Two of the most skilled poets of all time were William Wordsworth and John Keats, both poets wrote romantic poetry. From poems like “To Autumn” by John Keats and “The Prelude” (1) by William Wordsworth we can see that both well known poets used their poetry to describe their feelings and the atmosphere of them around them. As Wordsworth lived before Keats time he is known to be the creator of this type of poetry, yet Keats seems to be a slightly better poet and it is clear that he has based his poetry from that of Wordsworth.
In studying “to autumn” and “the Prelude” (1) I have discovered John Keats uses much better vocabulary than Wordsworth yet I think that Wordsworth states his emotions and feelings much clearer and much easier to understand. Both poets use nature in the poems to help them express their feelings especially John Keats who expresses himself triumphantly using a more positive aspect of nature. In Wordsworth’s “the prelude” (1) a young boy steals a small boat, on doing so he disembarks on a journey which Wordsworth uses to symbolise the journey
between childhood and adulthood. From the start of the journey the boy seems to be very sad and discontent as the use of the willow tree reflects these emotional feelings, also as the door opens between childhood and adulthood which is symbolised by the unloosening of the chain he becomes confused and unsure if what he is doing is a step in the right direction. As the boy “pushed from the shore” it suggests the great physical effort that was involved in the adventure, as he leaves the cave and slowly floats out into the middle of the lake the whole atmosphere that the poet had built up begins to loosen and adjust through the use of nature.
“Of Mountain Echo’s” suggests the idea that nature was taking place and the door to adulthood opened for the boy, in doing so this give the boy a wide range of choices, unlike childhood. The mention of the moon creates a very mysterious atmosphere, it also adds a very magical quality to the poem. As the boy moves on, ”proud of his skill” he notices ”the summit of a craggy ridge” which is used to symbolise the dangers of adulthood, on seeing this the boy becomes anxious, as he ”went heaving threw the water like a swan” he panics, even more so when he sees ”a huge peak, black and huge”, the repetition of ‘huge’ portrays a feeling of breathlessness. The boy feels a sense of fear and awe as he’s faced with the grandeur of nature.
The mountain is ”growing still in stature” and the boy is deeply disturbed by what is happening. The boy feels that he would rather be safely back in ”the covert of the willow tree” This again strains the great physical effort that was involved in the adventure, this seems to make the boy feel very insignificant and suggests that the boy isn’t ready for adulthood yet and obviously makes the boy feel very confused.
”Blank Desertion” is used to convey the poets state of mind, the boy is left deeply bewildered by his experience, he begins to have trouble sleeping and is haunted by ”huge and mighty forms”, the events have a long lasting effect on wordsworth and provides him with ”trouble to my dreams”. Keats poem ‘Ode to Autumn’ has three different stanza’s in it, the first stanza appeals to the senses of sight and taste, the second to sight and smell and the third to the sense of hearing.
