William Wordsworth wrote this sonnet after walking across Westminster Bridge in London with his sister Dorothy in the early morning before most people were awake. Though used to the countryside in the Lake District, he was struck by the majestic sight of London without people, comparing it to the hills and valleys of home. The quiet city appeared touched by the same beauty of nature that Wordsworth loved.

1. Sonnet: Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
William Wordsworth
Born in 1770 in the beautiful countryside of the north of England, Wordsworth often wrote of his
deep love of nature and the countryside; in this sonnet, however, he recalls a moment when he and
his sister Dorothy travelled to London and walked across Westminster Bridge in the early morning,
before most people were awake. It is interesting that even when in the middle of England’s biggest
city he still compares what he can see with the hills and valleys of his home countryside in the Lake
District.
BBC Bitesize guide to the poem:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetrywordsworth/
A reading of the poem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz4v9x3PIZc&feature=related
1. Briefly sum up the content of the sonnet.
2. Give two examples of hyperbole. Explain how these are effective in the context of the poem.
3. "A sight so touching in its majesty" is an example of paradox or oxymoron. Explain why this
example might be interpreted as the poem's most
important image.
4. What effect on the reader does the personification of
London have in line 14?
5. What is the attitude of the speaker at the close of the
poem? How can you tell?
6. The sonnet form was not much practised in England
between Milton in the mid-seventeenth century and
Wordsworth in the early nineteenth century. Which form of
the sonnet has he chosen, and how does he employ the octave and sestet to convey his theme?
7. How do the first three lines keep the reader in suspense as to the subject of the poem?
8. Explain how the line beginning "This City" conveys at once a description of what is observed,
and the observer's mood.
9. How is the contrast between the momentary hushed stillness of the city and its usual bustling
activity implied, even though not actually stated?
10. How does line 8 create a sense of shimmering beauty?
11. How does punctuation contribute to the overall effect of the poem?