Wordsworth
Whether or not Wordsworth's poems can be deemed undemocratic is a debatable issue. However, when compared to Pope's work (which can easily be labeled undemocratic due to its use of classical allusions and educated language), one can hardly say that the ideas presented in Wordsworth's experimental lyrical ballads were not accessible to a large population at the time they were written. The ideas may have seemed distant and incomprehensible to the educated, aristocratic class that would have most readily had the chance to read through Wordsworth's collection, however the language used and feelings present in the poems acted as a segue to universal truths which would have been relatable even to someone not of the working class Wordsworth's poems focused on. Wordsworth's poem "Simon Lee" is good example of the features mentioned above. "Simon
Alas The gratitude of men Has oftner left me mourning. Instead of appreciating Simon's gratitude, he is mourning it. This is uncharacteristic of Pope's works because the language and allusions he uses are not understood by everyone, disabling his themes from being comprehended by whoever might happen to be reading it. " The gratitude he receives from Simon is nothing like the coldness he speaks of sometimes getting in return for kindness. " In the seventh stanza of the poem, the speaker talks of the labor Simon and his wife must perform. Obviously, the upper class of society would not have had any idea of the pains of manual labor, but they can most certainly perceive the idea that Wordsworth is attempting to convey to the reader: that Simon Lee, even in his old age, took pride in the hard work he accomplished. This is an important idea to recall when reading the last stanza of the poem, when you realize that perhaps the speaker has stripped Simon of his pride by completing the task for him. The four last lines of "Simon Lee" read: -I've heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds With coldness still returning. This is not something that happens only to those in the low, middle class, but to everyone regardless of wealth or gender. He then says that the "gratitude of men has oftner left him mourning. What exactly has just happened here? The speaker says he has "heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds with coldness still returning. The theme here is perhaps that as you get older, you lose everything you once had pride in. " Keeping this in mind and remembering the pride that Simon so obviously took in his work, it seems entirely possible that the speaker now feels guilt over what he has just done. Wordsworth's language, while simple, can be understood by anyone, allowing the common truths to be conveyed to anyone that wishes to read them. Themes such as this one are what make Wordsworth's poems democratic.
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Acceptance Essays
