Wordsworth's pastoral poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” eloquently expresses the poet's feelings of ambivalence regarding maturation, nature and modern society. The poem is formatted in a distinct approach that serves to highlight the poet's conflicting emotions. Wordsworth begins the composition by presenting himself as a retelling of a beautiful, sprawling landscape he once enjoyed as a child as he matures into an adult, he begins to describe a new environment of a cold and selfish modern society. The din and darkness of his new adult life are in stark contrast to the peace and tranquility of the riverside that he retains in his nostalgia. .As the poem unfolds, Wordsworth allows himself to return to his serenity not only in his memories, but also through the eyes of his younger sister. He projects his faded memories of youth onto her and uses this opportunity to return to the banks of the Wye. Since he is now too old, or perhaps too jaded and world-weary, to truly return, he enjoys the novelty of his sister's experience on the riverbank. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem opens with invocations of time and familiarity. In the first two lines, Wordsworth demonstrates, through the use of the word "again", that not only has he visited this scene before, but that the riverside landscape is so dear to him that the long separation of the "five summers" it seemed to him until “five winters” (1-2). He is careful, however, to note that despite his long absence from the shores, he has not forgotten the true beauty of the landscape. For him, nostalgia serves as a break with his now mature life. In this sense, the passage of time is a source of deeply rooted ambivalence. Wordsworth remembers the banks mostly through the serenity he experienced visiting them as a child. Its sense of peace is worth noting, as the landscape itself is described as full of opposing scenarios. The “steep and high cliffs” are “wild” and yet connect with the “stillness of the sky”. The naturally simple green hues of the woods “disturb” the landscape as “wreaths of smoke” rise in the silence (14-19). Despite how opposite they may seem, these images somehow connect and flow naturally, forming a tranquility that brings comfort to the poet's childhood memories. As the poet matures, however, he is placed in a chaotic environment that, unlike the shores of his youth, cannot come together in peace. The “agitation” and “world fever” weigh heavily on his heart (53-55), and so he often turns to his memories of the banks and their unity for comfort. Wordsworth notes an important change in his appreciation of banks as he matures. Initially, he experienced the scene with childlike wonder and open appreciation of natural beauty. He experienced it as it was and asked for nothing of the passionate emotions that the landscape evoked. Now that he is older and uses these memories as a bulwark against the modern world, he has a greater appreciation for the shores as a place of refuge. He returns to this place “more like a man fleeing from something he fears” (71-72). Now it seems the pure pleasures of his boyhood days are over. Despite his melancholy, he ambivalently observes that he does not regret this change in himself. Now that he is older and has matured, he is finally able to fully perceive the “sublime” of nature and truly appreciate the powers evoked by the scenery. In the lines “If I were not so educated, I would leave even moredecay my genius spirit” (113-114), he even attributes his poetic sense of creativity to his newly matured perspective. The poet is ultimately still “A lover of meadows and woods” (104), even more so in the sense of considering this natural beauty as the core of his soul rather than superficially experiencing the scenery. The poet is cheerful in the new knowledge that his current experience of visiting these shores will provide further memories for the future. Just as he used his youthful memories as a refuge against the modern world, he will now remember this new visit as a moment of sublime majesty that proves that the beauty of nature can still prevail over the grim darkness of society's landscape. His new “life and food” (65) may not be harvested in the same way they were in his youth; that said, he remains confident that the presence of these memories will serve as a way to tame the “quiet, sad music of humanity” (92). There is a sense of conflict demonstrated in the poet's disconnection with modern society. Despite the idea that his appreciation of the landscape serves as a refuge against oppressive society, ultimately it is this same awareness that becomes his humanistic connection to the rest of the world. As he dwells on the beauty of the scenery, he begins to understand that the presence of nature is “something much more deeply interfused” and “runs through all things” (97-103). The powerful appreciation of natural beauty is what connects the poet to all humanity. This reiterates a sense of flowing union between all things that had previously been demonstrated through Wordsworth's fluid description of the conflicted scenery of the riverbank. As the poem continues, the poet realizes that "time has passed" and begins to reinforce the sense of confusion he feels. about his lost youth. Despite his claims of satisfaction in his current outlook, the poet still attempts to recapture a childlike pleasure and sense of newness through the eyes of his younger sister. He wishes his sister would love the landscape for the sake of nature, like he did when he was young. In this sense, through his experience, he is able to relive his initial reactions and pleasures. His naivety regarding the true power of nature, combined with the novelty of the scenery, brings nostalgia to the poet as he observes his "former pleasures" in the "shooting lights of your wild eyes" (119-120). What's more behind his desire to share the scenery with his sister is the simple need to recapture a lost youth. The poet expresses hope that his maturing personal experience will serve as a model for his sister's individual journey through life. This exposes a sense of brotherly protection. He plans to allow his sister to savor the beauty of the riverbanks in a similar way to his own. This way he will be able to obtain these memories as a shield to use against society when he is faced with the darkness of the world. Through the evocation of these memories, the “sad intercourse of everyday life” (132) cannot have any power over any of their lives. The poet also understands that nostalgia for the riverbank will in time mature in his sister, as in him, and she will evolve to find more sober pleasure in the landscape. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customization. paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Underlying all of the poet's requests, hovers the fear of not being able to protect his sister in her death. The final stanza implies that his ultimate intent to expose his sister to this scenario is in the hope that if she were to find herself where she "can no longer.