Ode: Intimations of Immortality, Wordsworth: Summary, Analysis & Themes

William Wordsworth originally published "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood" in his 1807 collection Poems, in Two Volumes. This poem is often regarded as one of Wordsworth's most significant works, as it delves into themes that remained central throughout his career, such as childhood, memory, nature, and the human soul. The speaker in the poem reflects on his childhood perception of the world, which he saw as filled with divine beauty. As an adult, he laments the loss of this vision but finds solace in the belief that he can still rely on his memories of it. He suggests that the way children see the world hints at the heavenly origin of the human soul, which will ultimately return to its divine source. The ode consists of 11 stanzas divided into three parts. The first part, four stanzas in length, talks about how the narrator cannot see the divine beauty of nature, which is the main issue of the poem. The second part, also four stan…