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The poem itself From low to high doth dissolution climb, And sink from high to low, along a scale Of awful notes, whose concord shall not fail; A musical but melancholy chime, Which they can hear who meddle not with crime, 5Nor avarice, nor over-anxious care. Truth fails not; but her outward forms that bear The longest date do melt like frosty rime, That in the morning whiten'd hill and plain And is no more; drop like the tower sublime 10Of yesterday, which royally did wear His crown of weeds, but could not even sustain Some casual shout that broke the silent air, Or the unimaginable touch of Time.
Word Definitions: Mutability - Capable of or subject to change or alteration Dissolution (line 1) - Decomposition into fragments or parts Concord (line 2) - Harmony or agreement of interests or feelings Melancholy (line 4) - Sadness or depression of the spirits Meddle (line 5) - To intrude into other people's affairs or business Avarice (line 6) - Immoderate desire for wealth Sublime (line 10) - Characterized by nobility
Poem form and structure Mutability,” a traditional sonnet of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter, is William Wordsworth’s speculation on change and transformation. Something that is mutable is able to shift, alter, and adapt itself, and the poet places his reflections on the impermanence of forms side by side with the permanence of Truth
Rhyme Scheme • From low to high doth dissolution climb, AAnd sink from high to low, along a scale BOf awful notes, whose concord shall not fail; BA musical but melancholy chime, CWhich they can hear who meddle not with crime, CNor avarice, nor over-anxious care. DTruth fails not; but her outward forms that bear DThe longest date do melt like frosty rime, AThat in the morning whiten'd hill and plain EAnd is no more; drop like the tower sublime AOf yesterday, which royally did wear DHis crown of weeds, but could not even sustain ESome casual shout that broke the silent air, DOr the unimaginable touch of Time. AABBCCDDAEADEDA
A brief summary • The first part is a musical metaphor. “From low to high doth dissolution climb, And sink from high to low, along a scale Of awful notes, whose concord shall not fail; A musical but melancholy chime, nor avarice, nor over-anxious care. Truth fails not; ” William Wordsworth is trying to convey the idea of how society has changed because of the industrial revolution. He is saying that societies morals and values have changed for worse as people are living and working in terrible conditions.
The second part the change is society is illustrated in nature. Along with the personification of time and a tower. “;but her outward forms that bear The longest date do melt like frosty rime, That in the morning whiten'd hill and plain And is no more; drop like the tower sublime 10Of yesterday, which royally did wear His crown of weeds, but could not even sustain Some casual shout that broke the silent air, Or the unimaginable touch of Time.” William Wordsworth uses nature to convey the overall theme of change in society from something beautiful to something ugly. He portrays frosty landscape, white, and blissful which over time turn into slush. He is saying that our core values are still there but the peripheral is deteriorating.
Speaker, Intention and Purpose In 1812 Wordsworth published "Ecclestial Sketches", a sequence of over a hundred sonnets (one of which was "Mutability") prompted by the current issue of Catholic Emancipation. Its purpose, wrote Wordsworth, 'was, as much as possible, to confine my views to the introduction, progress and operation of the church in England, both previous and subsequent to the Reformation'. The following year he published a group of poems inspired by his recent trip to Europe, "Memorials of a Tour on the Continent, 1820, and, for the first time eparately, the "Description of the Scenery of the Lakes". But for the next ten years, Wordsworth wrote little, and published nothing new.(reference from the book: The British Library writers lives William Wordsworth written by Stephen Hebron)
American school’s Conclusion • William Wordsworth’s poem “Mutability” makes multiple references to the crucifixion of Christ. The first few lines about climbing dissolution seem to reference periods of religious controversy. In this case, the word “awful” might mean filled with or displaying reverence, instead of the more common definition meaning terrible. Those who "hear the musical but melancholy chime," or are fully aware of these lapses and swells in religious fervor, are Christians. This is evidenced by the fact that Wordsworth says they “meddle not with crime, not avarice, not over-anxious crime,” or in other words they are trying to lead lives without sin. The line “drop like the tower sublime of yesterday” compares Jesus Christ, as a sublime figure, to a watchtower that guards over a kingdom. “Which royally did wear his crown of weeds” directly references the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. The words “royally” and “crown” recall images of a king with a great land empire and royal subjects, drawing parallels to Jesus, the Christian empire, and his devoted followers. However, the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was impermanent like the dew (rime) on the grassy hill. Mutability, the title of the poem, draws parallels between the ever-changing nature of the world and God changing shape to take on the bodily form of Jesus Christ, and then leaving the world as quickly as he arrived. Wordsworth’s conclusion seems to be that God, although he may change shape or form, is always present, and that although Jesus died and there is constant questioning of religion, his legacy lives on (“truth fails not”), like that of a great ruler.On a side note, it was interesting the particular words that Wordsworth used because, if the poem was being read out loud, many of them could be confused for their similar-sounding homonyms. Dissolution, meaning breaking into fragments, sounds eerily similar to disillusion, meaning freeing from false belief or illusions, which would also make sense within the context. Rime, meaning dew, could easily be confused with rhyme, which would follow with the line talking about music and a scale and chime. Wordsworth seems to be toying with the mutability of the words as well.
Symbolism and Imagery. Symbolism- The tower is a symbol for Jesus Christ. Imagery- ‘which royally did wear/His crown of weeds’ personification tower being Jesus and the crown of thorns.
Feelings and Themes Themes: • The powerful leaders all fall some time? (can’t withstand time) E.g Sadam Hussein, Hitler, fall of empires (Rome, Egypt) – ‘but could not even sustain … the touch of time.’ • Change in society shown in nature.
