IT IS A BEAUTEOUS
ENGLISH HL EVENING, CALM AND FREE – WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
16 March 2024
GRADE 12 POETRY NOTES ON: IT IS A BEAUTEOUS EVENING, CALM AND FREE
IT IS A BEAUTEOUS EVENING, CALM AND FREE –
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
1 It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
2 The holy time is quiet as a Nun
3 Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
4 Is sinking down in its tranquility;
5 The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea;
6 Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
7 And doth with his eternal motion make
8 A sound like thunder—everlastingly.
9 Dear child! dear Girl! that walkest with
me here
10 If thou appear untouched by solemn
thought,
11 Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
12 Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year;
13 And worshipp'st at the Temple's inner shrine,
14 God being with thee when we know it not.
POET - WORDSWORTH
William Wordsworth was born in the United Kingdom in 1770. He died in 1850. He
was one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in poetry. He had a great love
for Nature.
As many of Wordsworth’s other poems, this poem is a reflection on Nature and a
(sort of) conversation with (presumably) his daughter. It is suffused with religious
overtones.
DICTION
Word Meaning
Adoration Deep love and respect
Tranquillity Calmness and peace
Doth Does
Eternal Forever
Solemn Serious
Thy Your
1
, Abraham’s Bosom Place of Comfort with God
Shrine Place of Worship
SUMMARY:
The speaker in this poem is awestruck by the beauty of Nature, specifically the
evening time. He expresses his appreciation for the feeling of tranquillity he
experiences in Nature. He views the scene through a (Christian) religious lens and
assures his companion (presumably his young daughter) that God’s presence is
omnipotent. He states that even if/when she does not express devotion to God, or
spend time in a physical place of worship, God is always present. (This reaction
stems from her being seemingly unaffected by the incredible scene in front of them.)
He ultimately praises God for the creation of Nature.
FORM/STRUCTURE:
This is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet consisting of 14 lines. The octave (first 8
lines) describes the breath-taking beauty of the scene. The sestet (last 6 lines)
serves as the speaker’s comment on the beauty and spirituality of the scene. He
addresses his companion (presumably his daughter) directly in the sestet and
acts as a commentary of the speaker’s understanding of the spirituality of life in
general.
ANALYSIS
THE TITLE
The speaker is struck by the physical beauty of the evening and the mood it creates.
The speaker views the scene through a spiritual lens and assures his young
companion (believed to be his daughter, Caroline) that God’s presence is
everywhere, even if we are not fully conscious of it.
LINE 1
It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
beauteous – beautiful
The atmosphere is very peaceful and tranquil. A person is completely at ease; no
worries or stress.
evening – is often the most gentle and quiet time of day.
calm – suggests a mood that is peaceful, tranquil and utterly quiet.
free – implies free of stress/worries/pain.
LINE 2
2
ENGLISH HL EVENING, CALM AND FREE – WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
16 March 2024
GRADE 12 POETRY NOTES ON: IT IS A BEAUTEOUS EVENING, CALM AND FREE
IT IS A BEAUTEOUS EVENING, CALM AND FREE –
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
1 It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
2 The holy time is quiet as a Nun
3 Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
4 Is sinking down in its tranquility;
5 The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea;
6 Listen! the mighty Being is awake,
7 And doth with his eternal motion make
8 A sound like thunder—everlastingly.
9 Dear child! dear Girl! that walkest with
me here
10 If thou appear untouched by solemn
thought,
11 Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
12 Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year;
13 And worshipp'st at the Temple's inner shrine,
14 God being with thee when we know it not.
POET - WORDSWORTH
William Wordsworth was born in the United Kingdom in 1770. He died in 1850. He
was one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in poetry. He had a great love
for Nature.
As many of Wordsworth’s other poems, this poem is a reflection on Nature and a
(sort of) conversation with (presumably) his daughter. It is suffused with religious
overtones.
DICTION
Word Meaning
Adoration Deep love and respect
Tranquillity Calmness and peace
Doth Does
Eternal Forever
Solemn Serious
Thy Your
1
, Abraham’s Bosom Place of Comfort with God
Shrine Place of Worship
SUMMARY:
The speaker in this poem is awestruck by the beauty of Nature, specifically the
evening time. He expresses his appreciation for the feeling of tranquillity he
experiences in Nature. He views the scene through a (Christian) religious lens and
assures his companion (presumably his young daughter) that God’s presence is
omnipotent. He states that even if/when she does not express devotion to God, or
spend time in a physical place of worship, God is always present. (This reaction
stems from her being seemingly unaffected by the incredible scene in front of them.)
He ultimately praises God for the creation of Nature.
FORM/STRUCTURE:
This is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet consisting of 14 lines. The octave (first 8
lines) describes the breath-taking beauty of the scene. The sestet (last 6 lines)
serves as the speaker’s comment on the beauty and spirituality of the scene. He
addresses his companion (presumably his daughter) directly in the sestet and
acts as a commentary of the speaker’s understanding of the spirituality of life in
general.
ANALYSIS
THE TITLE
The speaker is struck by the physical beauty of the evening and the mood it creates.
The speaker views the scene through a spiritual lens and assures his young
companion (believed to be his daughter, Caroline) that God’s presence is
everywhere, even if we are not fully conscious of it.
LINE 1
It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
beauteous – beautiful
The atmosphere is very peaceful and tranquil. A person is completely at ease; no
worries or stress.
evening – is often the most gentle and quiet time of day.
calm – suggests a mood that is peaceful, tranquil and utterly quiet.
free – implies free of stress/worries/pain.
LINE 2
2
