"Ode" by William Wordsworth

Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which have been must ever be;
In the sooth thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.


In “Ode,” Wordsworth continues with romantic preoccupations of youth and innocence.

The tone of this passage is ironically hopeful. Despite overwhelming loss of beauty that comes with time and age, the poet attempts to be optimistic. To truly embrace age and experience would mean to see it positively and as a good thing. But Wordsworth continues to perceive time and age negatively, though he endeavors to accept it as gracefully and as generously as possible. He attempts to “find//Strength in what remains behind.” However, his optimism is very limited, demonstrated by his expression, “grieve not” that negates negativity.

Drunkenly, the poet sings, “In the primal sympathy//Which have been must ever be.” This is a reckless claim made without support, for who can ascertain whether sympathy is determined by nature or nurture? Wordsworth’s understanding is that, with age, sympathy does not depreciate. “Primal” refers to the time and nature at birth. Babies are born with sympathy that is neither gained nor lost with age, but definitely not increased.

In the last four lines of the selected passage, Wordsworth attempts to balance the sadness of aging to a positive characteristic that comes with age. But the sides are not equivalently weighed. “Sooth thoughts […] spring//out of human suffering” and “death” brings about “the philosophic mind.” Death and human suffering, physical and visceral, can only be faced passively with soothing thoughts and a philosophic mind.

This would be the closest the poet is willing to get to accepting old age and experience.