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Wordsworth's "Ode On Intimations of Immortality": Samir K. Dash

Wordsworth's "Ode on Intimations of Immortality" examines the human experience of living in a "less than perfect condition" compared to an earlier childhood state. The poem discusses how childhood seemed more vivid and magical, but this fades for adults. It explores myths like Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden, and the soul's pre-existence in a perfect realm before being "born into this imperfect world. While using these myths as inspiration, Wordsworth doesn't fully endorse any single view. Overall, the poem laments the loss of childhood wonder and search for meaning once that joy is gone.

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249 views2 pages

Wordsworth's "Ode On Intimations of Immortality": Samir K. Dash

Wordsworth's "Ode on Intimations of Immortality" examines the human experience of living in a "less than perfect condition" compared to an earlier childhood state. The poem discusses how childhood seemed more vivid and magical, but this fades for adults. It explores myths like Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden, and the soul's pre-existence in a perfect realm before being "born into this imperfect world. While using these myths as inspiration, Wordsworth doesn't fully endorse any single view. Overall, the poem laments the loss of childhood wonder and search for meaning once that joy is gone.

Uploaded by

pollymenicedolly
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Wordsworth's "Ode on Intimations of Immortality"

| by Samir K. Dash | February 07, 2005

In a letter written in 1814, Wordsworth referring to " Intimation to Immortality' ode wrote the following to clear his stand on the poem: The poem rests entirely upon two recollections of childhood, one that of a splendure in the ob ects of sense which is passed away and the other an indisposition to bend to the law of death !"# !$%uoted in& 'urant# In a later comment, Wordswoth states that for a child, the world seems more (i(id and has a strange charm, which an adult is unable to (iew) Wordsworth through his recollections tried to re(isit that wonderland which he was more real for him than the present real world and it is on this recollection the *de is based upon) +long with it Wordsworth has used many theories and myths regarding human e,istence) -ut it is sufficient to say that ".rom this starting point, the poem e,amines the whole story of humanlife as an e,cile from an earlier and more perfect state' $'urant& The primary point that the man li(es in "less than perfect condition', has been interpreted in (arious myths, one of which $and of course the most popular& is the myth regarding adam and e(e in -ible) "This story tells us how through the eating the fruit of the tree of /nowledge of good and e(il, man first /nows pain, guilt and an,iety' $'urant&)The 0ree/ myth about 1andora's bo, also narrates how the opening of the bo, by two children brought sorrows into the world) +ncient philosophy also supported this myth indirectly) 1lato's adaption of 1ythagorian theory states that the soul originally resides in the supernal region of the pure idea and when the soul is born, it enters into the "dar/ prison house' of this world by losing its memory and thus goes farthest from hea(en) Though Wordsworth used this myth in his poem he doesn't ad(ance the argument in its fa(our) In 'urant's words: "The poem ma/es use of the myth of pre2e,istence, but this is not what the poem "means' ' $'urant&) 3e more o(er adds that "In one sense the meaning of the poem is simple) The poet raises the 4uestion of the (alue of life itself, once the primal oy e,perienced in childhood gone

by !"# The first four stan5as are gi(en to a statement of the sense of loss felt by the poet when as an adult he can no longer e,perience the unity of being and sense of illumination he remembers from his childhood' $'urant&) In the first stan5a he writes "There was a time', referring to his childhood, when "the meadow, gro(e and stream, 6 The earth and e(ery common sight'2222 seemed to him in "celestial light' which he "now can see no more') This stan5a infact describes poet's lamentation $at least a /ind of & on not being able to see any more the "glory and the freshness of a dream' that his childhood had) 7choing What he said in the first stan5a, Wordswoth writes in the second one that where(er he goes he /nows "That there hath past away a glory from the earth') The tone becomes more sad in stan5a three and here the poet confess it in the line: "To me alone there came a thought of grief' 222 and also pro(ides the clue to the cause of writing this poem: "+ finely utterance ga(e that thought relief') +rticle 8ource: http:66www)articleset)com

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