A Biblical Reading of William Wordsworth’s Poem Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

Abstract

This paper examines in depth the concepts of childhood and immortality in William Wordsworth’s poem Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood in light of the biblical allusions presented in the text. My thesis supports the claim of a hidden transcendental spirituality revealed through a close-reading of the poem, and later clarified in relation to The Scriptures. Following the chronological order of the child’s cognitive and physical development, I analyze the natural characteristics of the child in terms of memory, nostalgia, and the natural environment. Furthermore, an explanation of the spiritual attributes of the child is given by means of theories which apply to basic theology. Examples of ontological, teleological, and depth psychology arguments are utilized to show the necessity for immortality and to provide an evident spiritual aspect in the poem.