Thursday, October 13, 2011
Reply: An Expostulation of Old Man Traveling
Upon reading the posts written by Maryclaire and Jim I realized a striking thematic cohesiveness between "Expostulation and Reply" and "Old Man Traveling". First off, I agree with both interpretations. I see the old man as a person who has been given ultimate peace of mind by nature and time: "A man who does not move with pain, but moves / With thought - He is insensibly subdued" (Wordsworth 137). The representation of the old man is very much in line with Wordsworth's ideas in "Expostulation and Reply". As a man who moves with quiet thought, seemingly undisturbed by his own son's death, he represents the idea of contemplative passiveness. Nature and time have given him the gift of self-contemplation and a resulting sense of worldly understanding. In the eyes of Wordsworth, the old man "is by nature led / To peace so perfect" (Wordsworth 137). The natural process of aging gives the man the ability to formulate unadulterated thoughts and conclusions. He can now understand his reality in terms of his own knowledge and experiences, develop his own conclusions untainted by the thoughts of others, and ultimately come to an understanding over life and death.
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“The natural process of aging gives the man the ability to formulate unadulterated thoughts and conclusions”
ReplyDeleteDr. Seuss’s above quote reminds me of the temporal association of man and nature. The differentiation provides a glimpse at what separates the two entities; the transitory nature of man’s existence results in the self-interested objectification and overall lack of appreciation of nature. This mentality seems to change over time as individuals become increasingly aware of the necessity to preserve nature as they age. Specifically, wisdom is a gradual process that which is endowed over time. Thus, it seems as though time is the great modifier. With time, nature becomes increasingly important and appreciated; a by-product of “unadulterated thoughts and conclusions”.
There is something to be said that an appreciation for Nature comes with a learning that occurs with age and experience; however, our wish to preserve Nature comes from our desire to create children better than ourselves. The wise man realizes, in part through the death of his own child, that Nature is a critical element of an individual’s growth. Man’s desires to preserve the earth is akin to his desire to preserve the evolutionary level mankind has reached at that point in time. If we want to continue to evolve as a species, we need to recognize what made us so powerful to begin (i.e. the Earth that has nurtured us).
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