Essay Draft

Everybody has their role and place in society. They are bound to something and meant to do it. To others it may seem torturous but to that individual it is what completes their life. They are perfectly content with their job and they do it well. This can range anywhere from nuns to farmers to poets. In the poem, “Nuns Fret Not”, author William Wordsworth expresses his belief that people will not be happy until they feel like they have a job to do and can therefore fit into society. He further elaborates upon this idea by saying when people have ‘too much liberty’ they will be unhappy as well because, according to him, solace is found in work. Throughout his poem, Wordsworth explains the values that a structured society has on it’s members and even to himself.

The fact that the poem is a sonnet is symbolic of the poem in its self. Sonnets have structure and set rules just like the different types of people in Wordsworth’s poem. For this he uses the fairly traditional Petrarchan/Italian sonnet where the rhyming works out to be in the form abbaabba cdecde or the 8-6 pattern. He also uses a volta, or turning point of the poem, at around the 8th line which is also very standard. While he is talking about finding solace in structure he is not just reffering to others but also to himself. It is almost like he feels like the structure of the sonnet takes the weight off his shoulders as a poet. He is more than happy to stay within the lines and to just express his thoughts. Wordsworth knows that if he had more ‘liberty’ he would have too many ideas and would not be as effective as a poet.

Wordsworth starts off the poem with his metaphor of nuns simply to show that even the “extreme” side of the confined spectrum appreciate their roles. Obviously nuns do not lead exciting lives but they find peace with just doing their jobs. This is a great example of how one of the worst jobs to most is comforting to a nun. He further relates this to hermits and even students. These 3 places in society are probably the most confined but to those in them they do not feel this way. A nun enjoys serving god just like a hermit likes to be alone and a student likes to study. The intro of the poem relating to these three positions starts off the poem in a very somber mood.

Next Wordsworth talks about maids and weavers. On the outside these would seem like the most boring and meticulous jobs but to the workers it is almost soothing. He shows this even on a deeper level with his rhyming by sticking with the set pattern the whole way through the poem. He even states that the maid and weaver are ‘blithe and happy’.Which also can be shown by the light hearted and upbeat tone of the poem that Wordsworth maintains even when talking about boring and uneventful jobs. Their jobs are exactly the same day in and day out but they find peace in the routine. It allows them to focus and be productive because they don’t have to think about what to do just like how Wordsworth puts it that too much freedom puts a weight on your shoulders.

Towards the middle of the poem he explains that this contentment with a set role proves not only true in our society but for nature as well. With the metaphor of the bees looking for flowers he talks about how they will search for flowers and then gather pollen for hours at a time. However it is simply just what they do and it is their duty to the colony, just like ours to society, and they are content with that. Bees don’t know any better than to just do the same thing everyday but they are more than content with that. It is what their colony/society needs to function at its best. Bees flying around with no flowers in sight or pollen to gather look restless and lost much like how we feel when we have too much freedom and therefore no role in society.

Even though the jobs of nuns, hermits, students and bees may seem like an imprisonment from the outside perspective, it is actually where those individuals find their nirvana. Without a job or task to accomplish the individual will feel meaningless. They will never be able to obtain an inner peace unless they find their perimeters to work within. A person without a role is like the bee with no flower, lost and unhappy. Wordsworth himself admits to liking the rigid structure of the 8-6 sonnet and finds peace writing within its tight boundaries. The form actually allows him to play within it and still allows for his creativity and personality while at the same time channeling his ideas. He shows that writing in form doesn’t necessarily have to lessen the poet’s creativity. In truth poets gain freedom by not having to worry about creating their own rhyme and form. Even though from the perspective of a non poet the sonnet structure would seem like a ‘scanty plot of ground’ is what Wordsworth feels brings out his best and makes him content. People will remain unhappy and lead unfulfilling lives until they find their “flower”.