William Wordsworth: A Complaint. Analysis and notes

Structure:

• It is an epitath – poem which is usually recited on one’s deathbed. The poem is an epitath of the beloved’s love for the poet. His retribution is about how much she has changed and how deeply he feels that change.
• Three stanzas of 6 verses- commonly known as sextets.
• Rhyming scheme is regular with a pattern of ababcc being repeated in each stanza.
• The punctuation is erratically used to impress the fluidity of the poet’s or I-figure’s emotions on the audience. The latter does conjure empathy for the poet.

Stanza one:

• The complaint starts with the poet specifying that there is a change in the course of the situation.
• He emphasises on his poverty- thay is he is deprived of the type of love his beloved used to shower on him. He now feels isolated and left on his own.
• The tone he uses is that of whining- extreme method to attract attention as well as to impose his sadness on the audience.
• Wordsworth was a lady’s man, enjoying feminine attention everywhere he went. His claim on love is dramatic but genuine to him. Love nourishes his psyche and his capacity to interact with his contemporaries.
• A fountain at my fond’s heart door- he has been extremely loved by the lady. He cannot say otherwise yet now he notices changes in her attitude.
• She was always caring and attentive but now she has changed. She dismisses him as if his existence does not matter. Such ignorance pains him.
• He makes use of alliteration: fountain… fond – emphasises on how deep her love had been for him.
• He uses repetition of flow : to flow…and flow it did. Flow emphasises on how they used to complement each other; how satisfied he was in such a blissful situation.

Punctuation: The use of dash/hyphen brings a significant pause to his emotions as well as his attitude at the very beginning of the poem. There is a change – and I am poor; – it is a declaration, rather a confession that now he is a derelict because he no longer has her love. The semi-colon at the end of the first verse brings a change in the the flow of ideas along with emotions.

In the same way, Wordsworth uses the punctuation at the end of most of the verses to extrapolate on his new-found poverty which is actually a break-up.

Stanza two:

• What happy moments did I count!
  • His souvenirs bring him satisfaction as he has been loved.
  • He feels blessed.
  • He uses exclamation mark to emphasise on his feelings of utmost contentment.

• Blest was I then all bliss above !
  • Use of alliteration: blest…bliss – accentuates on how satisfying her love has been.
  • Repeats the exclamation mark- laying emphasis on his feelings.
  • The tone is that of joy which is delirious.

• …what have I? shall I dare to tell?
  • makes use of the interrogative form to show how he is questioning his fate, clamouring in his loss.
  • The small letter s for shall specifes thta he is hesitant because he needs courage to face his loss.

• A comfortless and hidden well:
  • There is contrast between fount and well: that is the fount, which is a fountain overflows whereas a well is a hole dug deep in the soil.
  • Hence,now he has been forced to suffer from a loveless life. He feels nothing but regrets and sadness.
  • He disaproves of how his emotions will now be masked/camouflaged. He disapproves of being treated as an unwanted lover who is bequeathed shadows henceforth.

Stanza three:

• He is explaining to himself that he needs to accept the changes. He is still getting attentions, though they are hidden.
• Silence and obscurity disturb him as he is doomed to experience the slow death of his love.
• Silence and obscurity are repetition as they are endowed with the same feelings of decrepitude and loneliness.
• – Such change, abd at the very door of my fond heart, hath made me poor. – the idea of being poor is repeated and allied with the devastating dimension which change is bringing.
• He is now poor as there is change in the behaviour of his beloved. He is contravened to suffer and to be overlooked.

Themes:

1. Sufferance- emotionally undergoing pain and is underwhelmed due to disregard.
2. Hidden love = death of love. He does not want a clandestine affair nor can he bear separation. Yet he has to succomb to his ladylove’s demands : he is getting less, but at least he is getting something.
3. Self- esteem: he calls himself poor as he suffers,as he is estranged from his beloved by her own desire, and as he cannot fight the situation. He condemns the change as being his fate.

• Loud in emotions.
• Absorbs the audience’s sympathy.
• Provides a sad picture of the poet but gives a despicable image to the beloved.
• A new facet of love is revealed.
• Love that is seen and respected versus love which is hidden,thus a sin.
• This love is based on conditions, which detrimental to love itself- it will softly and slowly kill love,as bitterness will seep in.
• Imagery of fountain clashing with that of a well: two vibrant forms of love.