A Deep-ecological Reading Of Wordsworth's Lyrical Poems

In modern times,the environment becomes worse and worse.Global warming threatens humans' existence,wars are incessant,and all these bring humans and nature great destruction. Humans are forced to face these problems brought by the Industrial Revolution and reconsider whether the application of science and technology in a human-centered way is right or not.The opposite of the human-centered way—anthropocentrism is eco-centrism,i.e. a kind of philosophy that recognizes the ecosphere,rather than any individual organism,is the source and support of all life,and recognizes the importance of the environment and the web of life,and realizes that no single organism is more important than another.William Wordsworth,the main initiator of the English Romantic poetry,and his Lyrical Ballad receive great attention across the world.Wordsworth chooses his subjects from common life and the subjects cover a wide range,including animals and plants,wars,new poetic theories,and peasants in the lower social status.Wordsworth's contributions to the development of British poetry make a far-reaching influence on the future poets.There are some experts who have read Wordsworth's poems from the eco-criticism.This thesis tries to further analyze Wordsworth's lyrical poems from deep ecology.This thesis can be divided into three parts.In the first part,the rejection and repudiation of anthropocentrism in Wordsworth's poems are discussed.The Industrial Revolution pushed the economy to develop very fast,but meanwhile many peasants lost their lands and even became beggars.Wordsworth commends the peasant's harmonious life in nature,pities their hard life after they lose their lands,and criticizes the endless desire of the rich.Some people even stage wars to satisfy their desire to dominate the world.The desire for more wealth or power other than humans' vital needs leads to ecological crisis.Wordsworth encourages the oppressed people to fight for freedom and equality and chides the countries invading others to satisfy their desire.In the second chapter,Wordsworth's encouragement of equality is discussed. Wordsworth emphasizes the equality between humans and nature as well as in human societies.Inequality is a kind of manifestation of anthropocentrism.The inequality in human society is closely related to inequality between humans and nature.Wordsworth calls on nature to revolt against the cruelties of humans through Wordsworth's negative opinion on building the railway in the peasants' fields and his anger at humans' maltreating animals. Inequality,a kind of manifestation of anthropocentrism,should be replaced by equality.This is the embodiment of eco-centrism.In the third chapter,Wordsworth's eco-centrism is further explored.Eco-centrism is the opposite of anthropocentrism,and in the eco-centered thinking all organisms should be treated equally.The poet suggests two ways to reach eco-centrism:the retaining of a child's nature and enlightenment through nature.A child's nature is connected with disorder,simplicity, chaos and is different from an adult's nature,which is in order,rational,and civilized.In Wordsworth's poems the state of a child is an important example,in which the poet eulogizes the eco-centered relationship between a child and nature,which is a nurse,a guide,a guardian in the poet's heart,and "soul of all my moral being".In addition,nature,to Wordsworth,is the incarnation of God,whose divinity can exist in everything in nature.This view of the poet contains equality.The poet also criticizes the human-centered education and believes that the anthropocentric education should be replaced by nature.So Wordsworth advises people to put down books,to be enlightened through nature and to live a harmonious,eco-centered life.Now ecological crisis threatens humans' existence.Technology is used to purify air and water,and meanwhile it brings more pollution;resources face depletion;global warming will make the earth no longer habitable for humans.In the early days of the industry several centuries ago,Wordsworth foresaw this contradiction.In his poems Wordsworth criticizes the destruction to humans and nature by the industry with the help of anthropocentric science.He tells people how to live a happy and harmonious life in nature and points out a correct way of humans' development.These views about equality and eco-centrism are well worth of people's practice even today.