The Tables Turned

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;

She has a world of ready wealth,

Or surely you'll grow double:

Our minds and hearts to bless

Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;

Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,

Why all this toil and trouble?

Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

The sun above the mountain's head,

One impulse from a vernal wood

A freshening lustre mellow

May teach you more of man,

Through all the long green fields has spread,

Of moral evil and of good

His first sweet evening yellow.

Than all the sages can.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;

Come, hear the woodland linnet,

Our meddling intellect

How sweet his music! on my life,

Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:

There's more of wisdom in it.

We murder to dissect.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!

Enough of Science and of Art;

He, too, is no mean preacher:

Close up those barren leaves

Come forth into the light of things,

Come forth, and bring with you a heart

Let Nature be your teacher.

That watches and receives.

"The Tables Turned" consists of eight four-line stanzas in interlocking rhymes

(abab). It is in ballad form, written in iambs with four beats in the first and
third lines of each stanza, and three beats in the second and fourth lines. It
certainly seems strange to find a poet telling his friend (and through his
friend his readers) to stop reading, and yet much of what Wordsworth is
saying in "The Tables Turned" fits perfectly with the Romantic Movement,
which emphasizes the importance of being a part of nature. For Wordsworth
there is much more to be learned by watching, listening to, and simply taking
in one's surroundings than by studying books. At the same time, there is a
strong element of irony at play here. First of all, Wordsworth is making these
statements in a poem, which will become (as he knew it would) a part of a
book meant to be read. Even though he believes that nature is a great
teacher, he is not ready to throw away books altogether. It is important to
note the poem's title: "The Tables Turned." The title leads us to believe that

Wordsworth is reacting to the way that people usually think, which in this case is
that books are the best way to learn. In order to make the strongest statement
possible, Wordsworth goes to the opposite extreme, even though his true feelings
probably lie somewhere in the middle.

Work Without Hope - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair-The bees are stirring--birds are on the wing-And WINTER slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring !
And I, the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.
Yet well I ken the banks where Amaranths blow,
Have traced the fount whence streams of nectar flow.
Bloom, O ye Amaranths ! bloom for whom ye may,
For me ye bloom not ! Glide, rich streams, away !
With lips unbrightened, wreathless brow, I stroll :
And would you learn the spells that drowse my soul ?
WORK WITHOUT HOPE draws nectar in a sieve,
And HOPE without an object cannot live.

Samuel Taylor Coleridges "Work Without Hope," is a well-written sonnet about a mans emotions, as
related to nature. The word choice and imagery he uses combine to create a vivid poem. The imagery
clearly portrays the mans innermost feelings, while setting a beautiful scene. The sonnet relates the
seasons in the poem to what the man is feeling, and how that relates to his life.
"Work Without Hope" provides the reader with some immediate assumptions that help us see into the
poem more clearly. It is a sonnet, though it is not written in a traditional sonnet form. It does, however,
develop in a manner that is characteristic of a sonnet. Knowing this, we can establish that the poem
develops within the first 12 lines. The "story" unfolds and develops scenes and images for the reader. The
last two lines of the sonnet create the turning point, giving the reader the overall theme or point of the
sonnet. The setting of the poem is also made evident early on. The poem was written in 1825, so we can
assume that it took place during that general time period. Also, the manner in which the poem is written
leads us to believe that this is a winter day that is showing the first signs of spring. The first section of the
poem talks about the beauty of nature. The man sees nature at work; "Slugs leave their lair The bees are
stirring birds are on the wing" The man refers to himself as an "unbusy" thing. Contrasting himself
with the animals, he states, "And I the while, the sole unbusy thing, nor honey make, nor pair, nor build,
nor sing." He sees nature and begins to realize that while it is beautiful, he has trouble seeing the
beautiful. Winter is often considered a desolate season, and this seems to also imply the mans attitude.In
the second section of the poem, the man develops these thoughts even further. He speaks of the beauty of
the streams and flowers around him, but says, "Bloom, O ye amaranths! Bloom for whom he may, For me
ye bloom not!" He knows of the beauty surrounding him, but in the state he is in, he is not able to see it
and appreciate it. The man describes himself as having, "lips unbrightened" and a "wreathless brow."
This represents his lack of success. He is sterile, like winter, having borne no fruit, or achieved any
amount of success. He is despairing, and sees no hope for his future. The man is despaired with the
unsuccessful times of the sterile winter days, and cannot see the beauty of nature around him. The last two

lines of this poem are the turning point, and make it all come together. Coleridge writes, "Work without
hope draws nectar in a sieve, And hope without an object cannot live." The man is saying that drawing
nectar in a sieve is impossible because is just drains through, as will any work without hope. Hope cannot
live without an object, because if there is no hope and no point, then there is no reason to continue. These
lines show how hopeless the man is. He has no hope, and sees himself as a cold, lonely winter. Although
it is a beautiful day, blooming with the first signs of spring, he cannot see anything other than the
hopelessness that surrounds him. The images and word choice Coleridge uses in this sonnet help us to see
the true despair in the mans life. Each line helps us read into the mans emotions and gives us a clearer
picture of what Coleridge is trying to portray.