1. WORDSWORTH: Democratic Background
An important event of the closing years of the eighteenth century, which stirred all Europe, and the English Romantics in particular, is the French Revolution. ‘The Prelude’ tells us much about Wordsworth’s reaction to the French Revolution. Wordsworth was the first of the great Romantics to be influenced profoundly by the Revolution, which had a far reaching impact on his life and poetry. But its ideals – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – were not new to him. The societies, which he had been familiar with, in his youth were essentially democratic. Even at Cambridge he found a strong democratic spirit:
“All stood thus far/Upon equal ground..”
An important event of the closing years of the eighteenth century, which stirred all Europe, and the English Romantics in particular, is the French Revolution. ‘The Prelude’ tells us much about Wordsworth’s reaction to the French Revolution. Wordsworth was the first of the great Romantics to be influenced profoundly by the Revolution, which had a far reaching impact on his life and poetry. But its ideals – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – were not new to him. The societies, which he had been familiar with, in his youth were essentially democratic. Even at Cambridge he found a strong democratic spirit:
“All stood thus far/Upon equal ground..”
2. FIRST VISIT TO FRANCE
For these reasons, “The Revolution, in its earlier phases, involved no revolution in Wordsworth’s mental life”(Raleigh). During his third summer vacations, Wordsworth visited France with his friend, Robert Jones. They landed in Calais on July 13, 1790, the eve of first anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, and of, “that great federal day”, when the King was to swear allegiance to the new constitution; as he mentions in ‘The Prelude’ they met,
“The Brebant armies on the fret,
For battle in the cause of Liberty.”
They found evidence of the wonderful enthusiasm of the people on all sides. The nation was rejoicing and captured all his ardour for the cause and he felt:
Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven.
(The French Revolution)
All this was, no doubt, very exhilarating. Yet Wordsworth was less affected by such experiences than might have been expected. He himself writes:
Heard, and saw, and felt,
Was touched, but with no intimate concern.
Nature and the wonders of the “ever-living universe”, interested him far more than political excitement and the awakened hopes of man.
3. HIS SECOND VISIT
Wordsworth visited France for a second time in November 1791. This time he stayed there for more than a year. Although he stayed there for learning French, yet the influence his growing interest in the French Revolution exerted on him cannot be ruled out. While going to Orleans he passed through Paris, where he stayed for a few days. He listened to the debates in the National Assembly. He also made a visit to the ruins of Bastille (the prison in which political prisoners were kept).
And from the rubbish gathered up a stone
And pocketed the relic , in the the guise
Of an enthusiast.
Yet as he himself confesses, there was something rather articficial and unreal about his emotion. He was not deeply and really stirred. The great principles of Fraternity, Equality and Liberty were in his very blood and what was happening seemed to him very much a matter of course.
P.S. This post is to be continued in the second part (Divided into two parts due to shortage of time now)
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