Poem: London, 1802
— By William Wordsworth

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
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.
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life’s common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

সারসংক্ষেপ

স্পিকার জন মিল্টনকে সম্বোধন করেন এবং কবি এখনও বেঁচে থাকতে চান, উল্লেখ করেন যে ইংল্যান্ডের তাকে প্রয়োজন কারণ দেশটি স্থির জলে ভরা জলাভূমির মতো হয়ে গেছে। সেই লক্ষ্যে, ধর্ম, সামরিক সাধনা, সাহিত্য, গার্হস্থ্য জীবন এবং দেশের অর্থনৈতিক গৌরবের মতো বিষয়গুলি আর ইংল্যান্ডের সমৃদ্ধ ইতিহাসের সাথে সারিবদ্ধ নয়। বক্তা পরামর্শ দেন যে তিনি এবং তার সহ নাগরিকরা নিজেরা ছাড়া সবকিছুর দৃষ্টিশক্তি হারিয়ে ফেলেছেন, তাই তিনি মিল্টনকে মৃতদের থেকে ফিরে আসার পর ইংল্যান্ডের মানুষকে উন্নীত করার আহ্বান জানান, আশা করেন বিখ্যাত কবি ব্রিটিশ সমাজকে তার মূল্যবোধের কথা মনে করিয়ে দেবেন, কীভাবে সৎভাবে বাঁচতে হয়। , এবং কিভাবে তার মুক্তি এবং শক্তির বোধ পুনরুদ্ধার করা যায়। মিল্টনের প্রশংসা করে, স্পিকার তার আত্মাকে একটি নক্ষত্রের সাথে তুলনা করেন যা আকাশের অন্য সকলের থেকে আলাদা ছিল, যোগ করে যে মিল্টনের কণ্ঠ সমুদ্রের মতো শোনাচ্ছিল। এখনও মিল্টনকে সম্বোধন করে, বক্তা তাকে অভ্যন্তরীণ ধার্মিকতা এবং স্বর্গের যোগ্য স্বাধীনতার উজ্জ্বল অনুভূতির অধিকারী হিসাবে চিত্রিত করেছেন। এই গুণাবলীর সাথে, বক্তা সমর্থন করেন, মিল্টন একটি সাধারণ জীবন যাপন করেছিলেন এবং আনন্দের সাথে নিজেকে ধর্মে নিবেদিত করেছিলেন। কিন্তু এমনকি তার ধার্মিক বৈশিষ্ট্যের সাথেও, মিল্টন কখনোই সবচেয়ে নম্র দায়িত্বের ঊর্ধ্বে ছিলেন না।

Summary

The speaker addresses John Milton and wishes the poet were still alive, noting that England needs him because the country has become like a swamp full of still water. To that end, things like religion, militaristic pursuits, literature, home life, and the country’s economic glory no longer align with England’s prosperous history. The speaker suggests that he and his fellow citizens have lost sight of everything but themselves, so he calls upon Milton to uplift the people of England after returning from the dead, hoping the famous poet will remind British society of its values, how to live virtuously, and how to recover its sense of liberation and strength. Praising Milton, the speaker compares his soul to a star that stood out from all others in the sky, adding that Milton’s voice sounded like the ocean. Still addressing Milton, the speaker depicts him as possessing intrinsic goodness and a dazzling sense of freedom that was worthy of heaven itself. With these qualities, the speaker upholds, Milton led an ordinary life while happily devoting himself to religion. But even with his godly traits, Milton was never above even the most humbling responsibilities.

Short Summary:

In the poem, the poet criticizes the political, religious, and socioeconomic state of England at his time. The speaker of the poem begs John Milton to come back to life because England now needs him. In the past, England of a place of happiness, religion, art, and literature. But at present every institution in England has become corrupt and selfish. They have lost their old values. So, the speaker asks Milton to come back and help them to restore the old values and morality. He believes that Milton is able to save England with his nobility and virtue.

Generic Form:

This poem is a Petrarchan sonnet. It is divided into 2 sections. The first section consists of the first eight lines which are called the octave. The second section consists of the last six lines which are called the sestet. The octave of the poem states a problem in that the people of England are no longer happy because every institution in England has become corrupt and selfish. The sestet relieves the tension by stating that the people of England now need to exercise the qualities which Milton possessed. The rhyme scheme is abbaabba cddece. This makes it a Petrarchan sonnet.

Theme:

Patriotism is the central theme of the poem. The poem is about the lost values of England. The poet compares England to a fen of stagnant water. Once it was a seat of values and morality. But at present, all the institutions of England such as the church, army, and writers have become corrupt. The people of England have become selfish. The poet is deeply moved by the deplorable condition of England. It is patriotism that urges him to beg Milton to come back to life and to guide them to regain the old morality. Thus, patriotism is the main theme of the poem.

Tone:

The tone of the poem is melancholic. The speaker of the poem regrets that England has lost its old values and morality. He compares England to a fen of stagnant water. Every institution in England is corrupt. People are selfish. They have no peace of mind. He asks the soul of Milton to correct the current waywardness of England. So, the tone of the poem is melancholic.

Figures of Speech:

The poet uses a good number of figures of speech. The poet opens the poem with an apostrophe. He addresses the English poet, Milton, and begs him to give them manners, virtue, freedom, and power. The poet also uses similes. He says that Milton’s soul is “like a star”, his voice is “like the sound of a sea”, and “pure as the naked heavens”. The poet uses a metaphor when he compares England to a fan of stagnant water. There is metonymy in the lines, “Altar, sword, and pen, Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower.”

Rhyme Scheme

“London, 1802” follows the standard rhyme scheme of an Italian sonnet ABBA ABBA CD DE CE

Q: What condition of England do you find in this poem?

Ans: The condition of England is not satisfactory. England was once a great place of happiness, religion, chivalry, art, and literature, but at the present moment, those virtues have been lost. At present, the altar (representing religion), the sword (representing the military), the pen (representing literature), and the fireside (representing the home – men and women) have become selfish and corrupt. The people of England were full of heroic qualities. They were gifted with real happiness. But now they are no longer happy. In former days they were linked to the rightful successor of the nation but now these institutions have lost their meaning. They have lost their peace of mind and there was unrest in all spheres of English life.

Q: What patriotic zeal is expressed in the poem?

The poet in the poem expressed his patriotic zeal. He laments the loss of happiness, religion, chivalry, art, and literature in the poem. The people of England were full of heroic qualities. They were gifted with real happiness. But now they were no longer happy. In the former days, they were fundamentally linked to the rightful successor of the nation but now these institutions have lost their meaning. They have lost their peace of mind and there is unrest in all spheres of life. Thus, the poet appears to be a patriot because he laments the previous goodness of England. As he is concerned for the goodness of his country, he makes a harsh judgment of England.