Wordsworth's Poetical Works Essay Questions

In his poem "London, 1802" Wordsworth writes that humanity had lost its virtues and morality. He asks the deceased poet John Milton to come back and teach the world how to live. What do you think Wordsworth would write if he saw the way people live today?

Discuss the power of memory in Wordsworth's poetry. How does Wordsworth use memory to make him happy? Use specific details from Wordsworth's poems to support your arguments.

In what ways is nature like a religion for Wordsworth? Use examples from Wordsworth's poems to support your argument. You may also choose to include details from Wordsworth's biography.

How did Wordsworth's life affect his writing? You may want to discuss his parents' deaths, his relationship with his sister, his daughter in France, his life in the Lake District, or his relationship with Samuel Coleridge. Make specific connections between Wordsworth's works and biography.

How does the speaker in "Ode; Intimations of Immortality" change between the first stanza and the last stanza? Chart how the change occurs using specific details from the poem. Why do you think this change takes place?

In "I wandered lonely as a cloud" Wordsworth gains a beautiful memory to take with him and make him happy when he is away from nature. Do you have a memory of a time, place or event that makes you happy when other things in your life aren't going well? Describe it, and then compare your experience of memory with Wordsworth's.

Do a close reading of "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." What is Wordsworth saying about the cycles of life? What is he saying about maturity? Wisdom? Time? Relationships? Use specific details from the poem to support your arguments.

Who understand death better in "We are Seven": the little girl who has lost two siblings, or the speaker? Why? Support your argument with specific details from the poem.

In "The Tables Turned" Wordsworth tells his friend to put his books away and go outside to be a part of nature. Do you think that this is good advice? Why or why not? Use details from several of Wordsworth's poems to support your claim.

How does Wordsworth use form, rhyme scheme and meter to convey meaning? Choose two or three poems that use different forms to discuss how structure can contribute to the meaning of a poem.