William Wordsworth                       Lines written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey

 The second stanza from Lines 23-58 explains most of his feelings.  I want to look at how he reminisces of the place.  He knows that even though his absence has been for over five years, his feelings for the place have not changed.  It almost seems like a love between people because even though the other person is not present in their daily lives and do not get to see them very often they have a special moment in their mind and memories that they still hold dear to their heart.  Wordsworth explains the lovely feeling that you may not be able to see or tangibly touch, but you can definitely feel it within.  The landscape for a blind man is invisible, but all of the sounds, smells and feelings that a blind man can derive from the environment are just as strong as the beautiful sights. 

These feelings that he has cannot be felt within the hustle and bustle of the city, but by the quietness of nature.  I still think that the towns and cities do hold an important part in Wordsworth’s life; however, it is in nature where he can truly re-find himself.  He writes, “Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart, And passing even into my purer mind With tranquil restoration,” so saying that he feels it deep down that he can be reborn, restored and renewed as a person and possibly a partner of life.  Many times, individuals have a hard time remembering who they are as a person because they have been something else for many others; whether it is a husband, a father, a boss, a coworker or whatever else position in life they have played.  So when they can finally have some alone time and appreciate themselves for what they see themselves as then they can play their other roles much better.  Losing sight of oneself can be detrimental for anyone when they forget their own goals, dreams and inspirations. 

It seems that Wordsworth has either forgotten his goals, dreams, or inspirations and the time that he is in nature he regains his focus.  Wordsworth is sharing with the reader his own experiences with nature as a young man to display a bit of humility and at the time his immaturity.  As an older adult he can look back and see that he never seemed to appreciate the time in the tranquility; as a young adult he did not appreciate “pleasures” or “influences” in his life until it seemed to be too late.  All of what he had seen, heard, and felt at a younger age had shaped him into the person he is now, but it is only now that he can see the impact in his life. 

Wordsworth now knows to appreciate the time that he has in nature and can look upon his life and the life of others to say how blessed we all are.  He knows that through the many days that everyone lives there will be dark and “joyless” times within the “fever of the world”, but it is the love for nature that not only his spirit should go back to, but others as well. 

Overall, Wordsworth seems to be saying in this stanza that there is such a great power in nature in the awe inspiring sights, sounds, smells, and feeling that one may receive greater inspiration through this life and eternal life afterward because of the proof of God’s power to create and restore.