Wordsworth and Dharker: Nature's Power and Human Fragility

Comparing Nature's Dominance in Poetry

The following analysis compares the treatment of nature's power and human fragility in William Wordsworth’s The Prelude and Imtiaz Dharker’s Tissue.

Analysis 1: The Sublime Encounter

Quote: “A huge peak, black and huge” — The Prelude

1. Childlike Regression and Fear

The repetition of “huge” conveys Wordsworth’s stunned, almost childlike reaction to nature’s immense power. Similarly, in Tissue, Dharker uses fragile paper to show how easily human constructs can be overwhelmed by natural forces, such as “the sun” shining through borderlines. This suggests that both speakers are forced to confront their own insignificance.

2. Symbolism and Transience

The mountain in The Prelude becomes a metaphor for nature’s dominance—a looming, god-like figure that reduces the speaker to a state of vulnerability. In Tissue, the light symbolizes a similar force: a natural, unstoppable presence that can penetrate even the most solid human structures. Both poets use powerful, natural imagery to expose the fragility of human power.

3. Sublime and Lasting Impact

The sublime encounter in The Prelude forces Wordsworth to rethink his place in the world, the “darkness” haunting his dreams as a reminder of nature’s overwhelming power. In Tissue, Dharker’s focus on paper as a symbol of human life suggests that, like the mountain, even the strongest structures are “never meant to last,” reinforcing the inevitability of nature’s dominance.

Analysis 2: Light Penetrating Human Constructs

Quote: “The sun shines through their borderlines” — Tissue

1. Power and Insignificance

Dharker uses light as a symbol of nature’s unstoppable force, effortlessly penetrating human-made borders and boundaries. Similarly, in The Prelude, the mountain’s sheer size reduces the speaker to a state of fear, as “huge” conveys how nature dwarfs human power. Both poets present nature as a force that exposes the fragility of human constructs, whether they are physical borders or psychological confidence.

2. Symbolism and Transience

The sun in Tissue represents a natural, enduring power that undermines the supposed permanence of human boundaries. This mirrors the mountain in The Prelude, a colossal presence that forces the speaker to confront how small and transient he is in comparison. Both poets use natural imagery to emphasize how easily nature can dismantle human illusions of control.

3. Tone and Emotional Impact

Dharker’s tone is calm and reflective, accepting the transience of human structures as inevitable, much like the paper she describes as “never meant to last.” In contrast, Wordsworth’s encounter with the mountain is traumatic, lingering in his mind as a “darkness” that haunts his dreams. Both experiences leave lasting impacts, but while Wordsworth is fearful, Dharker is more philosophical, using nature’s power as a reminder of life’s impermanence.