and World Shapers by Joanne Arnott were written in different time periods - released in the year 1798 versus 2010 - both poems have interesting symbolic commonalities and contrasting qualities in both their structural elements and language devices that showcase how poems presented in any era display the expression of thought and appreciation for nature first portrayed in the Romantic Movement. To fully compare the two poems, an analysis of each poem is presented followed by an evaluation of their similarities and differences.
The poem entitled The Tables Turned written by William Wordsworth is one of the first poems fully enveloped in the Romantic Movement relating to one’s intense appreciation for nature. In The Tables Turned, Wordsworth employed several language features to visually highlight the denouncement of methodical learning and scientific thinking, acknowledging the realization that beauty of the environment is superior for mental and intellectual growth. Wordsworth’s goal of the poem was to target individuals with inner turmoil searching for a remedy to heal their troubles. This is clear as the alliteration and rhetorical question in the line “Why all this toil and trouble?” (Wordsworth) adds emphasis and allows the reader to relate to the writing, while forcing them to recognize that nature can heal their internal issues. The repetition of “Up! Up!” (Wordsworth) is also important as it adds a sense of urgency to Wordsworth’s point of leaving behind traditional studying to learn and appreciate what nature has to offer. Moreover, this poem uses the structural element consonance - the repetition of consonants in any position within a group of words. For example, it is seen in the first stanza: “Or surely you'll grow double:” (Wordsworth). The consonance in this line is with the letter “L”. This is one of the many examples of consonance in the poem which appeals to readers making the poem sound satisfying and interesting. The consonance also adds to the theme of music in the poem. Wordsworth referencing music - “Come, hear the woodland linnet, How sweet his music! on my life, There's more of wisdom in it.” (Wordsworth) and “And hark! how blithe the throstle sings! He, too, is no mean preacher:” (Wordsworth) - is especially important as music symbolizes the pleasure, playfulness and calmness that nature brings. In addition, the imagery in the second stanza brings Wordsworth’s words to life:
The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow. (Wordsworth)
The sun’s light is traditionally symbolic of knowledge and understanding; this allows the reader to come to the conclusion that the natural world is filled with wisdom. Wordsworth continuously juxtaposes books and nature as he says, “Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:” (Wordsworth). Wordsworth was commonly known to be against traditional school methods. This belief came out strong in this poem as Wordsworth writes that learning from books is "dull" (Wordsworth), that the work of academic study is "endless" (Wordsworth), and that those who only appreciate conventional studies are unhappy and prone to bitter "strife" (Wordsworth). Wordsworth goes on to say that the reader should “Let nature be your teacher.” (Wordsworth). This can be considered as an example of personification as nature is personified as a teacher. Furthermore, the word “Let” (Wordsworth) in this line suggests that in order to receive nature’s lessons, the reader must have an open mind. Wordsworth further explains that by learning from nature, there is no "toil" (Wordsworth) nor the "endless strife" (Wordsworth) of academic study. Instead, learning from nature is presented as being simplistic and easy. A metaphor is used to compare conventional studies to “barren leaves” (Wordsworth) allowing the reader to understand that there is more to life than “Science and Art” (Wordsworth). This interpretation of Wordsworth’s feelings towards normal Enlightenment Era wisdom intake was proved in the journal article titled “Wordsworth Bandies Jests with Matthew”, written by Oscar James Campbell, published in the John Hopkins University Press in 1921. This article completes an in-depth analysis of certain quotes from various Wordsworth poems and determines the true intent of his poems. Campbell is seen as a reliable writer as he taught English literature at Columbia University, from 1936 to 1950, and was an administrator of the Columbia Arts Center Program. Campbell describes how Wordsworth’s original purpose of his poems was to enlighten people on using nature to gain wisdom. One of Campbell’s examples was based on the line from The Tables Turned: “Come out into the light and let nature be your teacher” (Wordsworth). Campbell states,
Wordsworth's attitude toward tradition, books, and wisdom, it must be admitted, is often puzzling, and, to the neo-humanist it must seem sometimes frankly obscurantist. In fact, Wordsworth so often preaches the moral value of mere association with Nature that he might have expressed ideas very like these, as his final wisdom (Campbell, 413)
Wordsworth’s love for nature derived from his upbringing in a rural paradise along the river in England, coupled with his empathy for ordinary people and desire for social democracy is brilliantly showcased in his use of language features - symbolism, imagery, personification, juxtaposition, alliteration, consonance and metaphors, to name a few.
Along with the many language features, Wordsworth also cleverly employed several structural features to add emphasis on the importance of nature as a medium for personal, spiritual and intellectual growth, as well as social morality. Firstly, this poem was written with an ABAB rhyming pattern meaning within every 4 lines, the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. For example, within the first stanza “books” and “looks” rhyme, while “double” and “trouble” rhyme:
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble? (Wordsworth)
In addition to the rhyming pattern, Wordsworth extensively used end-stopped lines which refer to when a line of poetry ends with punctuation that pauses the reading. This was purposeful as it allows the reader to stop and reflect on what was said after every line. For instance, when Wordsworth says, “Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:” (Wordsworth), the colon at the end forces the reader to take a break and think deeply about the meaning of the line. Another interpretation of the end-stopped line used in this quote could be Wordsworth’s wish to leave the Enlightenment Era in the past and move forwards with the Romantic Movement. The few places with an enjambment - a poetry line ending without punctuation - were used on less impactful lines to keep the rhythm and flow intact, and create a joyous lyrical ballad. Furthermore, the poem starts by addressing the reader as “my Friend” (Wordsworth). This literary device known as an opening can be considered as a term of endearment towards all readers as his equal and stress his desire for social fairness and harmony with all. The last structural feature used was parallelism which is when two or more sentences have the same structure. For example, in the first stanza, there is parallelism between the first and third line. Both lines have “Up! Up! my Friend, and {verb} your {noun}” (Wordsworth). This parallelism emphasizes the suggestion of stopping academic studies but continuing with learning through nature enveloped in feelings of peace, relaxation, and joy. Wordsworth's intentional structural elements of ballad form, rhyme, enjambments, end-stopped lines, opening, and parallelism successfully contribute to his theme that wisdom gained through natural experiences surpasses intellect achieved through academic book learning, as it grows not only knowledge, but also morality and empathy. In addition, in The Tables Turned, Wordsworth uses structure to represent the desire to shift from the Enlightened Movement in which thoughts are rational, calculated, and based on scientific evidence, to the Romantic Movement encompassed with playful, joyous, and carefree thoughts that are full of emotions; he advocates for this change in the world.
Word Shapers by Joanne Arnott is about not only acknowledging nature’s positive influence on First Nations, but also reflecting on the ever changing connection with nature as a result of external strife, and having the power to stand up and reinvent the world back to how it was once. It expresses First Nations’ beliefs regarding their gratitude and spiritual connection to the land and universe, and their sense of security grounded in nature. Furthermore, Arnott portrays that although there is a presence of good and evil in life which has shaped the current world of Indigenous people, it is possible to make positive change. Arnott is a Metis/mixed-blood Canadian writer and activist for ending racism and believes her “job as a poet is to observe and absorb the world, and to give back to the world the songs that express that living experience.”(Arnott, 2013) Arnott acts as a leader advocating for First Nations’ rights, and therefore her poetry describes the natural universe and its process of creation symbolically representing her people’s existence, struggle, and reassertion. These main themes are seen through Arnott’s use of language features. The most prominent language feature in World Shapers is repetition. The use of repetition following the rule of three in the following quote emphasizes the reader’s ability to recognize the true strength of power when combined with the natural world:
Tricksters & goddesses
fire & water
the one god, or all of the gods
working as a team
worldmakers
worldshakers
worldbreakers (Arnott)
In the first stanza, an example of juxtaposition is seen when comparing “tricksters and goddesses” (Arnott) and “fire and water” (Arnott). This is significant as it shows First Nations’ ability to take in the good with the bad and work with both aspects, thereby showcasing their adaptability. Arnott also describes how humans, gods, and nature work together “as a team” (Arnott) to change the world. The repetition of “world” (Arnott) portrays the amount of change that can be made when all aspects of life work together. This theory of wanting other First Nations individuals to know the power of their voice was proven in the article entitled “Sending a Voice: The Emergence of Contemporary Native American Poetry” written by Andrew Wiget published by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1984. This article describes how most First Nations people feel a lack of control when it comes to their own rights. They also feel silenced and believe they cannot speak out about their loss of freedom. This article is reliable as Andrew Wiget was an assistant professor of English Native American Studies which proves his vast knowledge of the subject. Similar to Arnott, Wiget also realizes the importance of having First Nations people speak up as he states:
Now, almost fifteen years later, many silenced Native Americans have found voices and gained an audience for the words they have carved from history with care. (Wiget, 598)
Another crucial language feature in this poem is the allusions to gods and the beginning of life. This is the main feature that allows the reader to understand First Nations’ beliefs about their existence. For example, Arnott directly states,
creation stories are lullabies for grown-ups
they remind us of all the possible ways & means
that worlds can be born
& humans come to be (Arnott)
Arnott further describes her people’s constant need to readjust their lives based on the “whims” (Arnott) of others (European explorers). She continues to use this emotive language - “feast times” (Arnott), “fast times” (Arnott), “celebrations” (Arnott) - to explain that First Nations’ great respect for the land was shown through ceremonies and festivals thanking the land and nature for everything it provides them. However, their experiences were overwhelmed by “long days & nights of lament” (Arnott) as all they once knew was taken away. The last language feature that added an important impact to creating Arnott’s theme was her use of listing. In the last stanza, Arnott lists how humans have the power to change the world:
& yet we are not powerless, we adults, we humans
we reinvent, we shape and reshape the world, every
single day (Arnott)
Through Arnott’s use of the literary language features of repetition, allusion, and listing, the poem World Shapers encompasses the history of her ancestry and their adaptability over the years, evolving to standing up for their rights and speaking the truth.
The structural features Arnott used were another major part of bringing forth her desired themes. Firstly, this poem is written in first person in present tense which represents the ongoing turmoil that Indigenous people face. The tone of this poem is empathetic, reflective, empowering and optimistic. Also, every line in World Shapers uses an enjambment: the line never officially stops; it continues. This relates to First Nations’ beliefs as they believe that their lives never officially end and they are continuously reborn as new. Furthermore, this poem has no rhyming pattern except for one stanza. For example,
there is no end to us, humans, either
we keep re-inventing the cosmos & fighting
one anothers’ visions
with killing hands (Arnott)
Rhyming is traditionally seen as a way to make a poem superficially perfect. This lack of rhyming was purposeful as it allows the reader to understand that First Nations’ relationship with nature is not superficial; it is the opposite. They value their relationship with nature and are therefore hurt by fake alliances resulting in the loss of their homeland. Furthermore, the continuous speech in the stanza emphasizes her serious tone advocating for the end of racism and a change in human behaviour. In addition, the sentence structure in this poem is extremely varied, resulting in the reader being able to see the points of emphasis and importance. For example, the simple sentence lines of “worldmakers”, “worldshakers”, and “worldbreakers” forces the reader to recognize the importance of realizing their potential to change the world through removing human prejudices. Also, Arnott’s use of the ampersand (&) instead of writing the word “and” is significant as it allows the other words in the line to be closer together. This symbolizes and emphasizes Arnott’s importance of advocating for change in the world and the need to speak up for her ancestors’ rights. Arnott carefully selected the structural elements - tone, narration style, enjambments, and absence of rhyming - to portray the importance of remembering First Nations history of stolen land and acknowledging the persisting relationship issues with past and current Canadian governments stemming from introduction of treaties.
Although both authors successfully portrayed their desired themes, they had different methods by which they were able to do so. The Tables Turned is composed of eight stanzas, each with four verses; whereas World Shapers is only made up of seven stanzas containing a varying amount of verses per stanza. Wordsworth chose a more blunt, structured approach in which vocabulary was purposeful and methodical, whereas Arnott decided on a symbolic method with purposeful structure. Wordsworth ensured that every line of The Tables Turned relates to the corresponding aspect of poetic structure that best enforces his themes of wanting others to be able to appreciate and learn from nature. Wordsworth’s direct use of vocabulary does not require the audience to interpret his intent as there is little symbolism. This is clear as Wordsworth repeatedly, explicitly states that nature will guide the way. Arnott’s poem, on the other hand, was filled with symbolism relating to her theme of losing her ancestral connection with the land through unfair treaties, resulting in numerous wrongdoings and suppression of Indigenous people. For example, Arnott wrote,
there is no end to the doing & the undoing
of our creators
they have imagined us over & over & over
recreating us & recreating our world on a whim (Arnott)
These lines show the deeper meaning and symbolism behind all her words. Along with the interpretation above, this quote also illustrates First Nations’ cultural belief that instead of dying, they are reborn as new, again representing their adaptability. In this excerpt, it is also clear that the poetic structural elements drastically add to the overall message of the poem. As previously mentioned, the lack of end-stopped lines relates to the theme of cycling through lives and never officially dying. Moreover, the language features in both poems were also different. Wordsworth's poem had many of the traditional, well-known language features such as imagery, alliteration, metaphors, and repetition. In contrast, Arnott's poem employed the different language features of allusions to the gods and listing.
Although different in technique, both authors were skillfully able to use their choice of language features to portray the importance of nature from their own perspectives: Wordsworth illustrating wisdom in nature and Arnott explaining the change in people and the world as a result of land treaties. Both poets examine the theme of appreciating nature for varied reasons. One important distinction brought forth in these two poems may relate to the time period in which they were written. Wordsworth’s poem, written in the 1790s, denotes the attempt to convince a friend to see the importance, wisdom, strength, and opportunities that come from nature. In comparison, Arnott’s poem aligns nature with today’s audience giving a voice to current issues which are widely talked about and no longer considered taboo.
In conclusion, Wordsworth and Arnott both related their poems to the natural world, while applying different uses of structure and language literary devices bringing forth differing themes. Arnott's poem metaphorically represents that First Nations share a deep connection to the natural spiritual world and do not need to be afraid to acknowledge this and tap into this potential to make a difference in the world. Arnott paints, through symbolism and structural features, that one can make a difference with the help of nature. Comparatively, Wordsworth's highly structured poem uses rhyme and rhythm to represent a similar theme of someone who must put their trust in nature and allow it to guide them. The analysis of both poems reveals each poet’s intent to instigate change in the world, human thought, and behaviour. However, the methods in which these poems convince the reader differ. Wordsworth’s era generated structured prose to envelope his audience and express his inner turmoil through more direct written words, while Arnott’s style of poetry (no rhyme) in today’s open society allowed for amorphic communication inherent in symbolism.
Works Cited
Arnott, J. (2010). World shapers. world shapers | Poetry In Voice. Retrieved June 14, 2022,
from https://www.poetryinvoice.com/poems/world-shapers
Campbell, Oscar James. “Wordsworth Bandies Jests with Matthew.” Modern Language
Notes, vol. 36, no. 7, 1921, pp. 408–14. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2914714. Accessed 14 Jun. 2022.
Government of Canada. (2013, May 2). First Nations in Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2022,
from https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1307460755710/1536862806124
Wiget, Andrew. “Sending a Voice: The Emergence of Contemporary Native American Poetry.”
College English, vol. 46, no. 6, 1984, pp. 598–609. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/376794. Accessed 14 Jun. 2022.
Wordsworth, W. (n.d.). The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth. Poetry Foundation.
Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45557/the-tables-turned
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