Despite their different backgrounds and eras, William Wordsworth and John Muir found solace and inspiration in the natural world. They each had a profound, healing connection with nature at a similar young age, and during periods when they had gone through emotional trauma in seeing societies being torn apart by conflict. Beyond solace, each went on to discover ecstasy through their natural sojourns. Not religious in the conventional sense, both men also sensed a divine presence in nature. Their works also gave rise to environmental conservation movements, albeit in different historical contexts and at differing levels of impact. These life experiences for each man can be found respectively in Wordsworth’s poem, ‘Tintern Abbey,’ and in the chapter “The Yosemite” from John Muir’s journal, “My First Summer in the Sierra.”
I was first attracted to this topic due to deep personal connections with both writers. Growing up in India, Wordsworth was one of the first English poets I read in middle school and left a deep impact on my thinking and perception of poetry. Especially the power of his poetry to capture natural experiences in an evocative manner. My connection to John Muir began when I started to explore the wonderous beauty of the Yosemite Valley. I have spent hours hiking and enjoying the bounties of nature in this amazing place, including an arduous but extremely fulfilling hike up to the top of the Half Dome Mountain. I owe a debt of gratitude to Muir for his role in preserving this natural haven for generations to come. My resolve on this topic became even more strong after realizing how neatly their lives spanned the major historical and social events of the Long Nineteenth Century. Between Wordsworth’s birth in 1770 to Muir’s death in 1914, their lives formed perfect bookends to this momentous period.
Finding solace and healing
The late 18th century was a tumultuous time in Europe, and Wordsworth was not immune to the seismic changes of the era. During this period, he traveled extensively, including many journeys to France. These journeys placed him directly in the midst of the early stages of the French Revolution, a time when revolutionary fervor was sweeping across the country. Wordsworth’s experiences during the French Revolution left an indelible mark on his consciousness. He initially embraced the ideals of the revolution, which championed liberty, equality, and fraternity. The promise of a better, more just society resonated with him, as it did with many intellectuals of the time. However, the events he witnessed in France, including the violence and chaos that unfolded during the Reign of Terror, began to cast a shadow on his optimism. He also went through a personal upheaval during 1792, fathering a child with Annette, a French Catholic woman 4 years older than himself. He left the chaos unfolding in Paris and left his wife and young child behind. This traumatic experience stayed with him for a long time.
After returning to England, Wordsworth formed a partnership with his neighbor, friend and fellow poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They started working on publishing their first book of ballads. Wordsworth was making trips down to London to supervise the printing work. This was taking a toll on his health as well as negatively impacting his financial wellbeing. At this time a trip was planned to visit a friend near Bristol. William and his sister Dorothy lived there for a few days. Almost every day they would walk the several miles to a place where they saw a view of the Wye valley. Wordsworth found much solace in nature. He writes –
In darkness and amid the many shapes
Of joyless daylight; when the fretful stir
Unprofitable, and the fever of the world,
Have hung upon the beatings of my heart—
How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee,
O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro’ the woods
(Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey, 50-58)
In these lines he expresses a profound and healing connection with nature. He describes how the memory of the serene and unspoiled natural landscape of the valley, which he revisited after a five-year absence, provided him with a sense of solace and continuity. As mental health expert Julia Gillick writes in her blog on Wordsworth, “the poem is about memory-making and how the memory of pure communion with nature as a child works upon the mind in adulthood”.
About Seventy years later, in another part of the world, a man at about the same age found a similar connection to nature. John Muir discovered solace walking through the majestic Yosemite Valley. Born on April 21, 1838, in Dunbar, Scotland (about 160 miles from Grasmere where Wordsworth lived at that time), John Muir was deeply influenced by his early interactions with the natural world. From a young age, Muir exhibited an insatiable curiosity about the natural world, spending countless hours exploring the rugged coastline and countryside near his home. After immigrating to America with his family at the age of 11, John Muir’s early adulthood was marked by a period of social and political upheaval, a time of war and industrialization. As a young adult during the American Civil War, John Muir lived through one of the most significant conflicts in the nation’s history. The war resulted in immense destruction and loss of life, leaving a profound impact on the country and on Muir’s young mind. In the summer of 1863, as a student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, he witnessed the whole town losing its moral tone as crowds of rowdy young men walked through the streets, thrilled at the adventure of going off to war. The violence and instability of the war heightened his appreciation for the tranquility and harmony of nature, leading him to seek solace and inspiration in the natural world. A freak accident while working on a machine almost blinded him. Spending over a month in solitude, with his eyes bandaged, he had an epiphany and decided to leave behind the rapidly industrializing world. He embarked first on a 1000 mile walk from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, eventually finding his way to San Francisco in 1869. There someone guided him to go North to the Yosemite Valley. Thus began a lifelong association and fascination with the natural bounties of the valley.
Muir describes the experience he had while viewing a sunrise over the Yosemite Valley, “The whole landscape glows like a human face in the glory of enthusiasm, and the blue sky, pale around the horizon, bends peacefully down over all like one vast flower” (Muir, 75). The use of the phrase “glory of enthusiasm” in Muir’s quote further emphasizes the emotional impact of nature. The author’s own sense of ecstasy can be felt as he perceives nature itself as a human experiencing unbounded enthusiasm. “So glorious a landscape, so boundless an affluence of sublime mountain beauty” (Muir, 69), the choice of words implies that the landscape is not just aesthetically pleasing but evokes a sense of awe and wonder, creating a profound and uplifting experience for the observer. Muir, like Wordsworth, goes beyond surface-level appreciation and delves into the emotional and transformative power of nature, expressing a connection with the environment on a deeper level.
Muir described the Sierra as a place of beauty, spirituality, and renewal, a refuge from the tumultuous world outside. The natural world, with its grandeur and diversity, offered Muir a sense of awe and wonder, a stark contrast to the chaos and fragmentation of human society. Wordsworth’s journey to the Wye Valley became a healing return to nature, a reliable sanctuary where he could seek refuge from the complexities and conflicts of the world.
Ecstatic experiences
The word ‘ecstasy’ comes from the Greek word ‘ekstasis’, which means “standing outside of oneself” or “being outside of one’s senses”. What better word can describe the “out of body” experience felt by Wordsworth and Muir during their time in nature. In the summer of 1798, Wordsworth and his sister stopped by in Shirehampton near Bristol for a few days. From here, in their daily walks of 20 miles or so, William and Dorothy would cross the Severn River to an overlook to one of its tributaries, the river Wye. In these lines by Wordsworth describing a view from one of these overlooks, his deep and emotional connection with natural experiences unfolds through a theme of ecstasy: “sensations sweet / Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; / And passing even into my purer mind / With tranquil restoration” (Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey, 109-112). He finds joy and fulfillment in recognizing nature as more than a scenic backdrop; it becomes the anchor of his purest thoughts. This recognition suggests a profound understanding of the inherent significance of the natural experience in shaping the human perspective. It is not merely a picturesque landscape but a stable foundation, grounding the speaker’s thoughts in a realm of heightened purity and authenticity. Wordsworth’s choice to highlight both the eye and ear in the poetic narrative adds a layer of depth to the experience. As Mark Offord, a teacher at the University of Cambridge, states about this poem, “thought and intuition, when feeling is involved, might not be so separable in analysis and time after all” (121). It implies engagement that touches every sense, fostering an immersive encounter. He employs evocative metaphors to enrich understanding of nature’s role in his life. Nature is likened to a nurturing force—a nurse providing sustenance and care. It is also a guide, subtly directing his moral compass. Furthermore, nature assumes the role of a guardian, offering protection and support to the heart and soul. These metaphors paint a rich picture of nature’s strong influence on Wordsworth, emphasizing its nurturing, directing, and protective qualities. He remembers his visits perhaps as a child,” when like a roe / I bounded o’er the mountains” (Tintern Abbey, 69-70), and masterfully crafts a portrayal of an active and transformative relationship with nature—one that transcends the ordinary and evokes a state of intense joy and happiness.
While describing a morning spent sketching the North Dome of the Yosemite Valley, expressed his sense of sheer joy and rejuvenation in the company of nature: “Drinking this champagne water is pure pleasure, so is breathing the living air, and every movement of limbs is pleasure, while the whole body seems to feel beauty when exposed to it as it feels the camp-fire or sunshine, entering not by the eyes alone, but equally through all one’s flesh like radiant heat, making a passionate ecstatic pleasure glow not explainable.” (Muir, 79). The simple pleasure of sipping on the best kind of water as it flows down a stream is like a celebration in itself. When he describes breathing the “living air”, it’s as if he’s taking in not just filling his lungs, but taking in a pure, invigorating essence that refreshes his entire being.
In the lines above, Muir feels that every movement of limbs is a pleasure and that being in nature is not a passive experience but an active and joyful engagement. It’s like every step, every stretch is a celebration of the body’s connection with the natural world. Muir goes on to say that the beauty of nature isn’t something you only see with your eyes – it’s something your whole body feels, “glowing, radiating beauty that pours into our flesh and bones like heat rays from fire” (Muir, 69). He likens it to the warmth you feel from a campfire or the sun, something that goes beyond a visual experience.
These lines also reveal Muir’s deep emotional connection to nature. It’s not just about finding things pretty; it’s about a profound, almost spiritual connection that brings joy at a level that’s hard to put into words. And when he says it’s not explainable, it’s like he’s acknowledging that this kind of joy and healing from nature is something you have to feel to truly understand.
Through their respective writings they explore the internal, personal experience of nature, acknowledging the intricate interplay of perception and emotion. In doing so, they recognize and embrace the profound influence of nature on the human spirit.
Divine presence
The summer spent in the Sierra’s awakened in John Muir the “deepest and most intense passion in his life…He experienced, in the fullest sense yet, a profound conversion to the religion of nature”, (Worster, 160). As he hiked back to his camp after a day of wanderings around Yosemite Valley, and he observed the beauty of the setting sun, John Muir’s thoughts turned to the divine in nature, “I go to camp with my notes and pictures, the best of them printed in my mind as dreams. A fruitful day, without measured beginning or ending. A terrestrial eternity.”, (Muir, 80). He saw nature as a manifestation of God’s love and creative power, and at the same time felt that nature itself was a divine presence. In the lines above, Muir expresses his awe and wonder at the beauty and majesty of the natural world. He describes the sunset in the west as a “ceremony,” suggesting that it is a sacred event. He also refers to the day as a “terrestrial eternity,” suggesting that he experienced it as a timeless and transcendent moment. Muir’s use of the phrase “gift of good God” shows that he saw the natural world as a gift from a loving and benevolent creator. And he saw nature itself as a divine power that blesses humans who are lucky enough to experience its presence. He believed that nature could teach us important lessons about life and about our place in the universe. Muir’s lines convey a sense of deep reverence and respect for the natural world. He saw it as a place where people could connect with the divine and experience the beauty and wonder of creation. As Prof. Robert Fuller of Bradley University states about Wordsworth,” He had a pantheistic view of relatedness and sacredness of being surrounded by nature” (86).
Wordsworth’s had an outward reverence for the Church, mainly as a means to bind people in a meaningful way. As Stephen Gill writes about the lines below from Tintern Abby, “His participation in Godhead validates his love of and trust in Nature: through love of Nature, he participates in the Divine”, (154), “A presence that disturbs me with the joy / Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime / Of something far more deeply interfused, /Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns” (Tintern Abbey, 94-97). He starts by saying that he feels a strong sense of joy when he is in nature. This joy lifts his spirits and makes him feel like he is connected to something bigger than himself. He uses the word “sublime” to describe this feeling, which means that it is beyond ordinary understanding. “While with an eye made quiet by the power / Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, /We see into the life of things”, (Tintern Abbey, 46-49) he says that this divine presence is “woven into the fabric of nature itself.” It is not something separate from nature, but rather a part of it. In these lines, Wordsworth expresses a romantic and spiritual view of nature. He sees nature as a source of inspiration and a way to connect with God. Wordsworth is buried in the yard of his local parish in Grasmere. In 1893, John Muir visited his grave and described the moment has a very emotional one where he “felt the powerful influence that the poet had wrought in his life” (Worster, 336).
While Muir and Wordsworth were not a particularly religious individuals in the traditional sense, both found a deep spiritual connection to the natural world and that it was a manifestation of the divine. Both spoke of God in pantheistic terms, suggesting that God is not a separate entity but rather the animating force of the universe. Muir had a profound reverence for nature and his sense of awe in the face of its grandeur. The Sierra, with its towering peaks, lush meadows, and crystal-clear streams, became Muir’s spiritual home, a place where he found solace, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things. Wordsworth’s experiences in nature led him to a profound sense of awe, wonder, and interconnectedness, where the beauty of the world becomes a source of spiritual inspiration. His writings embody his philosophy of finding the divine in the ordinary, demonstrating that nature itself is a manifestation of the divine and a source of spiritual inspiration.
Environmental conservation
John Muir is a monumental figure in the environmental conservation movement in the United States. From his very days spent in Yosemite to his last breath, Muir advocated preserving nature and providing succeeding generations the same experiences that he felt. “What he gave the movement was the compelling image and words of a prophet standing before unsullied nature in a posture of unabashed love” (Worster, 331). This quote reflects John Muir’s deep spiritual and ecological perspective, “No wonder the hills and groves were God’s first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself.” (Muir, 89). He implies that as humans transform these natural temples into man-made structures like cathedrals and churches, they lose the direct connection with the divine that is felt in the untouched, pristine beauty of nature. The act of cutting down and hewing the natural environment into constructed religious spaces is seen as distancing humanity from the divine presence that Muir believes is inherent in the natural world. His thoughts encapsulate his philosophy of the spiritual value of wilderness and his concern about the impact of human development on the sacredness of the natural landscape. It resonates with his broader advocacy for the preservation of wilderness areas and the belief that experiencing the untouched beauty of nature brings people closer to a divine understanding. John Muir opened the country’s eyes to the intrinsic value of nature, and “while he was not always successful in his preservationist endeavors, he would be encouraged to know that, in many ways, he was just ahead of his time” (para. 9), wrote Michael Turgeon, an Environmental Ethics Fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics of Santa Clara University.
Interestingly, both men also chose walking as a way to explore. This was also the most democratizing way to let the masses experience nature. Many movements started in Europe during this time devoted to walking and to break down the aristocratic monopoly on open spaces. During their lives both men walked immense distances, and not always in friendly terrain or amongst societies where walking was practiced or revered as a way of exploration. As Rebecca Solnit writes further about the Wordsworth’s walking habit, “…seems part of that tradition of solitary wandering, pursuing the aesthetic while those around all pursued the utilitarian” (114).
While not as strongly and fervently as Muir, Wordsworth in his own spoke out in favor of conservating natural beauty. Later in life, around 1844, when there was a push to bring a railway into the Lake District, he led a spirited effort to push back. His efforts were centered on two beliefs – that there was no real demand from industry for a railway in the area and secondly, he believed that people can only benefit from nature by repeated personal experiences, not just by brief excursions while being thrust into the terrain. Wordsworth’s thinking on preserving this experience for future generations:
The picture of the mind revives again:
While here I stand, not only with the sense.
Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts
That in this moment there is life and food
For future years. (Tintern Abbey, 63-66)
This passage reflects Wordsworth’s appreciation for the enduring and regenerative qualities of nature. He conveys the idea that the mental images, or “picture of the mind,” created by natural scenery will extend beyond the present moment. Pleasure derived from contemplating nature isn’t limited to the immediate experience but provides sustenance for the future. The phrase “pleasing thoughts” suggests that Wordsworth not only enjoys the beauty of the natural world but also contemplates its significance for his future. Anticipating a return to this place, he desires to reexperience it. Wordsworth uses “life and food for future years” as a metaphor for the way nature can sustain us, both physically and emotionally. He emphasizes that nature isn’t merely for present enjoyment but serves as nourishment for our future selves. Wordsworth’s lines indicate his desire for environmental conservation, aiming to preserve the natural world for future generations. Recognizing nature’s essential role in our well-being, he seeks to ensure its enduring presence. While not directly a call for environmental conservation, it underscores the lasting value of nature and implies a desire for its continued existence.
These sentiments can be seen as an indirect acknowledgment of the need to preserve nature, allowing future generations to benefit from its beauty and inspiration. While not explicitly calling for environmental conservation, the passage emphasizes the enduring value of nature and implies a desire for its continued existence. It’s likely that, at the time of Wordsworth’s writing in 1798, the industrial revolution was just beginning in England, and its full impact had not yet been felt in the Lake District.
Conclusion
Both Wordsworth and Muir sought healing and rejuvenation in nature, viewing it as a source of profound joy and solace. In their respective experiences of the Wye Valley and the Sierra, Wordsworth and Muir found reliable havens where the healing power of nature provided continuity and stability amid the upheavals of their times.
The writing of these creative men is profound, yet accessible. As I read Tintern Abbey and The Yosemite over and over again, it almost felt to me like Wordsworth was writing prose, while Muir was writing poetry. They use simple, everyday language but the emotions portrayed are so powerful that the description moves fluidly between narrative forms.
A deep, almost spiritual, connection to nature is evident in both poets’ descriptions of their encounters. Wordsworth’s sense of a divine presence woven into the fabric of nature aligns with Muir’s view of the natural world as a manifestation of God’s love and creative power. Their pantheistic views emphasized the interconnectedness of all things and underscored the profound impact of nature on the human spirit.
Wordsworth and Muir both shared concerns about the impact of human development on the sacredness of the natural landscape. Muir’s assertion that the hills and groves were God’s first temples, contrasted with the diminishing connection to the divine as they are transformed into man-made structures, resonates with Wordsworth’s implicit call for environmental conservation. Wordsworth’s emphasis on the enduring value of nature and the need to preserve it for future generations aligns with Muir’s advocacy for the preservation of wilderness areas.
The lives and works of Wordsworth and Muir, though rooted in different times and places, form a harmonious narrative of humanity’s profound relationship with nature. Their writings continue to inspire and remind us of the enduring and transformative power of the natural world, urging us to appreciate, preserve, and find solace in the beauty that surrounds us.
Bibliography
- Fuller, Robert C. Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality. University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
- Gill, Stephen, ed. Selected Poems. By William Wordsworth. Penguin Classics, 2004.
- Gill, Stephen. William Wordsworth: A Life. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
- Gillick, Julia. “Nature as Therapy.” IPSE Wilderness, 28 Dec. 2017, https://www.ipsewilderness.co.uk/bloglist/2017/12/28/natureastherapy.
- Holmes, Stephen J. John Muir: Life and Legacy. University of California Press, 2009.
- Muir, John. My First Summer in the Sierra., St. Louis, Missouri: J. Missouri, 2013.
- Offord, Mark. Wordsworth and the Art of Philosophical Travel. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Solnit, Rebecca. Wanderlust: A History of Walking. New York: Viking, 2000.
- Turgeon, Michael. “John Muir.” Environmental Ethics: Environmental Activists, Heroes, and Martyrs, Santa Clara University, https://www.scu.edu/environmental-ethics/environmental-activists-heroes-and-martyrs/john-muir.html.
- Worster, Donald. A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.