Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, cilt.8, sa.1, ss.1-25, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
The Romantic poet, William Wordsworth, not only wanders lonely as a cloud in the wild, but
also wanders lonely in the crowd in the city. While Wordsworth is often celebrated as a
Romantic poet of nature, his depictions of London in The Prelude reveal an acute awareness
of urban life, capturing the sense of alienation, sensory overload, and solitude in crowds that
prefigure modern experiences of the metropolis. By reading these passages through the lens
of Georg Simmel’s theory of modern urban consciousness, Wordsworth emerges as not only a
poet of the countryside but also a perceptive observer of the city and its psychological impact
on individuals. This study explores how Wordsworth’s representation of London in Book VII
anticipates Simmel’s analysis of the metropolitan condition, particularly the development of
the blasé attitude, the tension between individuality and anonymity, and the
intellectualization of emotional life. The poet’s observations of London’s crowds, spectacles,
and social performances reflect the fragmentation and impersonality that Simmel associates
with modern urban experience. Yet Wordsworth also discovers, amid this chaos, fleeting
moments of beauty, compassion, and moral awareness that counter the city’s dehumanizing
tendencies. By juxtaposing the sensory and moral economies of the metropolis with those of
the natural world, Wordsworth transforms the city into a site of psychological and
philosophical inquiry. This interdisciplinary reading situates Wordsworth at the threshold
between Romanticism and modernity, showing how his poetic vision engages deeply with the
emerging consciousness of the modern urban self.