The Process of Recollection in Tranquil State – As Wordsworth theory suggests that “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings and emotions recollected in tranquility ” , the ode uses the process of recollection theory. Critically, Wordsworth always addresses the process of recollection in the last few passages but the opening of the ode is clearly an exposition to the core meaning of what the recollection is supposed to be. The tranquility is the reflection of a calm state which is triggered in the sensuousness of the natural world . The natural world triggers the mind of the poet to recall the past emotional experiences of his childhood memory where he takes a flight of imagination to recollect the “joy” and “innocence” of a child. The process of recollection reflects the philosophical musing of the mind and the individual self.
Mysticism – The idea of mystical experience through the process of recollection is the essence of Wordsworth Romanticism. The ode shows the recollection of the conscious experience of childhood joy and innocence which is mysticism but Wordsworth takes it to a higher order of divinity that is generated out of “Heaven” and “lies about us in our infancy” reflects the pantheism traits in his writing. The ode also reflects his pantheistic beliefs and mystical experiences which is able to be established through a flight of infinite imaginative realm of recollection.
Self- Reflection– As Wordsworth highlighted that “Poetry is the image of man and nature” clearly represents that poetry is a mirror of reflecting individual self of a man in relationship with the nature. It embarks upon the subjective truth of an individual. The ode portrays the idea of self and its reflection where the poet is reflecting upon his childhood memories and philosophies regarding certain truth of transition of human growth and life on earth. He states that the child retains their memory in great ease which embodies the child to be in earthly connections but as the child develops and grows into adulthood, his memory diminishes and gets subtracted. This clearly represents the self-reflection where the poet is reflecting on himself and in general philosophically.
William Wordsworth Michael as a Pastoral Poem
Humanism and Individualism– The Romantic poems also inputs humanism and individual truths in their writing. As far as Plato is concerned regarding poetry, he gave a negative connotation to poetry regarding its expression of feelings in poetry but Wordsworth established that it is these arousal of feelings and emotions in poetry makes a man a human being. As far as Wordsworth’s Ode is concerned, the escalation of feelings is centered around in the poem and the poet muses philosophically comparing the child to a lost “prophet ” and asks a rhetorical point on the the process of transition of lost memory of childhood innocence in the adulthood. This exploration reflects the humanism and individualism truth the poet wants to convey in his ode.
Imagination – The Romantics are famous for their imaginative flights which they escape from the reality of life. The Ode shows the imaginative scale of William Wordsworth which is the process of recollecting the past emotional experiences of his childhood memories. He even highlights that the poet can trigger the childhood memories even in adulthood when he is in a tranquil state in the lapse of nature. The blowing wind and the sound of the waterfalls and the bleating sheep can trigger the poet’s mind to recall back his childhood memories which will bring a sense of pleasure and a maturity to poet’s consciousness or the “philosophic mind”. The “philosophic mind” reflects the Romantic idealism of imagination where imagination seems to be not merely a process of recollection but a sense of philosophy , pleasure and search for the individual truth which the poet aspires in his ode.
William Wordsworth Michael as a Pastoral Poem
