The Prelude: Book One, Take Two

I am hell-bent, not on compromise, but on making sense of Wordsworth. 104 degrees and a head full of steam. Or something. Here it goes.

I started rereading The Prelude and, as usual, things aren't quite as grim as they appeared last week. I do understand some of it, maybe even a lot of it. It wasn't so hard to read through this time either so maybe I am also getting used to the language.

He starts out leaving the city behind him (so many good songs start out that way but I have to focus on this right now), he is happy to be back in nature, feels breezes both literal and creative, lets us know he's been stuck a while and is now happy to ramble freely but will soon want to apply himself to something. He starts talking about some of his frustrations with himself, his writing, and as I read this passage (lines 228-271) I wondered, how did it not grab me the first time through? Especially this:

Far better never to have heard the name
Of zeal and just ambition, than to live
Thus baffled by a mind that every hour
Turns recreant to her task, takes heart again,
Then feels immediately some hollow thought
Hang like an interdict upon her hopes.
This is my lot; for either I still find
Some imperfection in the chosen theme,
Or see of absolute accomplishment
Much wanting- so much wanting in my mind
That I recoil and droop, and seek repose
In indolence from vain perplexity,
Unprofitably travelling towards the grave
Like a false steward who has much received
And renders nothing back.
(Lines 257-271)

Unprofitably travelling towards the grave? I get that feeling.

It's only after all this that he goes into the Was it for this and the beautiful descriptions of what nature meant to him as a boy that filled my head the first time around.

Comments

[jc]

"Unprofitably travelling towards the grave? I get that feeling"

No way am I accepting that from you.

Take the next couple of lines.....you can never be accused of being a false steward who has rendered nothing back.

I dont think I'm alone in thinking the world's a far better place for being able to come in here and be entertained/enlightened/educated.

Keep On Keepin On

[Greer]

Ah, you are too sweet JC. But don't we all have those times where you kind of question, what the heck am I doing with my life??

[jc]

Of course we do......then, if nothing else, take a look around this internetbloggycommunitything and you soon get cheered up by someone or other....

[FiL]

'But don't we all have those times where you kind of question, what the heck am I doing with my life??'

Absoballyloutely, my dear. What I've been focusing on the fun and joy of trying to figure it out, rather than on ultimately figuring it out, because I'm now pretty certain that I'm never going to figure it out.

Enjoy the flight, rather than the destination... ;-)

[jc]

Hey FiL....you forgot to take your medication my friend.

[Greer]

Actually I believe it's Typepad, not FiL and his meds (or lack thereof). I deleted the duplicate postings :).

I'm also pretty certain that I'm never going to get it figured out either. And I think they keep moving the target! You're both right- enjoy the ride, and read all the wonderful blogs and other stories from fellow travelers along the way.

[Eiron Page]

If the blogs are indicative of the journeys of our lives then mine suggests one where there have been repeated drives around the block, forgetting one thing then another, then losing the keys, having to call in the locksmith to get in and get them, finally getting into the car and the engine failing. I am fortunate than in my real life things aren't so terrible. I hope to be back to the blog again soon, now I've worked out that Vista (least, an argument between my network card and the operating system) seems to have been the cause of the most Internet-related of issues. No more Wii-typing for me.

For the time being at least, I am back. Hopefully it will outlast the taking it in to have a better network card fitted.

There's nothing more I can add to those comments above. Your blog is one way you are giving to the world and there must be other ways. I particularly enjoy this blog - it's one of very few I go out of my way to read when technology seems to be falling down around me.

[Greer]

Hi Eiron,

I've heard such terrible stories about Vista, and now here's one more. I'm glad you're getting it worked out though.

I do the blog out of complete and utter selfishness :). It is such a pleasure to discuss books and music with you all and I am so thrilled whenever you stop by.

[Eiron Page]

Some people seem to get on with Vista without problem. My problems stem from a lack of research on my computer guy's part in this instance. And in a lack of decent development on the part of the manufacturers of my network card. Still, we'll get there. And it's not like I'm completely lost for, or even without, the Internet connection.

Finally emerged from that long brothel sequence in Ulysses. Three chapters to go and it'll be good to be able to say that I'm one of those who have read Ulysses. Still need to do some proper reading around the subject and give it another go, however. Like giving the reading of Homerus another go.

[Greer]

I'n glad you wrote about Ulysses because I meant to ask. It's great you're so far along and the end is in sight. I know what you mean about needing to read around it, I feel that way about a lot of things I read and sometimes it's hard to know where to draw the line :). But once I put the effort in with something I want to be sure I've understood as much as I can.

Keep me posted, OK?