In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn

William Wordsworth is an unforgettable figure in the realm of eco-literature, with his passion for the natural world shining brightly through in this poem. As such, this is a good representation of Wordsworth’s larger oeuvre, as it showcases his enchanting nature imagery. This 1800 poem is his response to the upheaval caused by the Industrial Revolution. It is an excerpt from the longer poem, ‘Hart-Leap Well’, with a profound message that makes it a remarkable stand-alone poem. Using the form of a conversation, the poet addresses the despair of those who believe nature will perish, offering hope for its renewal.

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In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn
William Wordsworth

In April here beneath the scented thorn He heard the birds their morning carols sing; And he, perhaps, for aught we know, was born Not half a furlong from that self-same spring. 

But now here's neither grass nor pleasant shade; The sun on drearier Hollow never shone; So will it be, as I have often said, Till Trees, and Stones, and Fountain all are gone." 

"Gray-headed Shepherd, thou hast spoken well; Small difference lies between thy creed and mine: This Beast not unobserved by Nature fell; His death was mourned by sympathy divine. 

The Being, that is in the clouds and air, That is in the green leaves among the groves, Maintains a deep and reverential care For the unoffending creatures whom he loves. 

The Pleasure-house is dust:—behind, before, This is no common waste, no common gloom; But Nature, in due course of time, once more Shall here put on her beauty and her bloom. 

Summary

‘In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn’ presents two contradictory views on the future of nature through two distinct speakers.

Showing a dialogue between the shepherd and the poet, the poem considers the decline of nature as well as hope for its renewal. The shepherd reminisces about the beauty of nature through an anonymous character. He describes the man reposed beneath the scented thorn on an April day, hearing the sounds of birds. He thinks that he would have been born during spring too, which is “not a furlong” ago from this one. Then, he laments over the current state of nature, where there is “neither grass nor pleasant shade”. The sun too does not shine over their “Hollow” land. He also comments that this decline will continue until all natural resources like trees, stone, and the fountain perish.

In response to the words of the “Gray-headed shepherd”, the poet conveys his appreciation. Still, he expresses the difference between their beliefs. He tells him that the death of “This beast”, i.e. an animal, is well-observed by nature. Eventually, nature mourns for him out of her “sympathy divine”. Now, the dead beast/nature lives in the clouds, air, and the leaves which are still green. This “being” shows “a deep and reverential care” towards all the lives, which the beast loves. Soon, the poet remarks that “Pleasure-house” is filled with dust, and this is not a common waste or despair to ignore. Out of hope, he proclaims the revival of nature with “her beauty and her bloom.”

Expert Commentary

Insights by Dhivya S.R.

B.A. in English Literature

I really admire how the voices of both the shepherd and the poet blend together to create a balanced vision. If it was written only with optimism, it would be just another poem that praises nature. Similarly, if it was written solely with pessimism, it would be apocalyptic like a war poem. Its strength lies in its duality. The poem's potential in embracing two diverse perspectives is appreciable. While the present era still debates over the future, the poem, being ahead of its age, gives the final verdict of hope and a reminder of humans' responsibility towards nature. This is one of Wordsworth's most underexplored poems, despite its brilliance.

Structure and Form

The poem is fundamentally a narrative verse structured into quatrains. The excerpt itself comprises five stanzas. This regular, flowing structure creates an accessibility to the narrative, which facilitates the conversation between speakers. Additionally, the usage of quotation marks clarifies shifts in speakers and enhances comprehension.

The poem is predominantly composed in iambic pentameter, typical of Wordsworth’s poetic style. Each line generally follows the pattern of five metrical feet, allowing occasional rhythmic variations. A regular rhyme scheme of ABAB is employed throughout, which adds to the accessibility of the poem.

Literary Devices

As with many of Wordsworth’s poems, this excerpt is brimming with literary devices. This creates an impactful and memorable image of the world throughout:

• Imagery: Visualizing the desolate state of nature, along with its prosperous past, the poem offers two contrasting images of nature. This is best observed in the first and second stanzas of the excerpt.
• Juxtaposition: Through Wordsworth’s use of vivid imagery, the past and present of nature are juxtaposed. The poem begins with “the scented thorn” and “birds”. The very next stanza contradicts this serene image by describing nature with “neither grass nor pleasant shade”.
• Alliteration: As in “self-same spring”, “beauty and her bloom”, Wordsworth employs alliterated sounds in various lines, which adds rhythm to the verse.
• Apostrophe: The usage of the apostrophe “Gray-headed Shepherd” enhances the conversational structure of the poem. This is otherwise known as direct address.
• Personification: Nature and the soul of the stag are personified with the pronouns “he” and “her”. This adds an emotive essence to the poem, particularly as Wordsworth ruminates on their shared fate.
• Symbolism: The poet uses symbols such as “Beast” for non-human life, “April” for prosperity, “Pleasure-house” for nature, and “Hollow” for infertility. Ultimately, the landscape and speakers as symbols of nihilism and hope add depth to the poem.
• Diacope: In the line, “no common waste, no common gloom”, Wordsworth uses diacope with the repeating phrase “no common”. It highlights that the desolation of nature is not prevalent or recurring, aligning with the poet’s optimistic tone.
• Assonance: Assonance is employed here to show the emotional shifts. For instance, in the line, “…birds their morning carols sing,” the short, repeated “i” sounds create the melodic effect of spring. Conversely, in “The sun on drearier Hollow never shone,” the elongated “o” sounds contribute to a gloomier tone, reinforcing the decay of nature.
• Caesura: The pause indicated by an em dash in “dust:—behind, before” highlights the weight of the statement.

Historical Context

The late 18th century and early 19th century were marked by the Industrial Revolution in England. This period saw a mass exodus of workers from pastures to factories, and from villages to cities. Drastic changes occurred in social hierarchy, the political landscape, and culture. Thus, it is also called Regency Era.

In the realm of Literature, the period is known for its Romantic Revival with the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ of Wordsworth and Coleridge in 1798. Their philosophies drove the focus of writers from the urban to the country. Wordsworth, advocating for a “poetic diction” rooted in the language of common people, propagated these ideals consistently through his poetry.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Stanza One

“In April here beneath the scented thorn

He heard the birds their morning carols sing;

And he, perhaps, for aught we know, was born

Not half a furlong from that self-same spring.

The shepherd, as the speaker, offers a reminiscence of the flourishing nature through his description of another man, probably an ancestral shepherd (may also refer to Sir Walter, since this is a part of ‘Hart-Leap Well’).

“April” acts as a symbol of prosperity, since it falls within the spring season in England. The imagery of the man lying “beneath the scented thorn”, referring to the tree, and listening to the birds in the morning gives form to the calmness and joy of nature.

Soon, the shepherd enters a contemplation, a sign of one’s immersion into nature. He begins to wonder if the man had been born during spring, too. He also seems to ponder over the inexplicability of human origin itself. His words “for aught we know” perhaps reflect that man, like humankind itself, might have first entered the world during a prosperous season.

Sibilant alliteration features in “the self-same spring”, which adds a fresh tone to the poem as its softness reinforces the serenity of nature.

Stanza Two

But now here’s neither grass nor pleasant shade;

The sun on drearier Hollow never shone;

So will it be, as I have often said,

Till Trees, and Stones, and Fountain all are gone.”

The poet effectively employs a juxtaposition between the first and second stanzas. This stanza immediately captures the contemporary stage of nature. Through “neither grass nor pleasant shade”, the shepherd signifies the human encroachment on nature that has led to the disappearance of all prosperity and peace. The fertile landscape has become a “drearier Hollow”: a bleak and empty space where life no longer thrives and sunshine never appears. The capitalization of “Hollow” accentuates the desolate imagery.

The pessimistic tone strengthens as the shepherd asserts that this desolate state will continue, adding “as I have often said”, indicating that this is not his first time lamenting over the state of nature. He believes that the depletion of nature will continue until all resources, such as the “Trees, and Stones, and Fountain” perish. Tricolon is used here to emphasise the scale of nature’s depletion. The ending quotation mark vividly shows these are the direct words of the shepherd.

Stanza Three

“Gray-headed Shepherd, thou hast spoken well;

Small difference lies between thy creed and mine:

This Beast not unobserved by Nature fell;

His death was mourned by sympathy divine.

The third stanza begins with another quotation mark, indicating the shift in the speaker. The poet addresses him through apostrophe – “Gray-headed Shepherd” – expressing an appreciation for his speech so far.

The phrase “Gray-headed Shepherd” indicates his age, experience, as well as the resulting wisdom that has to be respected. However, in the second line, he emphasizes a “Small difference” in their “creed”. This refers to the contrasting perspectives they hold in regards to nature and its future.

“This Beast” refers to the dead stag, which died due to Sir Walter’s arrogance. To commemorate his achievement in killing the animal, Sir Walter built the monument near which this poem is set – this is described in the preceding sections of ‘Hart-Leap Well’.

In contrast to Sir Walter’s flippant attitude about the stag’s death, Wordsworth emphasises its importance through the capitalisation of “Beast”. Similarly, “Nature” is capitalised, which personifies it as it observes the stag’s death out of respect. The depth of this connection is emphasised through the words “mourned” and “sympathy”, highlighting the emotive topic. However, the personification of nature is taken further as it is characterised as “divine”. This elevates it to a position of godly power, underlining the importance and power of nature itself.

The death of the stag is “not unobserved”. Here, the poet uses double negation, which primarily indicates a positive notion, subtly balancing between optimism and pessimism.

Stanza Four

The Being, that is in the clouds and air,

That is in the green leaves among the groves,

Maintains a deep and reverential care

For the unoffending creatures whom he loves.

The fourth stanza can be interpreted as a prolonged double entendre, since “The Being” shall refer both to God as well as Nature. Both the dead stag and nature are personified in the poem, providing a post-humanistic view that blurs the lines between humans, non-humans, and nature. However, the “Being” can also be interpreted as God, a divine force which inhabits everything.

As for the dead stag’s soul, the lines suggest that after death, his essence merges with nature – dwelling, living in “clouds”, “air”, and “green leaves”. Its soul still holds “a deep and reverential care” for the kind creatures “whom he loves”. The non-human lives often connect with nature and perpetuate their love with nature as their medium.

Alternatively, interpreting “The Being” as another divine being, we observe his omnipresence as he resides in the “clouds,” “air,” and “green leaves”. Though the stag is dead, this God continues to maintain “a deep and reverential care” for the “unoffending creatures,” which draws a line between the innocence of nature and the inferred offence of man. This likely alludes to the sin of Sir Walter, as he kills an innocent creature.

Stanza Five

The Pleasure-house is dust:—behind, before,

This is no common waste, no common gloom;

But Nature, in due course of time, once more

Shall here put on her beauty and her bloom.

Wordsworth metaphorically describes Nature and the natural world as a “Pleasure-house”, a place of recreation and joy, while literally referring to the monument. It is reduced to “dust”, symbolizing the gradual decay as well as humans’ negligence. The decay affects both “behind” (what lies unseen) and “before” (the visible), implying a long-standing process of degradation rather than a sudden collapse. Despite this, he conveys his optimism, assuring the impermanence of the state, using the phrases “no common waste” and “no common gloom”. This transition into waste or gloom is not something that permeates everything: it will end. This is highlighted by the diacope of “no common waste, no common gloom” which features the repetition of the phrase “no common”.

The final lines encapsulate the very optimistic belief of the speaker, according to which “Nature” will once again embrace the world with her alliterative “beauty” and “bloom”, restoring beauty and life to the desolate scene. The everlasting presence of nature is juxtaposed with the ephemeral nature of humans and the mark they make on the world.

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