Composed Upon Westminster Bridge September 3, 1802

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge 

September 3, 1802 

By William Wordsworth

Type of the Poem: Petrarchan Sonnet, 

Rhyme Scheme :    abba abba cdc dcd, 

It has an Octave ( 8 lines) and a Sestet ( 6 lines )

1. Summary:             Once, William Wordsworth was very much impressed by London’s majesty and grandeur after visiting it from Westminster Bridge in the early morning. To him London city looks as the most beautiful thing on earth. Anyone who ignores such a wonderful scene must be a person of dull soul. The city of London wears a very beautiful look in the morning. Complete silence prevails everywhere. All the man-made things look very bright and glittering in the smokeless air of the morning. According to the poet the sun has never shone more beautifully in its morning grandeur over valleys, rocks and hills. The river Thames flows on majestically while the busy city of England seems to be asleep.

2. How does the poet present London in the beauty of the morning?

Ans. William Wordsworth established an alluring poem ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ using successful ways of portraying early morning tranquility in a dynamic city. The poet conveys the beauty of man-made things when viewed in the correct way. The poem begins with a rather shocking statement when the poet is not speaking of Nature, but of the city. The city of London wears the beauty of the morning just like a garment. Complete silence prevails everywhere. All the man-made things look very bright and glittering in the smokeless air of the morning. The sun shines more beautifully in its morning grandeur over valleys, rocks and hills. The river Thames flows on majestically while the busy city of England seems to be asleep.

3. “A sight so touching in its majesty.” -- What is the sight referred to here? what does the poet feel about the sight? Who would be dull of soul and why?

Ans. i) The sight of London city in the light of the early sun is referred to here.

ii) The poet feels that the sight is highly impressive in its splendor.

iii) A person who would pass by the Westminster Bridge on an early morning and still fail to notice the beauty of the city of London bathed in the early morning sunlight, would be dull of soul. The scene, according to the poet, is very charming. It can touch all sensitive souls. But a person, indifferent to such a glorious beauty, is sure to be dull due to his lack of aesthetic sense.

4. Discuss the poem ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ as a poem of Nature.

Ans. Wordsworth feels the influence of Nature as the city is open to the fields and to the sky. A city itself is generally not a part of the Nature, but here certainly it is not in conflict with the Nature. Rather the poet expresses the beauty of the city as a part of Nature. Wordsworth here speaks of the beautiful elements of Nature by conveying the beauty of man-made things when viewed in a correct way. The air is smokeless and the sun does never shine on anything of Nature so brilliantly. The usage of the city having heart is symbolic. The poet imagines that the heart of the city during bright morning is one of tranquility. Thus the poet never excludes the city like London as a part of Nature.

5. What does the poet mean by “that mighty heart”?

Ans. By “that mighty heart”, Wordsworth personifies the city of London. It is the capital city of the nation and is the epicentre of all its activities. So the city has been metaphorically described as the mighty heart of England. In the poem, “that mighty heart” lies in deep slumber allowing the poet to enjoy the glorious morning beauty of the city without any disturbance.

6. Write a note on the significance of the title of the poem "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge".

Ans. "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" is a poem by Wordsworth where he describes the beauty of the city of London as he observes it from the Westminster Bridge. It is a bright sunny morning which is a rare occasion in the city as its weather is generally cloudy and wet. The poet finds the city bright, beautiful, grand and still quiet under the spell of a slumber. Everything seems to be glittering in the smokeless air. As the city is yet to start its daily activity, the calmness in the morning light becomes all the more profound. Wordsworth feels the mighty heart of London and the title is indicative of the time and place when the poet feels so. Thus the title is simple and appropriate and clearly informs the reader what the poem is all about.