William Wordworth's poem, "Nutting," is an
autobiographical poem that recalls an event from his childhood while going into the
woods to collect hazelnuts. (Wordsworth lost both parents very young, but lived—along
with his brothers—with Ann Tyson, who allowed him to spend his free time out of doors,
whenever his scheduled allowed it.)
The first literary
device is personification, which gives human characteristics to non-human things. The
first thing he personifies is the day, with the human qualities of life and
death:
One of
those heavenly days that cannot
die...
We see it again in the
line: "with tempting clusters hung" which refers to hazelnuts that cannot tempt as this
is a human action.
We next see a metaphor, when the poet
refers to a part of the wood untouched, calling it a "virgin scene." Onomatopoeia is
present in this lovely piece of imagery where "murmur" creates the sound of the water:
"Where fairy water-breaks do murmur on..."
The author uses
a simile in describing the scattered mossy stones, comparing them to
sheep:
readability="13">...with my cheek on one of those green
stonesThat, fleeced with moss, under the shady
trees,Lay round me, scattered like a flock of
sheep...Personification is
used again, giving "pleasure" the ability to "pay
tribute:"readability="5">...when pleasure loves to
payTribute to
ease...Personification is
used again especially with "heart luxuriates," "indifferent things", and "Wasting its
kindliness:"readability="9">The heart luxuriates with indifferent
things,Wasting its kindliness on stocks and
stones,And on the vacant
air.Again Wordsworth uses
personification to describe how the trees "act" when he "harvests" the hazelnuts, and
their "patience:"readability="7">Of hazels, and the green and mossy
bower
Deform'd and sullied, patiently gave up
Their quiet
beingWordsworth next uses a
metaphor, comparing the sense of riches the speaker feels in retrieving the hazelnuts to
the wealth of kings:readability="5">...rich beyond the wealth of
kings...The last example of
personification is found in the poem's closing line, that gives the woods a spirit,
which (as far as we know) cannot exist in trees, bushes,
etc....for
there is a Spirit in the woods...
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