Sympathy and Imagination in Wordsworth’s and Smith’s Poetry

The Theme of Sympathy in The Old Cumberland Beggar by William Wordsworth

Wordsworth’s poem touches on the theme of sympathy through the image of the old beggar. With no wealth and money, this man makes the audience pity and worry about him. The image is intensified when the narrator introduces the beggar’s limited physical abilities as he has “his palsied hand” (Wordsworth 16). Sympathy from the surrounding people is revealed as they “stop to lodge the coin within the old Man’s hat” (Wordsworth 28), pointing to their pity toward this poor man.

More importantly, men like this old beggar give people the “first mild touch of sympathy” (Wordsworth 115). Indeed, this touch inadvertently changes some people’s lives, and some of them will never forget this image of the old beggar unable to have a safe shelter, nutritious food, and warm clothing. That is why the poet repeatedly highlights his innocent and virtuous nature. The poet is enchanted by the poor man’s humbleness and kindness despite his state, urging the audience to sympathize with him.

The Theme of Imagination in The Old Cumberland Beggar by William Wordsworth

Meanwhile, Wordsworth also includes the theme of imagination, stimulating the audience’s creativity. He does not depict all the details of the old beggar’s appearance. Instead, he focuses on his internal qualities in the first stanza, making the audience construct the image piece-by-piece. Additionally, the narrator delves into man’s connection with nature, creating symbols attached to his and his audience’s imagination. As an illustration, he states, “Let his blood struggle with frosty air and winter snows” (Wordsworth 175).

Although winter still does not approach the man, the narrator imagines it as if the man has overcome this time. With its harsh conditions, winter symbolizes the man’s life challenges that forced him to become the old beggar in the past and impose more threats on him in the future. Playing on details not revealed to the audience from the character’s past or future, the narrator stimulates the audience’s imagination.

The Theme of Sympathy in The Thorn by William Wordsworth

In Wordsworth’s poem “The Thorn,” Martha and the mysterious child are central to exploring empathy and societal judgment. Martha is a woman who lives on the fringe of society and carries her thorns in life, akin to those represented by The Thorn (4). Whether imagined or real, some mystery surrounds the strange existence of the child. Through this baffling interplay between reality and imagination, audiences become engaged with the actual emotional experience of Martha rather than simply empathizing with her situation from afar (The Thorn 4).

This ambiguity challenges societal norms that would dismiss a woman like Martha, burdened by both her past and the judgments of others. By including these characters, Wordsworth implicates the reader in an understanding of the thorn itself and Martha and the child she carries and gives birth to – insisting on empathetic understanding for those marginalized and misunderstood.

The Theme of Imagination in To the Moon by Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith’s sonnet depicts the transformation of abstract thoughts into the imagination’s drivers. The narrator does not depict the concrete situation as he ponders about the moon. “Alone and pensive” (Smith 2), she views how the shadows highlight the moon’s beauty. Her description of the supernatural and mysterious moon emphasizes the narrator’s imaginative power. Since she perceives the mundane lunar process as the phenomenon to make “the wretched may have rest: (Smith 8).

Using this pessimistic language, the poet conveys that all people patiently overcome their struggles. That is why she waits for the moon’s shedding of soft calm. If her sonnet did not involve the theme of imagination, she would have impeccably described the moon and any situation connected with this satellite. However, she chooses a different approach as her brilliant use of language pushes the audience into their imagination to wonder about the moon’s connection to the struggles.

Works Cited

Smith, Charlotte. “The Moon.” Eighteenth Century Poetry Archive, 1791. Web.

Wordsworth, William. “The Old Cumberland Beggar.” Representative Poetry Online, 1800. Web.

—. “The Torn.” Poetry Foundations, 1798. Web.

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StudyCorgi. "Sympathy and Imagination in Wordsworth’s and Smith’s Poetry." March 27, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/sympathy-and-imagination-in-wordsworths-and-smiths-poetry/.

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StudyCorgi. 2025. "Sympathy and Imagination in Wordsworth’s and Smith’s Poetry." March 27, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/sympathy-and-imagination-in-wordsworths-and-smiths-poetry/.

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