TASK: Comparison between the preface and the poems: I wander lonely as a cloud, Solitary Reaper, My

heart leaps up, Composed upon Westminster bridge.

In the preface to the lyrical ballads is presented a good method to write poetry. This method is based on
writing in a simple language and treat situations of the common life. Nevertheless we can resume better
Wordsworths method in a simple sentence: poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings
recollected in tranquility. So for Wordsworth memory was the key of creative poetry and nature,
emotions, his inspiration.
Analyzing the poems we can notice that the solitary reaper and the daffodils treat the theme of memory
and nature while composed upon Westminster bridge and my heart leaps up reflect more on the
amazement in front of nature.
In the Daffodils the poet presents nature as a source of inspiration but also as a comfort for the poet that
feels lonely, in fact he say: a bliss of solitude. Moreover he makes us understand that by recollecting
emotions in tranquility through the use of imagination the poet can feel them again and in that moment
his inspired to write poetry. Therefore the content of the poetry reflects perfectly the new method coined
by Wordsworth.
In the Solitary Reaper the themes are similar or even equal to the previous poem. Nature his seen as a
source of inspiration, but it is the only way to come in contact with moral and spiritual values. Memory is
praised for the beautiful effects it has on men. In the poem the protagonist was totally captured by the
scene and the song , that created in him feelings so strong that he continued to listen to the song in his
heart.
My heart leaps up as said before treats the theme of amazement in front of nature. The central sentence of
the poem: the child is father of the man explains clearly that the child has the task to teach the father to
be more emotional and to become excited in front of a natural event. Therefore reconnecting this to the
preface Wordsworth underlines the importance of the nature and the strong feelings that can create.
Finally the last poem, Composed upon Westminster bridge focuses on the qualities of the city and of the
nature , but especially on the way of nature of taking the most simple thing and make it look of something
of great beauty. Therefore the content is very linked to the preface.
To sum up there is a deep relationship between the four poems and the preface.