Book Sixth Lines 55-79

Book Sixth

Analysis by: Sarah Phillips

Wordsworth’s Book Sixth of The Prelude takes us further through his journey to manhood as he crosses the Alps, but more important than this literal journey is his spiritual journey and the pursuit into his reminiscence. However, more specifically the section of this particular book that I chose to look at more closely was the 4^th stanza, lines 55 through 79. I found these lines particularly interesting because I felt that they really told the story of Wordsworth’s internal drive to decide to write The Prelude and The Recluse.

This section of Book Sixth was written at a time when Wordsworth had decided again to put off writing the main portion of The Recluse and to extend The Prelude upwards from its original 5 –book form. This can be seen in lines 57 – 60 when he writes “A thousand hopes were mine, a thousand tender dreams, of which no few have been since realized, and some do yet remain, hopes for my future life. “ This stanza really takes us through his decision to write both books and the impact that he thought they would have on the world. “Those were the days which first encouraged me to trust with firmness, hitherto but lightly touched with such a daring thought, that I might leave some monument behind me which pure hearts should reverence.” These lines show us that the reason why he wanted to write The Recluse was to put the meaning of life within verse for all of those who were “pure hearts” and cared to know it. He was hoping that this would give people the key to utopia that the French Revolution was not able to accomplish. However, despite all of this vast insight into Wordsworth’s mind that is gained through this stanza, I also chose to study this poem more closely for selfish reasons, it’s my very favorite that we’ve read so far!

This stanza really is written beautifully and flows effortlessly. It is probably my favorite part of Book Sixth because it’s so easy to read and it sounds the most soft and "poetic" of the surrounding stanzas. It is also my favorite stanza in this particular book because it contains my favorite "quote" of lines form all of what we have read of the prelude this far. "I loved and I enjoyed - that was my chief and ruling business, happy in the strength and loveliness of imagery and thought." These few lines really set a positive tone for this Book Sixth while at the same time giving us an insight into the mind set of Wordsworth in his approach to poetry in general, but more specifically to his view of writing the Prelude and The Recluse.