MB UNIUD

Exercise number 1

The poem descrive a view of London. While reading, underline any word or phrase referring to the time of the day. What time of the day is it?

The words or phrases are: morning, silent, bare, all bright and glittering in the smokeless air, sun, in his first splendour.

From these words we understand that the poem describes a view of London during the morning.

Exercise number 2

Make a list of the adjectives the poet/speaker uses to describe his view of London. What traits of the city do they convey? Which sense do they predominantly appeal to?

The adjectives are: silent, bare, bright, glitterign, smokeless air, calm so deep, sweet, asleep.

They convey the trait of the city near Westminster bridge (as we read from the title) where the sun is just rising. The predominant sense to which the poem conveys more is the sense of  sight.

Exercise number 3

What literary devices reinforse the poet/speaker's view of London?Quote examples.

• Personification: the city is described as a lady that "wear the beauty of the morning"
• Anaphor: "never so I"

Exercise number 4

Concentrate on the poet/speaker's tone.

1. How would you describe the tone of lines 1-3?
   The tone of lines 1-3 is the tone of someone who is loving what he is seeing. It's a romantic tone.
2. How does the tone vary in the remaning lines?
   In the following lines the tone isn't as romantic as the first three lines. It seems as the poet/speaker is dreaming. The tone is calm and deep

Exercise number 5

The poem is a sonnet. Work out the rhyme scheme and say what kind of sonnet it is and if there is any relationship between the form and the meaning.

The sonnet has got the same structure of the shakesperian sonnet.

Exercise number 6

The London Wordsworth was famliar with was different from the London the sonnet describes.

1. From the poet's reaction what can you infer about the view he usually had of London?
   In my opinion the poet is surprised by what he is seeing. Probably he is used to see Westminster covered with smoke, noo everything is "bright and glittering in the smokeless air".
2. What transformation has London undergone in his eyes?
   The poet describes an image of the city he ususally doesn't see. Usually the city is cahotic, noisy and full with smoke. In the morning the city changes drastically: now the city "wears the beauty of the morning".
3. What aspects of the poem make the reader feel that the speaker refers to an actual remembered experience?
   The reader understands that the speaker refers to an actual remembered experience because of the verbs, as a matter of fact when the poet talks about the city he uses the present tense. The impressions of the poet are clearly described. This mean that the what he felt, he felt it not so long ago, because more time passes more the feelings become unclear.