It is a Beauteous Evening-William Wordsworth
It is a Beauteous Evening-William Wordsworth
Poem
Poet
William Wordsworth
Form/ Structure
Italian Sonnet
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Octave – description of the countryside
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Sestet – directly addresses his daughter
Rhyme: ABBAABBA CDECED
Title Reference
The first line
Provides the setting – evening (end of the day/ moment to reflect)
Message
Celebrate/ appreciate the beauty of nature
Theme
Beauty of God’s creation
Relationship between father and daughter
Childhood innocence
Power of nature & God
Mood
Meditative/ calm/ serene
Tone
Reverent (deep respect)
Respectful
Affectionate
Figurative devices
L2&3 Simile
L3&4 Alliteration
L5 Personification
L8 Simile
L9 Repetition
L12 Allusion
SUMMARY
The speaker in this poem is awestruck by the beauty of Nature, specifically the evening time. He expresses his appreciation for the feeling of tranquillity he experiences in Nature. He views the scene through a (Christian) religious lens and assures his companion (presumably his young daughter) that God’s presence is omnipotent. He states that even if/when she does not express devotion to God, or spend time in a physical place of worship, God is always present. (This reaction stems from her being seemingly unaffected by the incredible scene in front of them.) He ultimately praises God for the creation of Nature.
FORM/STRUCTURE
This is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet consisting of 14 lines. The octave (first 8 lines) describes the breath-taking beauty of the scene. The sestet (last 6 lines) serves as the speaker’s comment on the beauty and spirituality of the scene. He addresses his companion (his daughter) directly in the sestet and acts as a commentary of the speaker’s understanding of the spirituality of life in general.
ANALYSIS
LINE 1
It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
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beauteous – beautiful
The atmosphere is very peaceful and tranquil. A person is completely at ease; no worries or stress.
evening – is often the most gentle and quiet time of day.
calm – suggests a mood that is peaceful, tranquil and utterly quiet.
free – implies free of stress/worries/pain.
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LINE 2
The holy time is quiet as a Nun
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Personification and simile add a religious element to the poem.: “holy time” (the evening) is compared to a Nun that is quiet as she is in prayer. She is close to God. She loves God.
LINES 3-4
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun / Is sinking down in its tranquility;
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Breathless – cannot even hear her breathe. This emphasises the silence. Just as the nun is ‘breathless with adoration’ so does the feeling of this time and place take away the poet’s breath with awe at the beauty of God’s creation.
The speaker links the beauty of Nature to God, the creator of Earth and its beauty.
the broad sun – As the sun sets it seems to become a large orange-red ball and the colours of sunset stretch out across the horizon. This adds to the serene, peaceful atmosphere.
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LINE 5
The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea;
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Personification – heaven is described as being gentle. This adds to the peaceful atmosphere.
The gentleness of heaven – The sea is reflecting the skies/Heaven. It is calm and gentle. It is beautiful and Godly.
Broods – Contemplates deeply: heaven seems to watch over the sea below. Figuratively God is watching over the world.
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LINE 6
Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
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Listen – is a command and the exclamation mark intensifies it and indicates the excitement of the speaker. A very quiet moment is broken by this imperative order. The poet wants his companion to be an active participant in the scene.
mighty Being – Literally refers to the sea. Figuratively refers to God. The capital letter in Being implies that although the speaker is referring to the sea, the capital letter links the sea to God, the Almighty Being. Both the sea and God are ‘awake’ and ‘eternal’ and neither stop moving.
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LINE 7
And doth with his eternal motion make
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doth – does
eternal motion – God and the sea are eternal and will go on for ever
motion make – the alliteration emphasizes the thunderous sound of the sea.
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LINE 8
A sound like thunder—everlastingly.
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Simile: breaking waves sound like thunder. Indicates power of nature and God The thunderous sound of waves contrasts with the calm and quiet of lines 1-3.
The dash creates a pause and emphasises the word which follows – everlastingly. Without the pause there would not be such a strong emphasis. It is the end of the octave but it indicates that God’s creation, and, by inference, God, is forever.
LINE 9
Dear child! dear Girl! that walkest with me here,
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Dear child! dear Girl! – is said in a loving tone. He expresses his love and adoration for his daughter.
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LINES 10-11
If thou appear untouched by solemn thought, / Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
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untouched by solemn thought – She seems oblivious to the beauty around her.
Wordsworth tells his daughter that although she doesn’t seem to have been affected by the depth of feeling in the scene, he can assure her that it makes no difference to what is true. Even if she doesn’t know or understand it now, she is still made of the same ‘divine’ material as all creation. Even if she is not touched by the beauty of the scene, it does not mean she is removed from God or less spiritual.
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LINE 12
Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year;
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in Abraham's bosom – Metaphor – refers to heaven: Like a father holds a baby to protect it, the girl is unknowingly protected by God.
all the year – at all times. God is always present to protect her.
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LINE 13
And worshipp'st at the Temple's inner shrine,
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the Temple's inner shrine – Reference to nature: even if she does not express devotion to God or spend time in a physical place of worship (like a church), God is always present in nature.
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LINE 14
God being with thee when we know it not.
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Assonance (repetition of the ‘e’ sound in being, thee, we) emphasises God’s presence.
God is with you, even if you are not aware of it.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Account for the sun's being described as 'broad' (line 3) in the context of the poem.
The sun appears huge on the horizon as it sets. The colours of sunset spread out across the vast ocean. The sun is a reminder of God’s omnipotence / presence in the world. (2)
Refer to lines 6-8: 'the mighty Being ... like thunder — everlastingly.' Discuss the effectiveness of the simile in these lines.
The noise of crashing waves is compared to the sound of thunder. This emphasizes the loudness and power of God’s creation. (3)
Critically discuss how the structure of the poem is used to convey its central message.
In the octave of the sonnet, the speaker contemplates the beauty and power of God's creation. He is in awe of the ‘tranquility’ and gentleness’ surrounding him
and feels a sense of reverence for nature’s might. In the sestet, the speaker realises that children do not have these solemn thoughts and moments because they are naturally close to God. Children have an instinctive appreciation of God’s power and love.(3)