The Two- Part Prelude is an autobiographical poem written by the romantic poet, William Wordsworth which explores the reasoning behind his creative genius that was given space to develop in response to the natural world largely through excursions as a child in the Lake District.
The poem describes a thirst for the unharnessed power of the mind in the poet's capacity for creative growth and argues that nature produced in Wordsworth an innate ability to develop his imagination and thereby pre-destined him to be the great nature poet.
The Two Part Prelude, also underlines a central belief that during childhood the future release of creative imagination is at its conception and explains why this stage was believed to be important as a key milestone in the poet’s evolving maturity.
Childhood Idealised
Wordsworth believed childhood was a time when an individual was less conditioned to the wider world and this allowed nature to nurture his mind through its lack of prejudice to a particular mould or way of thinking. This was based on the assumption that children were purer versions of adults and resembled their true selves as nature had intended them which was based on Wordsworth's own memories of childhood excursions in the Lake District.
Wordsworth's infamous reputation as the great romantic poet however, is also founded on a wider philosophical argument that regards mankind's ability to conquer great imaginative feats as a consequence of the greater elevation of emotion over intellect. As a result, this also celebrates the endeavour of humanist achievement at the height of imaginative and creative thinking.
Nature as Catalyst for Creative Growth
In Wordsworth's Poetry, Geoffrey Hartman argues that nature's affect on Wordsworth was to separate him from the world in order to confirm the poet's affinity with heaven, through an ability to understand nature's hidden depths (p219). Hartman explains that nature's role was to eventually separate the poet from the universe in order to allow Wordsworth to reach his own destiny by allowing him to tap into an inner life-force of imagination and creativity.
Again, in William Wordsworth: 'The Prelude', Stephen Gill presents Wordsworth as a pilgrim on a religious journey towards spiritual perfection, through the chastisement and discipline he receives from the awe inspiring forces of nature that urge him towards his goal.
This reminds readers that Wordsworth was also autonomous and regarded himself as superior to any other poet, through a great belief in self-reliance, with an ability to assert the value of true artistic inspiration drawn from nature.
References
Gill, Stephen. William Wordsworth: 'The Prelude' Cambridge University Press, (1991) p57
Hartman, Geoffrey. Wordsworth's Poetry, 1787-1814. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, (1964)
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Alicia Rudd - Alicia enjoys literature which explores the connections between the romantic and the realistic, the mythicised and the ordinary. In ...
