Wordsworth's Unremembered Pleasure

This book argues that unremembered pleasure is central to understanding Wordsworth's writing, challenging psychoanalytic concepts and suggesting that we should be surprised by joy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 29 October 2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Wordsworth, a renowned poet, has often been perceived as the poet of memory. However, this book presents a compelling argument that unremembered pleasure, an idea explored in Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey but often overlooked by modern readers, holds a crucial significance in understanding his writing. Through his poems, Wordsworth unveils and articulates a vast array of previously unfelt, unnoticed, and unconscious satisfactions. Moreover, this volume offers fresh interpretations of major and under-studied works by Wordsworth, challenging a longstanding tradition of psychoanalytic reading of romanticism, which attributes the limitations of literary memory to trauma. The book contests key psychoanalytic concepts in literary criticism, such as repression, sublimation, mourning, and pleasure. It prompts us to contemplate the profound implications of being surprised by joy.

Introduction:
Wordsworth's poetry has long been celebrated for its ability to capture the essence of human experience and evoke powerful emotions. However, his understanding of memory and pleasure has received less attention in contemporary literary criticism. This book aims to rectify this oversight by exploring the role of unremembered pleasure in Wordsworth's writing and its significance in understanding his artistic vision.

Unremembered Pleasure:
Wordsworth's concept of unremembered pleasure is rooted in his belief that the ordinary and everyday aspects of life can yield profound joys and satisfactions. In Tintern Abbey, for instance, he writes about the pleasure of simply observing a waterfall or a meadow:

"The world is too much with us; late have we come to this wisdom.
Too late have we come to this wisdom.
The world is too much with us; late have we come to this wisdom."

These seemingly mundane experiences, however, hold immense emotional significance for Wordsworth. They remind us of the beauty and wonder that exists in the world around us and encourage us to appreciate the present moment. Unremembered pleasure, therefore, goes beyond the superficial pleasures of consumption or materialism and encompasses a deeper sense of fulfillment and contentment.

The Significance of Unremembered Pleasure:
Unremembered pleasure plays a central role in Wordsworth's writing because it allows him to explore the complexities of human emotions and relationships. By focusing on the unremembered moments of joy and contentment, Wordsworth can delve into the deeper aspects of human nature, such as vulnerability, longing, and the search for meaning. His poems often depict characters who are caught up in the rush of everyday life but are able to find solace and fulfillment in the simplest of pleasures.

Challenging Psychoanalytic Interpretations:
The book challenges a long tradition of psychoanalytic reading of romanticism, which uses trauma to explain the limits of literary memory. Psychoanalytic critics argue that romanticism is a response to the trauma of childhood and that the poets use their writing to process and repress these traumatic experiences. However, the book argues that unremembered pleasure is not solely a product of trauma but rather a fundamental aspect of human experience. It suggests that the desire for pleasure and the pursuit of happiness are inherent to human nature and that romanticism is a celebration of these desires rather than a means of repression.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this book offers a fresh perspective on Wordsworth's writing by highlighting the significance of unremembered pleasure. It demonstrates that his poems are not merely about the poet's personal experiences but about the universal human desire for joy and fulfillment. By exploring the role of unremembered pleasure, this book provides a deeper understanding of Wordsworth's artistic vision and its relevance to contemporary readers. It encourages us to appreciate the ordinary and everyday aspects of life and to seek out the hidden pleasures that can bring us true happiness and contentment.

Weight: 432g
Dimension: 144 x 223 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198856986