Nature and the Sublime: Romantic Imagination in Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey and Shelley's Mont Blanc

This paper examines Romantic conceptions of nature and the sublime in the
poetry of William Wordsworth and Percy Shelley as representatives of each poet’s generation
in the Romantic era. The poems “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” and “Mont
Blanc: Lines Written in the Vale of Chamouni” were chosen for their topic and immediate
natural settings. By analyzing the sublime imagery and philosophical ideas in the poems,
this paper shows how each poet engages with nature. Although both poems address the
sublime and human feelings, the two poets offer different visions: Wordsworth’s presentation
of nature as a restorative, benevolent force is juxtaposed with Shelley’s awe-inspiring and
existentialist view of nature. The comparison sheds light on the Romantic fascination with
the natural world and illustrates the poets’ intention of composing long-lasting poetry.
Keywords: Romanticism, poetry, sublime, landscape, philosophy, natural world