ared that poetry should contain language really used by men. This idea, and many of his others, challenged the old eighteenth-century idea of formal poetry and, therefore, he changed the course of modern poetry (DISCovering).William Wordsworth was simple, true to nature, and descriptive. He is often referred to as the "poet of nature" (Compton's). There are two central themes in the majority of Wordsworth's poems: childhood and its influence on man, and an attitude of "back to nature." These themes are seen in the poems "My Heart Leaps Up," "Anecdote for Fathers," and "Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey."Both themes are seen clearly in "My Heart Leaps Up." This poem truly expresses the themes of William Wordsworth's poetry. The speaker is a man stating of his desire to be close to nature everyday of his life. The speaker is saying he will not live a life that is not close to nature, and he wishes everyday of his life to be "bound by natural piety." This means that he wishes everyday to be filled with the piety of nature.“My heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky:So was it when my life began;So is it now I am a man;So be it when I shall grow old,or let me die!The Child is father of the Man;And I could wish my days to beBound each to each by natural piety.The simplicity of Wordsworth's writings enables the reader to see clearly his thoughts on children and nature. The paradox seen in, "The Child is father of the Man," tells the reader that a child's view of nature is different from that of an adult's. A child's innocence enables it to see nature in all of its beauty and splendor, while an adult views the wonders of nature as commonplace. The pastoral setting and "back to nature" theme are clear and distinct in the poem. The first two lines, "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky," personify Wordsworth's feelings on nature. His heart "leaps," which means that he feels a certain joy wh...
