A Profound Exploration

Wordsworth's poetry also offers a powerful critique of the industrial revolution and the impact that it has on the natural world. He saw the rapid pace of industrialization and urbanization as a threat to the environment, and he was deeply concerned about the loss of natural habitats and the destruction of wildlife. In his poem "London, 1802," Wordsworth contrasts the beauty and tranquility of the natural world with the noise, pollution, and chaos of the city, arguing that the city has become a place of spiritual and moral decay. He writes, "Milton!You should not be living at this hour:/ England has need of them: she is a fan / Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,/ Fireside, the heroic wealth of all and power,/ Have forfeited their ancient English dower / Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;/ Oh! raise us up, return to us again;/ And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power."