Nature and Wordsworth

This week I had to do a project for my poetry class where we took a poem about nature and actually went out in nature, read the poem, and share our experience in a multimodal format.  As I was contemplating exactly what kind of project I was going to do, I realized that here on the blog would be a fun way to share.  The poem I chose to reflect on is 'Tables Turned' by William Wordsworth.  I chose this poem partly because of the way in which Wordsworth describes nature, and the danger of being so caught up in books and education that you miss the beauty around you.  I also chose this poem because I thoroughly enjoy the idea of being taught by nature, which also reflects what the Bible says about Creation, and it being good.

The moon photographed through the rain

Nature Writing in the 19th Century

An Explication of 'Tables Turned' by William Wordsworth

I have included the text of the poem here.

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:—
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.


I found this poem extremely inspiring and stirred a deep sense of longing to get out in nature and away from the daily grind of sitting in front of my phone and computer for hours every day.  The first few lines are a calling to 'quit your books' or put away textbooks and sitting in a study every day.  Wordsworth even goes as far as to say that sitting like that will make you gain weight, or 'grow double'.  He asks readers 'why all this toil and trouble?' asking why sit and worry over books when nature is waiting for you.
Wordsworth goes on to describe the sun setting behind a mountain and spreading rays of yellow through the fields. He calls books 'endless strife' and says there is more wisdom in the song of a bird.
Then the poem turns with the line 'let Nature be your teacher'. Wordsworth states that Nature has wealth, truth, and wisdom to bestow upon people's hearts.  He writes that wisdom comes from being happy and healthy, and the way to achieve that is to be out in Nature.  Wordsworth even says that more can be learned about humanity, good, and evil from a tree than a sage who claims wisdom.
Wordsworth concludes with a call, not to dissect nature; not to come with an attitude of analyzing and studying, but instead just sit and quietly watch, and receive what nature has to give you.

My Nature Experience                  

The portion of this project that required me to go out and experience nature was a little difficult at first because it was raining most of this week.  However, there were some breaks in the rain, and I was able to sit and read my poem.  I live on a piece of property, so I chose a spot where I wasn't looking at our house but instead was looking at the grass and trees.  I took a few pictures, and then read the poem in this new setting.

I chose to go out about an hour before sunset, because of the evening time described in the poem.  It was chilly outside, and I felt like this made me want to hurry through the experience rather than sitting quietly and receiving like the poem described.  However as I sat and read the poem, I could hear some birds chirping, and I was reminded to be thankful for the cold, and also some perspective that 50 degrees in California compared to the extreme freezing temperatures being experienced by some people I know in the Midwest is really nothing to complain about.  As I sat outside and thought about the words in the poem, I was reminded of the days I spent outside.  I thought of the little shed that my dad built me to play in (which is sadly no longer there), the day spent learning about the Califonia Gold Rush by panning for gold (really just painted stones) in the creek that runs through our property.  I thought about riding horses and the discipline it requires.  However, the most prominent thought was looking around and envisioning my wedding in a few months, which is taking place in the spaces pictured above.  I thought of the spring that is coming and the new growth and life it will bring to the outside of our home, and how this will be the perfect place for a new life in marriage to begin.  I thought about nature being a teacher, and how nature has been such a big part of my life growing up, and I thought of how I want to keep nature as a large part of my life moving forward.  

I love reading books, and I tend to spend a lot of time inside.  So the line 'quit your books' was difficult for me to process and really accept.  But as I sat outside I realized that it was a call to be well rounded.  To not rely only on books.  To see what you can learn from nature as well.  I also saw it perhaps as a call to not immediately accept the 'wisdom' offered in books but to decide for yourself if it is wisdom.  

Biblical Theology of Nature

As I read this poem and thought about the Bible reading for the week, I thought about the creation story in Genesis.  I thought about all the times that God said 'it is good' when talking about the Nature that he created.  Everything He made, after finishing God declared it good.  This made me think about my nature experience.  It is good.  The world may have fallen into sin, and it was cursed to grow thorns.  And in spite of this curse, the 'good' that God created can still be seen.  The world is fallen.  And although it may not be 'good' and in a perfect relationship with God, parts of the 'good' that "God declared when he created it can still be seen.  The beauty in green grass, in trees, in leaves falling to the ground, in birds chirping and dogs napping in the sun.  The beauty of water trickling over rocks after a season of dryness.  It is still good, and it is up to us to find the good and learn to see it in everything. 

Conclusion

This project renewed my love of nature and reminded me to get outside more often.  It inspired me to let nature be my teacher in finding the good that remains in the world.  I often get discouraged and sad at the state of the world.  Mainly the people in the world.  But this project reminded me to enjoy the little things.  To take time to just sit and listen; to hear God speaking through nature to find the good.