Ode: Intimations of Immortality Summary (Line by Line)

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Ode: Intimations of Immortality is a poem written by William Wordsworth, who is a well known poet popular for his love of nature.

William Wordsworth is a well known Poet belonging to a group of Romantic Poets known as Lake Poets living in Lake District.

This Poem has been composed in two parts.

The first part comprises of first four stanzas that end with a question to the reader. It was composed in 1802.

On the other hand, the second part answers the question at the end of first four stanzas and was written in 1804.

Introduction

William Words worth has discussed the concept of Pre-existence of soul in this poem with its themes of transition of soul from one state to another.

The Novel in set in the beginning of month of May when he is enchanted by the blooming of flowers due to the coming of Spring.

Here, we have a brief summary of Ode: Intimations of Immortality.

Ode starts with an Epigraph that was taken from another of Wordsworth poem “My Heart Leaps up”.

Themes of Ode: Intimations of Immortality

The Poet has added many rhetorical questions throughout the poem and the overall discusses the transition of the state of soul with the symbols of Aging, Changing of seasons, and days and nights.

The theme of Childhood also very important because Ode: Intimations of Immortality has been taken from “Recollections of Early Childhood”.

This is a Pindaric Ode as all the stanzas follows an irregular pattern of Rhyme, Rhythm and Meter.

Another major theme in this poem is Childhood vs Adulthood.

How childhood enables you to have a divine perception of the world due to your memories of the pre-existence of soul on heavens.

Epigraph

The child is father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
(Wordsworth, “My Heart Leaps Up”)

These are the lines taken from another poem of William Wordsworth i.e. “My Heart Leaps Up”.

The Poem ended with these lines and Wordsworth started his Ode with these lines.

It talks about the process of Aging that it is an ongoing process that never stops and the things you have in your childhood forms the basis of your adulthood.

Line by Line Detailed Analysis of Ode: Intimations of Immortality