Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2004. Vol. 4. Eger Journal of English Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 30)

PÉTER DOLMÁNYOS Wordsworth and the Mountains: The Crossing of the Alps and the Ascent to Snowdon

22 Péter Dolmányos .. .with a flash that has revealed The invisible world, doth greatness make abode, There harbours, whether we be young or old. Our destiny, our being's heart and home, Is with infinitude, and only there; With hope it is, hope that can never die, Effort, and expectation, and desire, And something evermore about to be. (239, 11. 601-608) The soul then is infinite, and consequently the true home of man is to be found in "infinitude". When this recognition is made there are no further proofs required of the glory of the soul: Under such banners militant, the soul Seeks for no trophies, struggles for no spoils That may attest her prowess, blest in thoughts That are their own perfection and reward, Strong in herself and in beatitude That hides her, like the mighty flood of Nile Poured forth from his fount of Abyssinian clouds To fertilise the whole Egyptian plain. (239, 11. 609-616) The image of the Nile is the adequate one to conclude such a passage. As Pirie points out, during the flood the river breaks through those very banks which define it, here the soul sheds its self-consciousness (Pirie 44). This allows it to recognise its true glory and to receive the vision of infinity. After Wordsworth's humble recognition of the greatness of the soul comes another passage of profound significance. The description of the downward journey could naturally be the falling line of the narration of the crossing of the Alps, with due attention paid to the climax. The climax, however, has been missed and Wordsworth did not pay too much attention to the rising line, the upward movement either. Consequently, the most emphatic part of the whole journey across the Alps is the descent from the Simplon Pass, as far as the description is concerned. This passage abounds in great phrases and it contains a line, the concluding one of the whole passage, which is considered as "the most inclusive line of English poetry" (Pirie 21). The momentary melancholy and disappointment of the travellers give way to something more pleasant as they take their downward journey. They quickly leave behind the feeling of disappointment as they return to the juncture; their walking pace becomes slow once again in the "gloomy strait": Wordsworth's mind seems to be preparing for some majestic experience. The