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In order to consider what Wordsworth is attempting to achieve in two of his Lyrical Ballads I shall discuss this by referring to Anecdote for Fathers and Simon Lee. Wordsworth himself enjoyed a solitary life and his choice of subject matter reflects this. The solitary life of Simon Lee in particular Ultimately gives reason for a contemporary critic describing the lyrical ballads, as having a subject matter 'unsuitable for poetry'. Yet despite Wordsworth declaring Simon Lee as 'no tale' and 'I’m afraid that you expect Some tale to be related' Simon Lee does have several points to observe. On the surface it may indeed seem as if it has 'no tale.’ But this rustic character conveys the Unusual subject matter of a solitary life with triumph. There is a great appreciation of nature in the poem: 'In the sweet shire of Cardigan Not far from pleasant wor hill' and a sense of rustic community: 'To say at least four counties round Had heard of Simon Lee' Which surrounds this character. Wordsworth is attempting to recreate this solitary life of a man who seems forgotten in this countryside. I do not think that Wordsworth is making any particular social comment about the poor and how Simon Lee is 'forced to work' to survive, he is merely trying To achieve the conveyed emotion that he admires such rustic people because they are unashamed to show their emotions. The gratitude which he encounters when he helps Simon Lee: 'Tears into his eyes were brought And thanks and praises seemed to run So fast out of his heart' is the key point of this poem. The goal of this poem for Wordsworth is to convey his admiration for the rustics, and to show that despite being solitary, you can still show emotion, if not better than people who are less isolated. Anecdote for Fathers is also pastoral and contains various themes. Wordsworth is attempting to achieve an example of the adulthood fascination with the innocent mind; adulthood and childhood are shown through innocence.
Approximate Word count = 1292
Approximate Pages = 5.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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