Excerpts From My Favorite Wordsworth Poems
Dare To Leap For Joy Each Day
Williams Wordsworth is one of my all-time favorite poets and writers. As a leading master 19th-century British Romantic poet, Wordsworth continues to inspire millions of readers two centuries after he first penned countless enchanting works. Let’s explore some excerpts from some of these wonderful, sublime masterpiece poems and find how they might inspire and enthrall us on our life journies.
Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang//As if her song could have no ending;//I saw her singing at her work,//And o’er the sickle bending; — I listened, motionless and still;//And, as I mounted up the hill,//The music in my heart I bore,//Long after it was heard no more.
— From The Solitary Reaper
Are we all singing such a ballad in our daily tasks and duties? What unforseen immeasurable impact do even our smallest of actions offer others? We may never know who may be forever changed by our kind word, bright smile, small act of kindness, or other sort of solitary ballad we are performing.
“How many are you, then,” said I,//“If they two are in heaven?”//Quick was the little Maid’s reply,//“O Master! we are seven.”//“But they are dead; those two are dead!//Their spirits are in heaven!”//’Twas throwing words away; for still//The little Maid would have her will,//And said, “Nay, we are seven!”
— From We Are Seven
Such a captivating account of a child’s wonderful spiritual and philosophical viewpoint. The young girl recognizes her family members who have passed away are still with her. This is something we each must remember many times on life’s journey with people close to us.
Until, the breath of this corporeal frame//And even the motion of our human blood//Almost suspended, we are laid asleep//In body, and become a living soul://While with an eye made quiet by the power//Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,//We see into the life of things.
— From Lines From Tintern Abbey
Can enough ever be said about such magnificent lines? We all can do countless things each day to help us remember the Cosmos dancing forth with innumerable realities that are beyond our words, concepts, and understanding.
My Heart Leaps Up
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
This poem certainly speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
Have you read Wordsworth? If so, what are some of his lines that speak most wonderfully to you? Or, do you have another favorite poet who just moves your heart and spirit? Which of their lines or poems move and motivate you most?
