Question

Write a summary of the sonnet. Refer to the earlier poems for the points to be covered for writing the summary.

• Title
• Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
• Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
• Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).

Answer 1

Upon Westminster Bridge

'Upon Westminster Bridge' is a sonnet composed by William Wordsworth. It is a Petrarchan sonnet consisting of an octave and a sestet. The tone of the poem changes from overwhelmed to calm to excited and amazed by the end.

The poet begins by describing a majestic scene that he has set his eyes upon – the city of London in the wee hours of a morning from Westminster's Bridge. He describes the beauty of the early morning sun adorning the city with sunshine and observes the silence and stillness of the city before its people awake. As he gazes at the structures of the city i.e. ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples, he notes that they lie open to the sky and glitter in the rays of the morning sun. The poet observes that the air is not polluted because it is early in the day and work hasn't begun. He describes the beginning of a new day with the first rays falling on the sleeping city and notices how even the river flows calmly, at its own pace, thus evoking a sense of calm in the poet. Tying up the two contrasting ideas of a busy city and nature, the poet paints a beautiful picture in our minds. He finally ends the poem by calling out to God in sheer amazement and refers to the sleeping city of London as the 'mighty heart' that is lying still. It is a sublime finish to the fourteen-line sonnet.

The poem is a beautiful comparison between a city and nature and how both have a calming effect on a person when they are observed in the silence of the morning. The subject of the poem substantiates the fact that Wordsworth was a true Nature poet. The use of simple language makes it easy to understand and this is the biggest appeal of the poem as it makes the poem attractive to readers.