The two chosen pieces both have a dominant theme of nature. Shelley, in his poem 'Ode to the West Wind,' uses poignant tone, while using personification and imagery to unravel his theme of nature. While Wordsworth's '...Tintern Abbey' contains a governing theme of nature, Wordsworth uses first person narration, illusive imagery, as well as an amiable tone to avow his connection to nature.
In his poem, 'Ode to the West Wind,' Shelley uses a poignant and heart-rending tone to describe the power of nature and more specifically the wind. Shelley's reference to the wind, as the 'sister of Spring' and a 'Maenad,' shows how the wind is like a woman, spontaneous and free, with the liberty to be a gentle soul or a vicious amazon. He sees the wind with wonderment, and at the same time respects it and or even fears it. Shelly not only uses tone to depict his conception of nature, but he goes on to use personification to characterize the strength and vigor the wind possesses. He gives the wind human characteristics by referring to the wind as 'her' and 'she.' For example, 'Her clarion over the dreaming earth, and fill (Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air) With loving hues and odors plain and hill,' can be paralleled with a woman tending to her garden with love and devotion. Along with a heart-rending tone and personification Shelley uses imagery to describe nature. He refers to the clouds in the sky as 'angels of rain an lightning' and the dead leaves of Autumn as 'ghosts from and enchanter fleeing,' he is amazed and mesmerized by the wind, and quietly wishes to one day become one with the wind, little did he know that one day that dream would one day become a reality, seeing as he was killed by the wind in a sail boat.
On the contrary William Wordsworth has a completely different conception of nature, one of love, happiness, and affection. He views nature as a lifetime companion, as compared to his sister Dorothy. ...