Nature's Education of Man Some Remarks on the Philosophy of Wordsworth

C. Clarke

doi:10.1017/S0031819100006537

Nature's Education of Man Some Remarks on the Philosophy of Wordsworth

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2009

C. Clarke

Article contents

Extract
References

Get access

Rights & Permissions

Extract

The essence of Wordsworth's creed appears, at first glance, to be simple and unambiguous: if we train the eye and ear to become receptive to the influence of natural objects, we come in time to receive “authentic tidings of invisible things,” intuitive knowledge of a Spirit which informs both Nature and the mind of man. This Spirit is a source of spiritual power; communion with it brings serenity and joy. But for all the apparent simplicity of this creed, we are soon forced to ask difficult questions about it. For example, how, precisely, are we to conceive of this universal Spirit? It is “a motion and a spirit” which informs all things; but what else is it? If it can elevate the thoughts of man, is it itself possessed of moral attributes? Is it, for instance, a Spirit of Love? In order to understand more precisely how Wordsworth believed the Spirit, particularly as it manifested itself in the works of Nature, could influence and shape the mind of man, it will be necessary to turn chiefly to The Prelude and, by reference to it, to endeavour to answer the following questions:

(1) What, besides motion and infinitude, did Wordsworth consider the properties of the Universal Spirit to be?

(2) How did he believe man acquires knowledge of it? And

(3) In what precise sense did he maintain that Nature can educate man morally?

All quotations from The Prelude, unless otherwise stated, will be drawn from the 1805–6 version of the poem.

Type: Research Article
Information: Philosophy , Volume 23 , Issue 87 , October 1948 , pp. 302 - 316

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100006537 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 1948

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

^{page 303 note 1} The Prelude, II, 429–30Google Scholar.

^{page 303 note 2} Ibid., VII, 736.

^{page 303 note 3} The Excursion, IV, 1143.

^{page 303 note 4} The Prelude, V, 219–22.

^{page 304 note 1} The Prelude, VII, 723–5.

^{page 304 note 2} Lines composed above Tintern Abbey, I, 106.

^{page 304 note 3} The Prelude, XI, 176Google Scholar.

^{page 304 note 4} Ibid., XI, 183–4.

^{page 304 note 5} Ibid., XIII, 122.

^{page 304 note 6} Ibid., XII, 378–9.

^{page 304 note 7} Ibid., XIII, 84–92.

^{page 305 note 1} See The Prelude, 1850 version, XIV, 81–4Google Scholar.

^{page 305 note 2} Ibid., VIII, 629–30.

^{page 305 note 3} Ibid., VI, 568.

^{page 305 note 4} Ibid., V, 222.

^{page 305 note 5} Ibid., X, 386–9.

^{page 306 note 1} The Prelude, IX, 237Google Scholar.

^{page 306 note 2} Ibid., 1850 version, VIII, 121–5.

^{page 307 note 1} The Prelude, XIII, 149–56.

^{page 307 note 2} The Excursion, I, 203–5.

^{page 307 note 3} The Prelude, 1850 version, XIV, 188–9Google Scholar.

^{page 307 note 4} Ibid., II, 430.

^{page 308 note 1} The Prelude, I, 330–2Google Scholar.

^{page 308 note 2} Ibid., I, 409–12.

^{page 308 note 3} Ibid., VI, 562–4.

^{page 310 note 1} The Prelude, I, 614Google Scholar.

^{page 310 note 2} Ibid., II, 405–14.

^{page 310 note 3} Lines composed above Tintern Abbey, I, 49.

^{page 311 note 1} The Prelude, II, 191-3.

^{page 312 note 1} Lines composed above Tintern Abbey, I, 122–3.

^{page 312 note 2} The Prelude, XIII, 115–17Google Scholar.

^{page 312 note 3} Ibid., 330–1.

^{page 313 note 1} The Prelude, VII, 709–15Google Scholar.

^{page 313 note 2} Ibid., V, 619–21.

^{page 314 note 1} The Prelude, II, 244–54Google Scholar.

^{page 314 note 2} Ibid., 258–60.

^{page 314 note 3} Lines composed above Tintern Abbey, 1, 105–7.

^{page 314 note 4} The Prelude, II, 176-80.

^{page 315 note 1} The Prelude, VII, 721–5Google Scholar.

^{page 315 note 2} Ibid., II, 296–303.

^{page 316 note 1} The Prelude, VII, 760–8.

Article contents

Nature's Education of Man Some Remarks on the Philosophy of Wordsworth

Extract

Access options

References

Save article to Kindle

Save article to Dropbox

Save article to Google Drive

Reply to: Submit a response

Your details

You have entered the maximum number of contributors

Conflicting interests