My Mind is a Flame

I would like to preface this blog post by saying that at the moment I am under the influence of a rather horrible headache, and as such what I am about to write may make a total of zero sense.

The period preceding the romantic period of British literature was marked by sweeping epics and grand tales of the enlightenment of man.  Great stories were told and focused mostly on the accomplishments and deeds of men.  However, with the rapidly changing times and the onset of the industrial revolution, many English writers turned toward a more natural realm.  Seeing the world around them become twisted with progress and expansion, they turned to the beauty of nature to ease their minds.  This new age of literature also came with a greater love of the individual and independence, shying away from the works of groups of people.  Oddly enough though, many of the pieces from this period, of which there are quite a lot, have a subtle hint of misanthropy to them. 

In Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” he remarks many times on this clash between nature and bustling cityscapes of the growing English empire.  As he describes the beautiful scene that he sees before him and muses on the ways of the world, he mentions how he goes to this place as a release from the din and busyness of the city.  Also he mentions the mass of people that reside in the cities, and how they contribute to the undesirable attributes of cities.  All of this seems to say that Wordsworth simply doesn't really like people all that much, and this characteristic misanthropy meshes quite well with the focus on the individual.  This idea of individuality and misanthropy puts forth the image of a hermit, living in nature away from the madness of the city, and shunning the world around him. 

What this means exactly is the real question.  Perhaps it means that Wordsworth supported the idea of shunning the world and its people, or perhaps it simply is a representation of Wordsworth’s own beliefs towards people in general.  Honestly, I don’t know.