Upon Westminster Bridge is written by the great nature poet William Wordsworth. Westminster Bridge is located in London city over the River Thames. Poet is standing on the Westminster Bridge at dawn time (early in the morning) and looking at the beautiful scenery of the London city in the early morning. In this poem, the poet expresses his inner feelings and thoughts about the scenery of the London city upon the Westminster Bridge in the early morning.
Introduction:
- William Wordsworth born on April 7, 1770, was a major English Romantic poet who was an honoured ‘Poet Laureate’ of the United Kingdom in the court of Queen Victoria, from 1843 until his death on 23 April 1850. He is a leading English Nature poet. His collection of poetry ‘Lyrical Ballads’ is considered the central work of Romantic Literary theory. The Poem ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ is one of the best examples of his romantic poems.
- ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ is a Petrarchan Sonnet in which William Wordsworth describes the beauty of the Bridge as seen at dawn from the Westminster Bridge, London. The then world had to still experience the industrial revolution. The poet was enthralled by the panoramic landscape, beauty, and calm and quiet nature before him. This poem was first published in the ‘Collection of Poems’ in two Volumes in 1807.
Poem: Upon Westminster Bridge
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm, so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
-William Wordsworth
archaic word : doth – does
The poem is a Petrarchan Sonnet. The poem is divided into two parts-
(a) An Octave: The first part comprises eight lines.
(b) A sestet: The second part comprises six lines.
Explanation: Upon Westminster Bridge
The First Stanza:
- (An Octave: The first part comprising eight lines.)
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
- In the first stanza, the poet explains that he is standing on the Westminster Bridge and enjoying the morning beauty of the Landon City. By seeing such beautiful scenery poet explains that on the earth there is no such more beautiful picture it is. The only dull person who can ignore or just pass by the sight of the city and will not see the beauty of this city.
- Poet compares Landon city with a beautiful garment (cloth). The city is expressed here as it wears the most beautiful garment which is The beauty of the morning. It is morning time and the atmosphere is very so silent there is no rush of people. The morning atmosphere is so beautiful, ships, towers, domes, theaters, temples, open fields, and the sky, all these are glittering or shining in the smokeless air because it is morning time and all people are still in sleep and industries are still closed.
The Second Stanza:
- (A sestet: The second part comprising six lines.)
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm, so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
- In the second stanza, the poet explains that he has never seen the sun rises so beautifully, and never before has he watched such beautiful scenery that by the first sunrise the sun beautifies or glows the valley, rock, and hill so beautifully. The poet feels and thoughts that never he felt and saw such a calm and deep atmosphere before in London city. The poet explains that the Thames River is flowing as silently as it could be under the Westminster Bridge. The poet expresses his feelings that dear God! People are still in deep sleep in houses as people’s mighty hearts enjoy their sweet morning slumber (sleep).
- In this way, the poet William Wordsworth elaborates on the natural beauty of London city.
Appreciation of the Poem:
About poem, poet, and tile:
- Upon Westminster Bridge is written by the great nature poet William Wordsworth. Westminster Bridge is located in London city over the River Thames. Poet is standing on the Westminster Bridge at dawn time (early in the morning) and looking at the beautiful scenery of the London city in the early morning. In this poem, the poet expresses his inner feelings and thoughts about the scenery of the London city upon the Westminster Bridge in the early morning.
The theme:
- The theme of the poem is a nature theme. It is about the early morning scenery of London city, the poet is looking from the Westminster Bridge. Poet feels enthralled by seeing such morning beauty of London city. The scenery shows even if the industrial revolution, still London city looks so beautiful by surrounding in smokeless air early in the morning.
Language and poetic devices:
- The language of the poem is very simple and lucid. The poem has rhyming words and a rhyming scheme. It is a Petrarchan sonnet that consists of fourteen lines with octave and sestet. The language of the poem is simple and short. It has only two stanzas, the first stanza consists of eight lines and the second stanza consists of six lines. In the poem, the poet has used several devices to express her inner feelings as well as poetic effects with Alliteration, Metaphor, Personification, Simile, Repetition, Hyperbole, Inversion, etc.
Message, Value, Morals:
- Upon Westminster Bridge is a Nature poem by great nature poet William Wordsworth. Poet wants to convince the reader to see the beauty in every object of nature. Find the beauty of nature at any time of the day. We should find pleasure in every aspect of nature that gives us. Feel enthralled by the essence of nature.
Your opinion:
- I am feeling very enthusiastic to see the beauty of the London city because the poet expressed fine and apt nature imagery of the London City. I like the poem very much and started to see the essence of nature in every object that comes in front of me.
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