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LITERATURECLASS:SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge
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LITERATURECLASS
Themajorityofthesepostingsarefromtheinternet.Someofthemareuneditedwhilesomeofthem
are.IjustscouredtheinternetformaterialthatIthoughtwouldbeofbenefittomystudentswhoare
sittingtheEnglishBCSECexam.Iapologisefornotcitingthesitesasreferences.Someofthe
materialcomesfromCliffordNarinesinghcoauthorofAComprehensiveEnglishCourse,Books13
andCXCEnglishA.

Saturday,7January2012

SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge
SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridgebyWilliamWordsworth
WordsworthssonnetComposeduponWestminsterBridge,September3,1802falls
intothecategoryofMomentaryPoems.Thepoetisdescribingwhathesees,thinks
andfeelsonaspecicdayataspecicmoment.HadSeptember3,1802,beena
dismaldayofrain,fogorovercastskies,wewouldnothavethislyrictoenjoy.Fair
weatherisoftenaninspirationalawakeningtothemuseofpoetry.
WordsworthandhissisterDorothyhadtraveledtoLondontotakeashipto
France,whereWordsworthsmistressAnneeVallonwaslivingwiththetenyear
oldCaroline,whomWordsworthhadsiredbuthadneverseen.Thecoachtaking
himandhissistertotheseasidedockpausedontheWestminsterBridgethat

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crossestheThames.Lookingbackinthebrilliantmorningsunlightatthesleeping
cityofLondon,thepoetcomposedhisPetrarchansonnetinatonepeacefuland
serene.

Thepoetrecordshisimpressionsofthesceneatearlydawnwhenno
mechanizedactivityisgoingonandtheairiscleananddevoidofsmoke.Heis
touchedbythebeautyandsplendourofthecity.Onlythosewhosesoulsare
dullwouldnotbetouchedbytheaweinspiringscene;thegreatnessismajestic.

HepresentsapanoramaofLondon.Hereisaromanticwhospendsmostofhis
timeintheLakeCountry,ineldsofdaodils,exultinginanurbanmorning
cityscape,unconcernedwiththegeingandspendingthathedecrieselsewhere.

Allobjectsnaturalorotherwisearenowvisiblebecauseoftheglierofthe
morningsunwhichspreadsoverthelandscape.Neverbeforehasthepoet
witnessedsuchbeautywhichthesplendourofthesunradiatesovervalley,rock
orhills.Notonlyisthebeautyenchanting,butalsothepeaceandcalmwhich
thescenehasonthemindofthepoet:Insuchanatmosphereeventhehouses
seemasleepandallisstill.
Thesecondquatraingeneralizesabouttheskylineshapeswithoutdetailingthem.
ThepoethaspersoniedLondonthroughhisuseofthesimilelikeagarmentand

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2012(19)
May(1)
February(2)
January(16)
SonnetComposedUpon
WestminsterBridge
WestIndies,U.S.A.
ToanAthleteDyingYoung
ItistheConstantImageofYour
Face
ForgivemyGuilt

theverbwear.ThecatalogofmanmadestructuresincludesShips,towers,

OnceuponaTime

domes,theaters,andtemples.Paradoxintrudesasthegarmentwornbythecityis

OlHigueandLeLoupgarou

brightandglieringsunshinethatdoesnotconceal,clothe,orprotectbut

TestMatchSabinaPark

emphasizesbarebeauty.

EPITAPH,DREAMINGBLACK
BOY,THEMEforENGLISHB

Thenextpersonicationsareofthesunandtheriver.Theverbsteepinthe
openingofthesestetcansupportavarietyofdenitionsincludingcleansing,
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ORCHIDS

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LITERATURECLASS:SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge

softening,bleaching,bathing,imbuing.Thepersoniedmorningsunperforms

GODSGRANDEUR

theseactionsonvalley,rock,orhill.

TheWomanSpeakstotheMan
whohasemployedHerS...

ThemagicperformedbythesunontheCity,whiletheThamesglidethathisown
sweetwill,inducesinthepoetafeelingofcalm,asthoughthepersoniedhouses

THISISTHEDARKTIME,MY
LOVE

werepeacefullyasleep,andthemighty,throbbingheartofthemetropolisis

DULCEetDECORUMEST

wrappedinstillness.

Inthescenethereisnoactivity.Theairissmokelessbecausethetruckershave

CONTEMPLATIONUPON
FLOWERS

notstartedtopourtheiremissionsintotheatmosphere.Thepoetisdeeply
impressedandstunnedatthecalmandbeautyofthemorning.Hisexclamation,
DearGod!tellsusthathisresponsehasreachedspiritualanddivine
dimension.
Dullwould[they]beofsoulwhodonotfeelthepowerandexcitementofthis

AboutMe

Mrs.Dunkley
Viewmycomplete
profile

lyric.

AnotherReview
ComposeduponWestminsterBridge,September3,1802isanItaliansonnet,
wrieniniambicpentameterwithtensyllablesperline.Therhymeschemeofthe
poemisabbaabbacdcdcd.Thepoemwasactuallywrienaboutanexperiencethat
tookplaceonJuly31,1802duringatriptoFrancewithWordsworths
sister,DorothyWordsworth.
Thepoembeginswitharathershockingstatement,especiallyforaRomanticpoet:
Earthhasnotanythingtoshowmorefair.Thisstatementissurprisingbecause
Wordsworthisnotspeakingofnature,butofthecity.Hegoesontolistthe
beautifulmanmadeentitiestherein,suchasShips,towers,domes,theatresand
temples.Infact,naturesinuenceisntdescribeduntilthe7thline,whenthe
speakerrelatesthatthecityisopentotheelds,andtothesky.Whilethecity
itselfmaynotbeapartofnature,itiscertainlynotinconictwithnature.This
becomesevenmoreclearinthenextline,whenthereaderlearnsthattheairis
smokeless(freefrompollution).
Wordsworthcontinuestosurprisehisreaderbysayingthatthesunhasnever
shonemorebeautifully,evenonnaturalthings.Hethenpersoniesthescene,
givinglifetothesun,theriver,thehouses,andnallytothewholecity,whichhas
asymbolicheart.Thereaderimaginesthatthecitysheartbeatsrapidlyduringthe
day,whileeverythingandeveryoneinitisbustlingabout,butnow,intheearly
morninghours,thecitysheartislyingstill.Byusingpersonicationinhispoem,
Wordsworthbringsakindofspirittothecity,whichisusuallyseenasasimple
constructionofrockandmetal.
AnotherReview

TypeofWork
ComposedUponWestminsterBridgeisalyricpoemintheformofasonnet.
InEnglish,therearetwotypesofsonnets,thePetrarchanandthe
Shakespearean,bothwithfourteenlines.WordsworthspoemisaPetrarchan
sonnet,developedbytheItalianpoetPetrarch(13041374),aRomanCatholic
priest.APetrarchansonnetconsistsofaneightlinestanza(octave)andasix
linestanza(sestet).Therststanzapresentsathemeorproblem,andthesecond
stanzadevelopsthethemeorsuggestsasolutiontotheproblem.
CompositionandPublication
WilliamWordsworthcompletedthepoembetweenJuly31andSeptember3,
1802.Longman,Hurst,Rees,andOrmepublishedtheworkin1807inPoemsin
TwoVolumes,acollectionofWordworthspoems.
Se ing
TheseingisLondonasseenfromWestminsterBridge,whichconnectsthe
southbankoftheThamesRiverwithWestminsteronthenorthbank.
Westminster,calledaninnerborough,isnowpartofLondon.
Inspiration

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Wordsworthsinspirationforthepoemwastheviewhebeheldfrom
WestminsterBridgeonthemorningofJuly31,1802,whenmostoftheresidents
werestillinbedandthefactorieshadnotyetstokedtheirresandpollutedthe
airwithsmoke.Heandhissister,Dorothy,werecrossingthebridgeinacoach
takingthemtoaboatforatripacrosstheEnglishChanneltoFrance.Inher
diary,Dorothywrote:
WemountedtheDoverCoachatCharingCross.Itwasabeautifulmorning.The
City,St.Pauls,withtheRiverandaMultitudeoflileboats,madeamost
beautifulsight....Thehouseswerenotoverhungwiththeircloudofsmokeand
theywerespreadoutendlessly,yetthesunshonesobrightlywithsuchpure
lightthattherewasevensomethinglikeapurityofNaturesowngrand
spectacles.
Theme:SeeingtheCityinaNewLight
Londonduringtheworkdaywasrudeanddirty.Awalkacrossabridgeor
throughstreetsandalleywaysconfrontedthepedestrianwithsmoke,dust,
grimyurchins,clackingcarts,ringinghammers,barkingdogs,jostlingshoppers,
smellysh,roingfruit.Butatdawnonacloudlessmorning,whenLondon
wasstillasleepandtheresoffactorieshadyettobestoked,thecityjoined
withnaturetopresenttheearlyriseratableauofglisteningwaters,majestic
towers,unpeopledboatsontheRiverThamesbobbingandswayingandthe
gloryofempty,silentstreets.Themessagehereisthatevenanugly,quacking
ducklingcanbecomealovely,soundlessswan.
RhymeSchemeandMeter
TherhymeschemeofComposedUponWestminsterBridgeandother
Petrarchansonnetsisasfollows:(1)rststanza(octave):abba,abba;(2)second
stanza(sestet):cd,cd,cd
Themeterofthepoemisiambicpentameter,withtensyllables(veiambicfeet)
perline.(Aniambicfootconsistsofanunstressedsyllablefollowedbya
stressedsyllable.)Thersttwolinesofthepoemdemonstratethemetric
paern:
.......1.........2.............3................4..................5
EarthHAS..|..notAN..|..yTHING..|..toSHOW..|..moreFAIR:
........1..........2.............3.................4.................5
DullWOULD..|..heBE..|..ofSOUL|whoCOULD..|..passBY
..
Summary
Thersteightlinespresentaviewofthecityasit
wearsthesunlitmorninglikeagarmentandits
edicesglierbeneaththesky.Thelastsixlines
thenboldlydeclarethatthismanmade
formationisjustasbeautifulinthesunlightas
anynaturalformation,suchasavalleyorhill.
Moreover,itisjustascalmingtotheobserver,for
eventhehousesseemtosleep,likethepeoplein
them.
Imagery
Themoststrikinggureofspeechinthepoemispersonication.Itdressesthe
cityinagarmentandgivesitaheart,makesthesuninhisrstsplendoura
benefactor,andbestowsontheriverawillofitsown.Examplesofothergures
ofspeechinthepoemareasfollows:
Line2,alliteration:Dullwouldhebeofsoulwhocouldpassby
Line3,alliteration:Asightsotouchinginitsmajesty
Lines4,5simile:ThisCitynowdothlikeagarmentwear/Thebeautyofthe
morning:silentbare(comparisonofbeautytoagarment)
Line13:metaphor:DearGod!theveryhousesseemasleep;(comparisonof
housestoacreaturethatsleeps)

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LITERATURECLASS:SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge

Answerthesequestions
1.Whatisthethemeofthepoem?
2.Whereandwhenistheexperiencetakingplace?
3.Whatisthemoodofthepoet?
4.Selectthegureofspeechintherstvelinesofthepoem.
Withwhatdoesthepoetcomparethecity?
5.Whyistheairsmokeless?
6.Selectlineswhichshowthatthereisanabsenceofnoiseinthescene.
7.Whatdoesthepoetmeanbytheveryhousesseemasleep?
8.Fromthepoetsimpressionsofthescene,whatcanyoutellofhis
character?
9.Doyoulikethepoem?Givereasonstosupportyouranswer.
PostedbyMrs.Dunkleyat09:51
Recommend this on Google

18comments:
Anonymous 30October2012at12:47
thatisreallygoodhelpmewithmyworkonitthankxx
Reply

Anonymous 26November2012at18:00
thanksabunchMrs.Dunkleythisisreallyhelpful,notjuatthisone,theallare
Reply

Anonymous 12February2013at00:08
Thisreallyhelpsalot
ThanksMrs.Dunkley.
Reply

Anonymous 15February2013at12:14
veryhelpfulpiecesofinfo.Manythanks.
Reply
Replies
Anonymous 23October2013at20:27
thisishelpfullbustard
Reply

Anonymous 12May2013at05:58
Incrediblyhelpful.Itisevidentthatmuchcarewasputintotheanalysis.Thankyou.
Reply

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LITERATURECLASS:SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge
Anonymous 8December2013at14:05
thanksfortheinfoithelped
Reply

homelandofthenomad 24April2014at20:59
Wasjusthelpingmysiswithherstudiesandthispostcameinsohandy.thanks
Reply

MaryGrant 25November2014at18:53
Thiswasreallyhelpful.Thanks
Reply

Anonymous 18February2015at23:55
likesiiorascadavez
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Anonymous 26April2015at00:02
Thisisquitehelpful.Thankyou
Reply

NaeemBishop 8June2015at12:39
Thankyouforthishelpfulinfo
Reply

Anonymous 21November2015at18:35
Veryhelpful
Reply

Anonymous 8January2016at22:52
itissuchaamazingsite
ithelpedmealot
thanxXD
Reply

Anonymous 8January2016at22:53
veryhelpfulandsuperfantastic
Reply

Unknown 18October2016at19:43
thx
Reply

walshfactor 18October2016at19:48
thx
Reply

AndrewWright 23November2016at20:01

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LITERATURECLASS:SonnetComposedUponWestminsterBridge
Thisisanexceptionaloverviewandanalysisthatwillassistmegreatlyinmytimeof
study.Thankyou
Reply

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