William Wordsworth's poem about England and how great it used to be. The writer
actually explains how it had a natural endowment of wealth and power and how it
changed into a country full of selfish men. He goes even further, begging the deceased
John Milton, an English poet and political writer, saying, "Raise us up, return to us
again." He further explains what he wants to return. Wordsworth wants manners, virtue,
freedom, power, everything that England used to be that's what he wants to return. He
goes on, praising Milton and how pure of a person he was and how beautiful he spoke.
Wordswoth expressed the need England had for Milton so desperately as if he was
hoping that just his words would bring Milton back.
Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem Douglass is about how America had fallen on evil
days, days worse than when Frederick Douglass, an American writer and former slave,
was still alive.
Wordsworth on Helvellyn
Frederick Douglass
Sketch of African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunb...The writer states that the whole country listened to Douglass' every word
and that they listened with amazement. Dunbar declares how much the country needs
Douglass and his voice, the voice that the people will lend an ear to. Dunbar is
absolutely convinced that if Douglass was still alive the people would have a beacon to
follow in the darkness of their confusion.
The title "London. 1802 suggests that this poem will probably be about London at around
that time, by using that title the author prepared me for a difference in speech, such as the
use of "thee's" and "thou's." It also prepared me for different slang terms. In this poem
the writer is addressing John Milton, an English Poet. The writer's attitude toward
Milton is distress and disgust toward the state at which England is at that time is horrid.