| 1. |
(ii) 'Earth has not anything to show more fair.'This line expresses the poet's feelings. The sight he saw from the bridgeis beautiful. There are a few more lines similar to the above. With thehelp of your partner find them and discuss what they express. |
|
Answer» Earth has not anything to show more fair: While crossing over the Westminster Bridge, the speaker makes a bold statement: hehasfound themostbeautiful scene on the planet. All you other artists can call off the search! Wordsworthhaslocated the very heart of beauty, or "fairness." While crossing over the Westminster Bridge, the speaker makes a bold statement: he has found the most beautiful scene on the planet. All you other artists can call off the search! Wordsworth has located the very heart of beauty, or "fairness."Of course, though, he's exaggerating. He really means something like, "At this particular moment, I can't imagine anywhere being more beautiful than the place I'm standing." It's almost more a reflection of his mood than of the outside world. He can't compare the scene from the bridge with anything except his own memories, but since that's all anyone can do we'll let him run with this one.The line ends with a colon, letting us know that he's going to tell us what earth is "showing" after the line break. Dull would he be of soul who could pass byA sight so touching in its majesty: Instead of trying to describe the scene, as we might expect by now (hurry up, a sonnet is only 14 lines long!), the speaker tries to express how beautiful it is from another angle as well.He justifies his decision to stop his coach along the way to look at the view from the bridge.He says that anyone whodidn'tstop, who just passed by with a glance, would be "dull...of soul." The opposite of dull is sharp, so we're imagining that the speaker's soul must be like one of those knives they advertise on TV that can cut through coins.The person who could just pass by has been jaded and worn down by experience to the point of dullness. He's also boring, which is another meaning of the word "dull."The sight from the bridge is "touching in its majesty," an intriguing phrase that suggests both intimacy and grandeur. "Touching" scenes are often small and intimate, like a kid giving flowers to his sick grandmother. "Majestic" scenes are often large and public, like a snow-covered mountain or a king entering a throne room. The view from Westminster Bridge combines both this elements.The speaker feels both awed by and close to the landscape.He uses another colon: maybenowhe'll stop keeping us in suspense and describe this amazing view. Earth has not anything to show more fair: While crossing over the Westminster bridge, the speaker makes a bold statement: he has found the most beautiful scene on the search Wordsworth has located the very heart of beauty, or "fairness". |
|