More Than Critiques of Industrialization: “Written in London, September, 1802”, “The Solitary Reaper”, and Other Poems Anonymous 12th Grade

William Wordsworth and other Romantic poets expressed concern for the commercialisation of England spurred by the Industrial Revolution and the desire for material wealth. In “William Wordsworth: Poems collected by Seamus Heaney” (2007) the notion that a focus on commerce and industry can incite negative outcomes is heavily present. Moreover Wordsworth subtly discredits industrialisation by elevating the pastoral setting and idealising rural figures. However Wordsworth’s poetry is not only a reaction against industrialisation but an exploration of the universality of nature and human experience. Thus the aim of his writing was to give expression to the ‘spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’ amidst nature rather than to solely critique the changing environment of England.

Many of Wordsworth’s sonnets focus a critical lens on human endeavour and the city of London due to the increasing industrialisation. “Written in London, September, 1802” (1802) presents a scathing condemnation of commerce and industry associated with England. The distressed tone of the sonnet is shown through the despairing apostrophe of ‘O Friend!’ and the speaker’s inability to look at the city that is only ‘drest for show’. In turn this conveys the...