Lines Written In Early spring

Chapter: 9

1. Where was the speaker on that spring day?

Ans: The speaker was in a grove surrounded by the blended notes of nature on that
spring day.

2. What was the speaker doing?

Ans: The speaker is reclining in a grove, listening to birdsong and thinking about
the plight of humanity.

3. What kind of thought overpowered the sweet mood of the speaker?

Ans: The speaker says that while sitting in a grove, his mind is filled with both
pleasant and sad thoughts which overpowered him the sweet mood of the speaker.
As he was in a “sweet”, his pleasant mood leads him to deeper thoughts, thous
associated with the nature of humankind, and what has become of the human
soul/spirit.

4. What grieved the speaker’s heart?

Ans: The transgressions of man by his fellowmen grieve the heart of the speaker.

5. What kind of sound did the speaker hear?

Ans: The speaker has heard a thousand blended notes. He felt that Nature and
human soul are linked. The poet enjoys the beauty and smell of the flowers
primrose and periwinkle. He thought that the flowers and twigs were enjoying the
air they breathed.

6. What is linked to the fair works of Nature?

Ans: The human soul that runs though the poet linked to the fair works of nature.
Here, the poet personifies Nature by giving the ability of conduct, which he calls
“her fair works”, and make the human soul and heart that resides inside the poet
linked with them.

7. What is the speaker’s faith about the flowers?

Ans: As the poet sits in his green bower among the primrose tufts and periwinkles,
the speaker affirms his belief that every flower enjoys the air that it breathes.

8. What did the birds do around the poet while he sat reclined?

Ans: The birds were hoping and playing around the post and seemed to be thrilled
with pleasure in their activity.

9. What did the bidding twigs do?

Ans: The budding twigs spread out their leaves to catch the breezy air which
implies that the twigs were experiencing the joy of their contact with the breezy
air.

10. What is the significance of the primrose tufts and periwinkle in the poem?

Ans: The significance of the primrose tufts and periwinkle in the poem is that both
the bunch of primrose tufts and the periwinkle which is a creeper with blue, which
and pink flowers and the epitome of harmony in nature. The periwinkle intertwines
itself on the primrose in perfect coexistence and the poet believes that every flower
seems to enjoy the air it breathes. The sight of periwinkles twining through
primrose tufts makes the poet believe that all elements enjoy the bliss of nature.

11. What does Wordsworth mean when he says ‘What man has made of
man’?

Ans: What Wordsworth says “What Man has made of Man”, he seems to imply
that there was an expectation for man, his behaviour and his responsibility. Man,
with so much power for good and for destruction has the responsibility to respect
his fellow men and the environment in which he lives. According to the poet, it
was Nature’s holy plan to give pleasure to men and link his soul with nature. The
poet thinks that nature has connected human souls to all creations of nature. Like
any other creations of nature, man should be living in sad to think of “what man
has made of man”. He is referring to the negative actions of Man, such as wars,
producing sorrow and conflict, leading to sufferings and unhappiness which are in
contrast with the works of Nature which are positive creations such as flowers and
birdsong, which produce beauty and happiness.

Thus, the poet wants to say that men is unhappy because man is cruel to other men
and he feels sad about the relationship between man and men. Nature is linked to
all the souls of human beings. The poet feels sad while enjoying the beauty of
nature when he remembers that man have failed to realiz e the pleasure of Nature.
Men do not enjoy the beauty rather, they destroy the Nature. Men also fight against
one another and all become unhappy. But the poet feels sad to think of ‘what man
has made of man’. Man is always busy in worldly business because of which there
is no sufficient time to enjoy the Nature.

12. What conclusion does the poet draw from the movement of the birds?

Ans: When the poet saw the birds hopping and playing around him, he couldn’t
measure their accurate thoughts but he draws the conclusion from their movement
that they are experiencing the thrill of pleasure. The poet describes the joy of birds
as they sang, hopped and played around the poet. Though the poet doesn’t
understand the language and ways of the birds, he recognizes their movements are
out of sheer pleasure and joy. In the beginning of the poem, the poet was sitting
among a group of trees, While sitting under the trees, he listened to the melodious
songs of various birds. He was extremely happy to listen to the sound of the birds.
But as time passed by his mood slowly started to shift. Sad and sorrowful thoughts
start to conquer his mind as he realises and ponders upon how nature has worked
its way.

Nature has done a good job in creating everything around him. It includes the man
and his soul. As he sat in the lap of nature he understood the connection he had
with nature and its totality. His understanding of this connection with nature
brought in great sorrow. He started to think about what ‘Man’ has been doing to
other men. The poet was referring to the ways in which man has destroyed the
earth. Man with his own actions has destroyed the comfortable home that nature
had created for him. The poet then observes the nature around him. He sees the
bunch of primroses that were next to him. He didn’t realise that all these flowers
which were growing together were happy. They enjoyed the normal and simple
pleasures of life. They appreciated the air that they breathed. The poet then looked
around and saw the birds enjoying and playing around. Even though he was not
able to read their minds he was able to understand the way in which they moved.
He could find happiness in every move they made. He realised that this happiness
was the result of the circumstances of their life and how they appreciated the
smaller things present in their lives.

13. What is Wordsworth’s belief regarding Nature’s holy plan?

Ans: In the poem “Lines Written in the Early Spring”, William Wordsworth talks
about the beauty of nature. He finds joy and pleasure in the scenery and creatures
around him. However, such natural joy is nowhere to be found in man. The poet
laments this gap that man has created between humanity and nature. The poet says
that he heard a thousand blended notes while he was sitting reclined in a grove.
The blended notes here are the songs of various birds and the sounds of natural
elements that have combined together into a beautiful melody. The poet was in that
sweet mood when pleasant thoughts bring sad thoughts to the mind. Therefore,
although the atmosphere was sweet and happy, his happy thoughts led him to
contemplative thoughts that make him sad.

Nature linked the human soul that ran through the poet to her fair works or the
beautiful things she had created. It brought much grief to the poet’s heart to think
what man has made of man. He was really sad to think about the state that
humanity has come to. Humanity, by disconnecting itself from the harmonies and
beauties of nature, has brought itself to a state of disorder and chaos. The poet tells
us that periwinkle flowers were scattered in circles thorough bunches of promises
in a pleasant shady place under the trees. He believes that flower enjoys the air it
breathes. Therefore, beautiful creations of Nature such as flowers find joy even in
the very air they breathe. They are happy to be alive. The budding twigs spread
themselves out like fans to catch the breezy air. The poet thinks that there was
pleasure there too. Seeing such natural joy in everything around him, the poet
believes that it might be heaven sent. Therefore, if this natural joy is Nature’s holy
plan, the poet has reason to lament what man has made of man.

14. What is the reason behind Wordsworth’s lamentation?

Ans: In the poem “Lines Written in the Early Spring”, William Wordsworth talks
about the beauty of nature. He finds joy and pleasure in the scenery and creatures
around him. However, such natural joy is nowhere to be found in man. The poet
laments this gap that man has created between humanity and nature. This poem is
written in six stanzas of four lines each. The poet says that he heard a thousand
blended notes while he was sitting reclined in a grove. The blended notes here are
the songs of various birds and the sounds of natural elements that have combined
together into a beautiful melody. The poet was in that sweet mood when pleasant
thoughts bring sad thoughts to the mind. Therefore, although the atmosphere was
sweet and happy, his happy thoughts led him to contemplative thoughts that make
him lament and sad. Nature linked the human soul that ran through the poet to her
fair works or the beautiful things she had created. It brought much grief to the
poet’s heart to think what man has made of man. He was really sad to think about
the state that humanity has come to. Humanity, by disconnecting itself from the
harmonies and beauties of nature, has brought itself to a state of disorder and
chaos.
The poet tells us that periwinkle flowers were scattered in circles through bunches
of primroses in a pleasant shady place under the trees. He believes that every
flower enjoys the air it breathes. Therefore, beautiful creations of Nature such as
flowers find joy even in the very air they breathe. The birds around the poet
hopped and played. He cannot fully understand their thoughts, but even their
smallest movements seemed to contain a thrill of pleasure. The birds were enjoying
playing about in their natural habitat. Again, the budding twigs spread themselves
out like fans to catch the breezy air. The poet thinks that there was pleasure there
too. Seeing such natural joy in everything around him, the poet believes that it
might be heaven sent. Therefore, if this natural joy is Nature’s holy plan, the poet
has reason to lament what man has made of man. The lamentation of the poet
comes from the fact that he is sad about the state of humanity because in distancing
itself from nature, it has lost the natural joy that is part of Nature’s divine plan.
Humanity has brought misery upon itself through its rejection of nature.

15. What in nature made Wordsworth feel happy on that spring day?

Ans: “Lines Written in Early Spring” is a landscape poem that is largely concerned
with nature. Wordsworth presents nature as the spirit that moves every living thing.
Nature unites all the creatures of the landscape in a shared sense of joy, making
them part of one big, delighted entity. The speaker personifies both the creatures he
sees around him and nature itself, suggesting that they’re all united in a single,
joyful consciousness. In the grove where the speaker sits, twigs “spread out their
fan,” flowers “enjoy the air,” and nature is a conscious force with a “holy plan.”
All of these entities seem to be feeling the same delight which is contagious to the
poet. Thus, the poet enjoys the beauty and smell of the flowers primrose and
periwinkle. He thought that the flowers and twigs were enjoying the air they
breathed. The birds hopped and played around. He could not understand the
thoughts of the birds, but he knew that they were happy.

But as the speaker soaks up the lovely grove around him, finds cause not just for
celebration, but for grief as human, in his view, is indeed part of this natural
splendour, but it sure hasn’t been acting that way. Instead of following
nature’s example and existing in peace and harmony, people fight each other and
destroy the natural environments in which they live. And in separating themselves
from both the natural world and each other, the poem argues that human beings
have lost their connection to the joy that is their birthright. The speaker personifies
both the creatures he see around him and nature itself, suggesting that they’re all
united in a single, joyful consciousness. In the grove where the speaker sits, twigs
“spread out their fan,” flowers “enjoy the air, ” and nature is a conscious force with
a “holy plan.” All of these entities seem to be feeling the same delight.
The speaker also uses images of interweaving and intertwining to suggest that
everything in nature is connected. He hears “a thousand blended notes” of
birdsong, sees the periwinkle growing “through primrose tufts,” and speaks of the
“link” with with which nature connects his own soul to the natural beauties all
around him. Not only is everything in nature inherently joyful, then, but everything
also shares that joy and that sharing in all part of the pleasure which made
Wordsworth feel happy on that spring bay.