Spiritual Writing From Gazing At Nature

"Gazing"can be understood as a kind of vision metaphor, whose connotation is inspiring, and it enables us to see through the essence of Wordsworth's poetry. The thesis focuses on Wordsworth's natural philosophy, and"gazing"is the attitude of the poet when he is confronted with Mother Nature, and this is also the way the poet mediates on nature and apprehands nature.First of all, the thesis sums up the history of Wordsworth study. The early criticism on Wordsworth can be found in the correspondence of his comtemporary poets. Almost all the famous poets have made their remarks, either lauditory or derogatory,on him. The important academic journal titled Edingburg Review does have unfavourable remarks on Wordsworth. The late 19^th century critic and poet Matthew Arnold thinks that Wordsworth has the power to bring comfort to those who are defeated in life. And George Brandes , the famous Danmark scholar on the history of literature, completes his huge 6-volumn works Main Currents in Minteeenth Century Literature. In the part that is concerned with England, he remarkes that Wordsworth is a poet who wakens man's conciousness for the perception and impression of nature. In the 20^th centure, various kinds of methods of criticism are applied to the study of Wordsworth. Theories such as phsychological analysis, deconstruction theory, structure theory , feminism, ecocriticism are all used to analyze Wordsworth's texts. Traditional ways of studying the language and art are still in practice. All the critical discourse enters Wordsworth's artistic world from a brand-new perspective. American eminent critic Harold Broom thinks that in the field of the western classical poetry, there are two eminent figures: One is Francesco Petrarca, the other is William Wordsworth. In his work titled The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition, Meyer Howard Abrams, one of the most outstanding critics on European and American comtemporary literature criticism, points out that Wordsworth's poetics is expressive. Another eminent scholar Georffrey Hartman thinks that Wordsworth's poetry reflects and expresses his own conciousness in his book Wordworth's Poetry 1787—1814.As for the research of Wordsworth at home, at the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of Republic of China, western learning begins to disseminate in China. In 1970, Lu Xun wrote his paper On Romantics, in which he introduces Byron and Shelley, but not Wordsworth. Lu Xun's choice of introducing English romantic poets shows a tendency of spiritual call in that age, the call for rebellious spirit. And this on the other hand also explains why The Lake Poets represented by Wordsworth are not welcome in China at that time. From the People's liberation and before the 80s, the attitude towards romantic poets is largely politics oriented. At that time, Chinese remarks on romantic poets follow those of the former Soviet Union, and they divide the English romantic poets into two classes: the active romantic poets; the passive romantic poets. And this kind of view based on political standard continues to leave its footprint in the books of the history of English literature published in 1980s. The History of English Romantic Poetry by Wang Zuoliang is published in 1991, and in 1993, The History of English Poetry also by Wang gets published, in both of which Wang gives high remarks to Wordsworth. At the beginning of 21th century, Beijing University Press and Shanhai Education Press published the orginial English book like A preface to Wordsworth, William Wordsworth. This shows Wordsworth study is geared to international standards. For the past 20 years, hundred of papers on various levels have got published, and the study covers almost all the aspects and all the perspectives.The 20^th century study of Wordsworth abroad makes a lot of innovations both in theory and methods. As for Wordsworth study at home, since the Reform and Opening-up Policy, Wordsworth's study is on the normal track of literature criticism. But the shortcomings are also obvious: one is that we are often lagged behind when we try to catch up with western theoretical tide, secondly, the comparative study, which is considered somewhat unique, cannot achieve ideal deapth in its analysis, for they often begin with comparison and end also with it. In this context of study, I put forward my own study scheme: To interprete Wordsworth's artistic world through investigating the relationships between Wordsworth's poetry and nature.The study of Wordsworth's poetry is of key importance: First, Mother Nature is the home of our human being. In the days when environment is deteriorating, it is of key importace to reconsider the relationship between nature and human being. Second, It enables us to interprete Wordsworth's poetry better by probing how the poet understands nature in the breadth and depth of philosophy. Third, the result of the topic can provide a potential perspective and research model for Wordsworth study. Without nature, without Wordsworth'art of poetry. The relationship between Wordsworth's poetic world and nature is a problem that is worth our further investigation.In the research, six questions are put forward and answered. First, what are the features of Wordsworth's nature gazing? Second, what are the cultural roots of Wordsworth's natural philosophy? Third, how does Wordsworth's natural philosophy come into being? Fourth, what thoughts does Wordsworth get by interpreting Nature? Fifth, what features are formed when Wordsworth writes nature and expresses his inner mind. Sixth, how are Wordsworth's poetical ideas related to his natural philosophy?Wordsworth's attitude towards nature can be called"gazing", which can be regarded as a metaphor. It has an association with the French philosopher Maurece Merleau-Ponty , who once investigates the relationship between the recognized world and the unrecognized world through experiences. His work Eye and Mind investigates man's spiritual world through part of the body—the eye's observation by using phenomenological research methods, thus establishing a relationship between body and heart. Gazing possesses the following qualities: First, lasting: Gazing is not an action completed in an instance, but one that lasts for some time, which shows spiritual concentration and devotion. Second, mutability: gazing shows a process of mutation, in which the mind of the subject and the"gazed"object have an intercourse with each other. Third, the quality of overflowing, gazing arises from curiosity and the desire to disclose and investigate something that one loves. Gazing is the overflowing of love. Fourth, creativity: gazing can be creative. Wordsworth's poetry is the condensation of gazing at Nature. He deeply loves everything there in nature. His sight goes beyond the enigma of the whole universe, and he also devotes himself to Nature, trying to give a meaning and value to life. In gazing at nature, Wordsworth constantly uses his own imagination and ideal to fill the world, expressing his own inner feelings and thoughts.Wordsworth's love for nature is deeply rooted in the western culture. The natural philosophy in the Bible has a significant influence on Wordsworth. In the Bible, the relationship between man and nature can be interpreted both as man-oriented, or god-oriented, which itself is paradoxical. However, this contradiction is melted in Wordsworth's poetry. On one hand, Wordsworth makes use of Nature for the benefit of man, and on the other hand, he gives genuine concern and love for Nature. Animism in Greek methology also influences Wordsworth. Thoughts about Nature is alos part of the 19th centure European culture, which also excerts a subtle influence on Wordsworth's interest in nature. It is generally believed that Nature has the power of education among the 19th century English intellectual class, especially Jean-Jacques Rousseau.And throughout Wordsworth's life, he also cherishes this idea. In the aspect of popular culture, Nature adoration tendency makes enjoying natural landscape one of the pursuit and taste in life.The process of Wordsworth's idea of nature from the time when it is born to its maturity is that of turning from interpreting the outside world to interpreting one's inner self, in which Wordsworth melts the subjective poet himself into Nature, and recognizes his own existence through understanding Nature. In childhood, Wordsworth transforms his love for his mother into a love for nature. His failure in Cambridge University makes him make up his mind to complish his great task of interpreting nature. When Wordsworth finally feels disappointed at the French Revolution, more and more suffering men come to appear in his poems, and he shows his warm humanistic concerns for these people. Gazing at nature also shapes the poet.Wordsworth's love for Nature enables him to penetrate thoroughly the essence of nature. For Wordsworth, the spiritual value of nature is unbounded and limitless. The power of nature is threatening and simultaneously harmonious. The thoughts of adoring nature is closely related with the fear for the power of nature, which later is absorbed in Wordsworth's works, enriching the content of Wordsworth's poetry with its various colors and aesthetic properties. Wordsworth thinks that man is part of the nature, so man should form a harmonious relationship with nature instead of a hostile relationship. And nature never stops inspiring man with its power of harmony. In observing Nature, Wordsworth also makes philosophical mediatitions in depth and in breadth, setting his heart free. Wordsworth's love for nature implies a tendency of being in opposition to alienation. Although this is only on its primitive stage, it is enough for us to recognize that Wordsworth is a far-sighted poet. By meditating on nature, Wordsworth also gets himself out of the burden of human enigmas. Wordsworth listens to the sad music of humanity in the background of nature and seeks comfort there.The essence of Wordsworth's nature writing is to express his inner heart, and this determines his two main features : one is the presence of a subjective poet, one is the questioning mode of writing. Wordsworth is a self-centred poet. He always places his subjective self in the background of Nature . Gazing is also a kind of concentration, which stimulates others to probe the causes and reasons of a thing. Susan Wolf points out that Romantic texts show a play of possibilities, which is a kind of questioning, by means of which the poet can better understand nature.Wordsworth's poetic principles are inseparable from his natural philosophy. Wordsworth tries to look for new material from the ordinary life for his poetry. And in order to demonstrate all these material properly, Wordsworth determines to use the style of simple and pure language. Wordsworth emphasizes poetry is the overfolowing of powerful feelings, and the feelings arise from recollections in peace. The powerful feelings from the time when they are born to the time when they are expressed show a process of recognizing. Wordsworth's emphasis on that poetry arising from the feelings of recollections in peace shows that poetry does not come from original feelings , but the feelings after recollections. Recollection is a kind of reconsideration of one's feeling and only by this can the essence of poetry be disclosed. What's more, Wordsworth's conception of nature is not limited to natural landscapes, he goes beyond his sight to reach to some artificial objects. If artificial objects can be in harmony with nature, and they can be a part of the nature.Based on the analysis of the text, the thesis studies Wordsworth's natural philosophy by making use of modern western philosophical theory and modern literary criticism. Without Nature, without Wordsworth's poetry. Natural philosophy is not only an important part of Wordsworth's poetry, it is the soul of the Wordsworth's poetic world. For Wordsworth, Nature is the source of power. In gazing at Nature, Wordsworth mediates Nature, questions Nature, and thus writes his own mind, establishing his poetic art. Wordsworth's poetry is spiritual writing by means of gazing at Nature.