Perspectives

Putting a poem into perspective is very important, as it can provide several points for discussion. Here, we will focus on the biographic and the literary context of “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” by William Wordsworth.

Biographic context: excerpt from Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal

In the extra material from Wider Contexts, you are asked to compare Dorothy Wordsworth’s view of London with that of William Wordsworth, her brother. In the extract from Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal, you can see that the poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” was, in fact, based on an event which took place in July of the same year. William Wordsworth was accompanied by his sister, who made a note of the day in her journal.

When reading the journal entry, notice how Dorothy also focused on the way in which the light of the sun highlighted the beauty of the houses: “… the sun shone so brightly, with such a fierce light, that there was even something like the purity of one of nature’s own grand spectacles.” (p. 2, ll. 2-4)

Except for  the light of the sun, the landscape does not seem to make an overwhelming impression on Dorothy. She admires the houses, the river and the boats, but the focus is clearly on the light of the sun.

As you can see, the two views are almost identical and they accentuate the fact that the light of the sun on that specific day is what impressed them both.

Literary context: “London” by William Blake

The poem “London” by William Blake presents a totally different...