“Lines Written in Early Spring” is a poem about the human condition. The narrator of the poem reminisces about surrounding himself with nature, causing him to consider “what man has made of man”. He also considers the creatures around him, acting as if they had no concerns of any kind; he claims their actions are playful. He said there was pleasure to be found in his surroundings, though it is not clear if there is pleasure for him to find or for the animals around him.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
(Wordsworth 202)
The narrator fails to say what “man has made of man”, either explicitly or implicitly; it can be inferred that it is the opposite of whatever the animals around him are doing. If the creatures around him are content and happily frolicking, man apparently has made himself unable to enjoy such pleasures.
Wordsworth seems to come from the perspective that society has corrupted man. Also, Wordsworth explicitly says that there is pleasure in nature. These two ideas are archetypical Romantic ideals.
Ross,
Good focus on this poem by Wordsworth, and I am glad to see you quoting a passage from the poem. I would like you to go on and analyze that passage, though, discussing and speculating on the significance of particular words and images in the quotation. Also, be sure to cite line numbers when you quote verse.