The Grasmere Journal Gavin Andre Sukhu
As I began reading the Grasmere Journal by Dorothy Wordsworth, I found her to be a very interesting and dynamic character. I can safely admit that I enjoyed reading her journal entries. Dorothy’s journals were meant for her personal use, so it was written in clear and concise language, which made it very easy to understand. As such, I found that the simplicity of her writing, allow readers to really apprehend her experiences and pay attention to the descriptions she provides, rather than look for something deeper that what is already there. In her journal, Dorothy uses extremely descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of the environment and of her experiences. It’s clear that nature plays a pivotal role in influencing her writings as she constantly describes the scenic views, flowers and even aromas. At times I felt as though I was looking through her eyes and seeing what she was seeing, feeling what she was feeling and sharing in her experience.
One thing that was immediately apparent to me was that Dorothy didn’t really write about her feelings in her journals. Instead of personal revelations, she narrates her experiences that she shared with those very close to her, especially with her brother; William Wordsworth. When reading the Grasmere journal in conjunction with the poetry of William Wordsworth, Dorothy’s journal appears to be a set of notes written especially for him by her. As a matter of fact, Dorothy made it quite clear in the beginning of her journals that she was writing them for William’s ‘pleasure’.
I thought that the relationship between Dorothy and William was a rather peculiar one. They seem unusually close to each other, sharing every aspect of their lives, spending a majority of their time together, and even slept in the same bed a few times. In the opening of her journal, Dorothy writes “My heart was so full that I could hardly speak to W (William) when I gave him a farewell kiss. I sate a long time upon a stone at the margin of the lake, and after floods of tears my heart was easier. The lake looked to me I knew not why dull and melancholy, the weltering and the shores seemed a heavy sound.” (pg 1). If I was not aware that William and Dorothy were brother and sister, I would have jumped to the conclusion that they shared a romantic relationship. However, after doing some background check on Dorothy Wordsworth, I discovered that her mother passed away when she was six years old, soon after her father also passed away. With both of her parents deceased, Dorothy and her siblings were separated and sent to live with various relatives. After both Dorothy and William were much older, they were finally reunited back together, from that point on; they were inseparable (Wikipedia). I believe that Dorothy never really had a stable companion in life and she looked to her brother as her closest friend and companion. William’s feelings for Dorothy were also reciprocal; he makes this clear in his famous Tintern Abbey poem:
Of this fair river; thou my dearest Friend,
My dear, dear Friend; and in thy voice I catch
The language of my former heart, and read
My former pleasures in the shooting lights
Of thy wild eyes […]
My dear, dear Sister!
and this prayer I make,
Knowing that Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; ’tis her privilege
(Cavendish, Richard. “Death of Dorothy Wordsworth”)
Dorothy really looked up to her brother and had a selfless love for him; nothing made her happier than seeing William happy.
As much as Dorothy’s love for her brother William influenced her own writings, Dorothy was also a tremendous inspiration to William and this is clear in quite a few of his poems. On April 15th, the duo were on a journey together. Dorothy wrote in her journal, describing seeing a field of daffodils. “When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow park we saw a few daffodils close to the water side, we fancied that the lake had floated the seeds ashore and that the little colony had so sprung up, But as we went along there were more and yet more and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful…” (pg 85). The next day, Dorothy recalls William writing a poem based on the same daffodils they saw the previous day. “I found William writing a poem descriptive of the sights and sounds we saw and heard.” (pg 87). This turned out to be one of William Wordsworth very popular poems ‘Daffodils’. This not only shows that Dorothy played an important role in William’s inspiration, but it also shows that she herself wanted to and was glad to have such an influence on William’s work.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading the Grasmere Journal. Dorothy Wordsworth used nature itself to depict the beauty of the moment and shared with us her life experiences. Reading these journal entries, I learned that Dorothy loved her brother William dearly. That she was compassionate to those with disabilities and poverty, that she had an exquisite attention to detail and most importantly; that she was an inspiration to William Wordsworth and his poetic endeavor.
– Gavin Andre Sukhu
Portrait of Dorothy Wordsworth.
Picture of Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journal
