3839 - Tintern Abbey: The Great Nature Poem (Greg Kelley)
Course Description
Instructor: Greg Kelley
Here is a big, but not huge, poem with a huge title: “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798.” In “Tintern Abbey” we find virtually all the political, philosophical, and poetic themes of the Romantic Movement, not least an almost mystical regard for nature. The genius of William Wordsworth accomplishes the nearly impossible feat of combining autobiography, gorgeous natural description, philosophical speculation, psychological confession, and luminous versification to create a seamless aesthetic texture. We will work toward understanding the poem’s themes--what is it to be “a worshipper of Nature”?--but we will also strengthen the readerly skills that enable us to enjoy this or any poem.
Bio: Greg Kelley holds a Ph.D. in English from Emory University (1990). Happily married for 48 years, Greg enjoys his four adult children and three grandchildren. He taught at the high school and, mostly, at the university level for 40 years before retiring in December 2024. Having played in rock bands continuously since 1969, Greg has recently released his first, freely available solo album, Rendered into Song.