still, sad music of humanity

The reflections on change presented in Tintern Abbey contrast Wordsworth?s point of view over a five-year span. His initial visit to his dear ?sylvan Wye? was the result of a need to flee from the world he was living in, and a time during which he reflected on and took joy in the beauty and simplicity of the landscape he saw. Returning five years later after an interim spotted with trauma and filled with experience, he composed this somber ballad. The reference to the ?still sad music of humanity? reflects his loss of innocence and his awakening to the evils and trials of the world that humans live in. This comment, however, is not a disheartening one, as he claims that that music is of ?ample power.? Wordsworth comments that his ?wild ecstasies have matured into sober pleasure.? He shows that his initial experience with the area, characterized by ?thoughtless youth? and sheer emotion, have provided him with a place where he can return and reflect on his maturation. After his five years away, he returns with the ability to reflect upon how the emotions that come back to him have changed over time.

It is comforting to Wordsworth that he can return and find himself deeply involved in the landscape- that affects him and that he himself affects how he perceives it. This interlacing of past and present is represented also with the dialogue addressed to his sister Dorothy. He claims to see his younger self in her, and emphasizes with frequent use of the words ?remember? and ?forget? the importance of memory and experiences, as they provide insight and solace. It seems as though he wishes to and believes he will live on through his sister as he interlaces his life in hers, just as he has an interactive relationship with nature.