William Wordsworth's Poem 'My Heart Leaps Up'
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Questions and Answers

Where was William Wordsworth staying when he wrote 'My Heart Leaps Up'?

  • A hotel in Manchester
  • Dove Cottage in Grasmere (correct)
  • A friend's house in Oxford
  • Dove Cottage in London

    • What is the alternative title of the poem 'My Heart Leaps Up'?

  • The Heart of Poetry
  • The Rainbow (correct)
  • The Joy of Nature
  • The Beauty of the Sky

    • What was published in 1807?

  • Wordsworth's biography
  • A book of Wordsworth's essays
  • Poems, in Two Volumes (correct)
  • A collection of Wordsworth's letters

    • What did Wordsworth begin writing the day after he wrote 'My Heart Leaps Up'?

    <p>Ode: Intimations of Immortality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the last three lines of 'My Heart Leaps Up'?

    <p>They are used as part of the epigraph to 'Ode: Intimations of Immortality'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one interpretation of why Wordsworth felt joy when viewing the rainbow?

    <p>Because it symbolized a covenant with nature</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What biblical reference is made in the analysis of the poem?

    <p>The story of Genesis 6:9–11:32</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the rainbow symbolize to Noah according to Harold Bloom?

    <p>The survival of mankind</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is William Blake's criticism of Wordsworth's phrase 'natural piety'?

    <p>It is self-contradictory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What shape is the rainbow, according to Fred Blick's speculation?

    <p>An arc of a circle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the word 'piety' according to Fred Blick's speculation?

    <p>It symbolizes continuity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Harold Bloom's interpretation of Wordsworth's poetic gift?

    <p>It relies on his ability to recall memories of his joy as a child</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of Wordsworth that is mentioned in the passage?

    <p>He loved geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the tone of William Blake's criticism of Wordsworth's phrase 'natural piety'?

    <p>Critical</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the paradox 'The Child is the Father of The Man' imply?

    <p>Every child of the present is a potential father for the future</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main theme of the poem 'My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold'?

    <p>The poet's feelings of joy and happiness in childhood</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the poem, what is the relationship between nature and man?

    <p>Man is a product of nature</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the poet's childhood experience signify?

    <p>The importance of love and care in childhood</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the outcome of proper care and nourishment in childhood?

    <p>A healthy and self-dependent citizen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is implied by the phrase 'The Child is the Father of The Man'?

    <p>The present determines the future</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the poem's theme?

    <p>It shows the connection between the present and the future</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the poet's perspective on the relationship between nature and human life?

    <p>Nature and human life are interconnected</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the outcome of the poet's reflection on his childhood?

    <p>He feels a sense of joy and happiness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the poet's view on the role of childhood in human life?

    <p>Childhood shapes one's future</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    "My Heart Leaps Up" Poem

    • Written by William Wordsworth, a British Romantic poet, on March 26, 1802, at Dove Cottage in Grasmere
    • Describes joy felt at viewing a rainbow
    • Originally written without alterations, first published in Poems, in Two Volumes in 1807

    Context and Connection to Other Works

    • Written the day before starting "Ode: Intimations of Immortality"
    • The last three lines are used as part of the epigraph to "Intimations of Immortality"
    • May provide insight into interpreting "Intimations of Immortality"

    Critical Analysis

    • The poem may indicate Wordsworth's state of mind while writing "Intimations of Immortality"
    • The rainbow may symbolize the constancy of Wordsworth's connection to nature
    • Celebrates "the continuity in Wordsworth's consciousness of self"
    • Draws parallels to the rainbow of Noah and the covenant it symbolized (Genesis 6:9-11:32)
    • The phrase "bound each to each" implies the presence of a covenant
    • Harold Bloom suggests the rainbow symbolizes the survival of Wordsworth's poetic gift
    • The poem recalls memories of joy as a child

    Literary Analysis and Criticism

    • William Blake disliked Wordsworth's use of the phrase "natural piety"
    • Blake believed that man was naturally impious and therefore Wordsworth's phrase contradicts itself
    • Fred Blick speculates that the word "piety" at the end of the last line is a deliberate geometrical pun, symbolizing continuity
    • Wordsworth loved geometry and may have made the same pun on "piety" elsewhere

    The Paradox "The Child is the Father of The Man"

    • A statement that sounds contradictory at first reading but is meaningful in deep analysis
    • Means that every child of the present is a potential father for the future, and every father of the present was once a child
    • Infancy is the past of a child, and manhood is their future

    Poem Summary

    • The poem is about the poet's feelings of joy and happiness when reminded of their childhood by a rainbow in the sky

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    Description

    Test your knowledge of William Wordsworth's poem 'My Heart Leaps Up', also known as 'The Rainbow', exploring its simple structure, language, and themes. Learn about its composition, publication, and significance in literary history.

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