Tasmina Sharmi
Grasmere Journals- Dorothy Wordsworth
In her work The Grasmere journals, Dorothy Wordsworth chronicles her life over the period of three years (1800-1803). Because the excerpts we read were not in chronological order the thoughts are sporadic however one consistency does remain through all Wordsworths journal entries. The audience can clearly view Wordsworths love of nature through her vivid descriptions and use of similes and personification to bring the world around her to life. The world around her not only influences her behavior but also parallels her emotions.
Wordsworth begins her journal when her brother William leaves her. Its odd that rather than writing where he’s going or when he’s coming back she points her focus to nature and most of the entry is describing the environment. She describes the lake as “dull and melancholy” which perhaps mimics her feelings of Williams departure. She then goes on and gives a beautiful depiction of a bunch of flowers a “palish yellow flower”, crawfoot, geraniums, anemonies, primroses once she resolves to keep a journal for Williams pleasure.
Many other parts of Wordsworths journal entries also contain the same pattern of descriptions of nature. She portrays the wind, rain, flowers, hills, vales, lake meadows, mosses, twigs, stones, snow, and the sun. She preserves the colors, shapes, and scents to appeal to the senses. Some examples include:
“To the left the bright silver Stream inlaid the flat & very green meadows, winding like a serpent.”
“A beautiful yellow, palish yellow flower, that looked thick round & double, & smelt very sweet-I supposed it was a ranunculus-Crowfoot, the grassy-leaved Rabbit- toothed white flower, strawberries, Geranium-scentless violet, anemones two kinds, orchises, primroses.”
In a particular journal article Wordsworth writes about her walk with William she describes walking over a field and seeing a bunch of flowers near the roadside over the field and in the woods but she focuses in on the daffodil. This is very interesting because in our other assigned reading the poet William Wordsworth also seems to be describing the same situation. When reading both you can see that there are stark similarities between the two. They both describe the daffodils as “dancing” and the wind/ breeze blowing over them and the waves of the lake surrounding the daffodils. They both also use similar language Dorothy describes the daffodils as appearing “gay” while William states a “poet could not but be gay” in the company of such beautiful daffodils. Although William uses a more joyful romantic approach and Dorothy uses a more descriptive book like approach we can see the huge influence nature has on both writers.
Another interesting aspect I noticed about Dorothy Wordsworths journal articles is her relationship with her brother William. In the beginning of the journal we are not sure the relation between the two but as we read on and find out he is her brother many of her actions seems to blur the lines of a sibling relationship and almost seems to cross to a romantic one. We can see in the beginning when William leaves Dorthy says “My heart was so full that I could hardly speak to W when I gave him a farewell kiss… after a flood of tears my heart was easier” this seems innocent enough but feels more like the leaving of a lover than a brother. In a later journal article Dorothy describes the day her brother gets married to Mary rather than it seeming like a happy occasion Dorothy describes it as “being over” and how she could “stand it no longer”. It almost seems as if she is unhappy at her brother getting married. She also reveals she wears the wedding ring all night prior to the marriage. When William returns from the wedding she also refers to him as “my beloved”. It is also strange how often William is mentioned in the journal and how she is writing a journal which is often private not only for herself but also for Williams “pleasure”.
Although Grasmere Journals seems to be a diary of the ordinary events of Dorothy Wordsworths life it provides insight of her relationships mainly with her brother. It also allows us to see the romantic nature of this period and how nature influences her writing and life.