An Eco-philosophical and A Phenomenological Journey in William Wordsworth’s The Prelude

Year 2023, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 515 - 525, 30.09.2023

Seher Özsert

https://doi.org/10.35229/jaes.1352229

Abstract

The present paper analyses William Wordsworth’s The Prelude form an eco-philosophical perspective, which suggests a harmonical existence of human and nonhuman worlds. The main argument is based on Arne Næss’ “ecosophy” following his deep ecological thoughts and David Bohm’s “undivided wholeness” supporting the intimate interconnectedness of human and Nature. Following this eco-philosophical vision, Wordsworth believes that Nature has an essential place in children’s learning. He even suggests stopping formal education of children and meditating them through the subjective experiences in Nature. This study investigates how Wordsworth reflects a child’s journey of gaining poetic consciousness through his interaction with Nature in his The Prelude. Nature is personified as a mother, a friend and a teacher helping his maturity. As a child and the speaker of his poem, Wordsworth feels freedom and joy while acquiring a great deal of knowledge at every step through different experiences. From this perspective, this study bases its arguments on Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger’s phenomenological insights to comprehend the essence of our “Being” through subjective experiences collected in our “life world”. Wordsworth emphasizes the growing maturity of the child in Nature by conceiving his existence in this perfect universe. The power of intuition and imagination, which preserves Nature in our minds, is also accentuated as the main factor educating and maturing us in time by shaping our ideas and feelings. In parallel with the eco-philosophical and phenomenological thoughts, Wordsworth stresses the truth, pureness, peace, and pleasure accompanied by the solitude in Nature. This paper observes the transformation of a naive child into a wise poet through the eco-philosophical and phenomenological journey in Nature through the power of intuition and imagination in Wordsworth’s The Prelude.

Keywords

Eco-philosophy, Phenomenology, Nature, interconnectedness, Wordsworth, The Prelude

William Wordsworth’ün The Prelude’unda Eko-felsefi ve Fenomenolojik Bir Yolculuk

Abstract

Bu makale, William Wordsworth’ün The Prelude adlı eserini, insan ve insan olmayan dünyaların uyumlu bir varoluşunu öneren eko-felsefi bir bakış açısıyla incelemektedir. Bu makalenin ana argümanı, Arne Næss’in derin ekolojik düşüncelerinin ardından gelen “ecosophy”sine ve David Bohm’un insan ve Doğa arasındaki yakın ilişkiyi destekleyen “bölünmemiş bütünlüğe” dayanmaktadır. Bu eko-felsefi vizyonu takip eden Wordsworth, Doğanın çocukların öğrenmesinde önemli bir yere sahip olduğuna inanır. Hatta çocuklar için örgün eğitimi durdurmayı ve onlara Doğadaki öznel deneyimler yoluyla meditasyon yapmayı öneriyor. Bu çalışma, Wordsworth’ün The Prelude adlı eserinde bir çocuğun Doğa ile etkileşimi yoluyla şiirsel bilinç kazanma yolculuğunu nasıl yansıttığını araştırmaktadır. Doğa, olgunlaşmasına yardımcı olan bir anne, bir arkadaş ve bir öğretmen olarak kişileştirilmiştir. Bir çocuk ve şiirinin sözcüsü olarak Wordsworth, her adımda farklı deneyimlerle ciddi ölçüde bilgiler edinirken, özgürlüğü ve neşeyi hisseder. Bu bakış açısıyla, bu çalışma, argümanlarını Edmund Husserl ve Martin Heidegger’in fenomenolojik içgörülerine dayandırarak “yaşam dünyamız”da biriktirdiğimiz öznel deneyimler aracılığıyla “Varlığımız”ın özünü kavramaktadır. Wordsworth, çocuğun varlığını bu mükemmel evrende tasavvur ederek Doğada büyüyen olgunluğunu vurgular. Zihnimizde Doğayı muhafaza eden sezgi ve hayal gücü, fikir ve duygularımızı şekillendirerek zaman içinde bizi eğiten ve olgunlaştıran ana faktör olarak da vurgulanmaktadır. Wordsworth, eko-felsefi ve fenomenolojik düşüncelere paralel olarak, Doğadaki inzivanın eşlik ettiği hakikati, saflığı, huzuru ve hazzı vurgular. Bu makale, Wordsworth’ün The Prelude adlı eserinde, naif bir çocuğun sezgi ve hayal gücü aracılığıyla Doğadaki eko-felsefi ve fenomenolojik yolculukla bilge bir şaire dönüşmesini gözlemlemektedir.

Keywords

Eko-felsefe, Fenomenoloji, doğa, Wordsworth, The Prelude, bağlantılılık

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