Do you consider Wordworth’s poetry optimistic or pessimistic or some combination of the two?
In Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth starts his poem with reminiscing the location he had once been in and the terms he uses to describe the scenery is often positive such as “soft inland murmur” and “these beauteous forms”. Although it has been five years since he last came to this place, he still appreciates and uses an optimistic tone to describe the changes of the place. As he travels the area he is not only pleased of the memories he had in the place but also enjoys the moment he is in, thinking that his experience with nature now would help him become a better person in the future. Not only is he able to become a better person, but he believes his sister would too with the help of nature. He says, “Let the moon shine on thee in thy solitary walk…thy memory be as a dwelling place for all sweet sounds and harmony.” Through this poem, Wordsworth poetry can be considered optimistic.
I agree with the idea that his poetry can be considered optimistic, but in some lines his poetry could be considered pessimistic. In such lines of the beginning when he says “five years have past; five summers, with the length of long winters” it seems like the poet is complaining about the length of seasons. In my perception the long winters were very boring for him.