“Wise Passiveness”- describe a moment in your own life where such a phrase might apply.
In his poem “Expostulation and Reply”, William Wordsworth exclaims that “we can feed this mind of ours in wise passiveness” (Wordsworth line 24). At first glance to me, the words “wise” and “passiveness” both held contrasting connotations. I can’t say I have ever previously acknowledged being “wise” and “passive” in the same light. I have always been taught that life is all about taking action and this will take me exactly to where I strive to be. In some scenarios, it is completely necessary to take action. However, after reading Wordsworth’s poem I have come to the realisation that through constant moving and not allowing yourself to be absorbed by the finer moments, you simply cannot learn all there is to know about life and yourself. This is exactly what I believe Wordsworth mean’t by “wise passiveness” (Wordsworth line 24). It is to let yourself be completely and utterly swept up in the serenity of a moment, removing your mind from what you know and allowing it to sail into the uncharted waters of subconsciousness, creating original thoughts. It’s allowing yourself to think beyond, feel more and have hope that in remaining still, you will be guided into a deeper understanding about yourself and the world around you. Wordsworth writes that this form of understanding is not something that can be taught from books or logical thought, only something that can be experienced by an individual them-self.
Wordsworth’s poem forced me to think about where “wise passiveness” occurs in the world. You might find it on a walk in spring, where the flowers bloom and glow beneath golden rays. Perhaps you might find it as you watch the clouds drift with the breeze. For me, it is when I’m sitting on a rock, overlooking a beach view on a rainy day. I love the way the rain smells as it hits the sentiment beneath me, how the waves roar into a white-wash yet the grey overtones make everything quiet, especially my mind. It is in these moments where I find I learn most about myself and what to do in situations. It allows me to delve deep into my own mind to pull from it rational thought, this is not something I can simply take from books and organised education.
This poem has not only given me significant insight into how one should approach learning about the world but also cemented my understanding of the enlightenment and romantic periods. I believe Wordsworth has perfectly encapsulated the two extremities in thought that occurred not only during these contrasting periods but today in our modern world. His poem stipulates that when there is a challenge ahead, we must enquire within our most inner-self through a process of “wise passiveness” to come to a reasonable conclusion. I believe as a society, we have a lot to learn from Wordsworth himself.
Quotes taken from: William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Wise Passiveness’.
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