Rise and Shine

Wordsworth wrote “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” on his way to France with his sister Dorothy. In simpler words, Dorothy also wrote about the beautiful scene in her journal:

"It was a beautiful morning. The city, St. Paul's, with the river, and a multitude of little boats, made a most beautiful sight as we crossed Westminster Bridge. The houses were not overhung by their cloud of smoke, and they were spread out endlessly, yet the sun shone so brightly, with such a fierce light; that there was something like the purity of one of nature's own grand spectacles."

It must have been a magnificent view for even Wordsworth, who is known for his love for nature to think of it as “A sight so touching in its majesty” (3). The peacefulness of dawn, when the sun – the only part of nature in the city – is the first to awake while all the other man-made parts “seem asleep” (13), is the main reason why Wordsworth was so enchanted by the view. He finds this rare moment of the city that is lack of human activities and flooded with sunbeam even more beautiful than sunrises he has seen over “valley, rock, or hill” (10).

I’ve seen sunrises a few times, but only twice on purpose, both on a mountain top. The closest experience I got with Wordsworth’s was when I stayed up all night studying or working at home, and I would go out to my balcony at dawn to watch the sun rises from the sea. It was nice to be the only one around wide awake, there’s a sense of calmness and privacy. Then more buses and cars started to go on the road, and the silence of the night is broken. Men started to emerge everywhere, school buses started coming around, newspapers started to be delivered, and alarm clocks started ringing. Then it all just fell back to an ordinary day.