“More like a man flying from something that he dreads, than one who sought the thing he loved”

Upon reading this poem, it is clear that the speaker has both changed in the years that he has been absent from Tintern Abbey, and yet, remained the same. Throughout the poem, you learn of the great love and admiration that the speaker has for nature. Through the recollection of his youth, the description of his memory of nature helping him through loneliness, and the way he describes the scene before him presently, it is clear that this love of nature has remained unchanged. While he has always possessed this love of nature, he has not always shown appreciation for it. In the beginning, he describes the different aspects of nature as if he has been enlightened. He remarks on “hearing the waters, rolling from their mountain springs” and that the lofty cliffs are impressing “thoughts of more deep seclusion”. Through Wordsworth’s use of diction, it is clear that the speaker is overjoyed with the sights laid out before him, and that perhaps he hasn’t always been. Further throughout the poem, he recounts on his experience with nature in the time that he spent there in his youth. Here, the reader learns that how he appreciated nature then differs from the way he appreciates it now. There was one line in particular that I found to emphasize this point tremendously—“more like a man flying from something that he dreads, than one who sought the thing he loved.” This shows how truly different the speaker perceives himself now as opposed to his youth.

The speaker’s reference to his younger sister is significant to the poem. His sister serves the purpose of reminding him of his youth. He further reflects on “what I was once” and how in his absence, “nature never did betray the heart that loved her.” Upon this reflection, he hopes that nature will be more present to his younger sister and in the times that she feels lonely away from this place, she will be reminded of the time they shared experiencing nature. His sister could also serve as a reassurance that his love of nature would continue on through her fond memories.