The Poet Revolutionary (Wordsworth)

In looking at William Wordsworth, I think the part I like most about the man is his political activism, as much as it was. In a day when artists are often criticized for pushing their political agendas to the forefront of their music and public image, we can see that Wordsworth did the same thing in colonial times. Not only did he write political, rights-centered poetry like " To Toussaint L'Ouverture," but he defended his stance when questioned by others. Often, you find that artists are immersed in their work, so much so that there is no separation between that work and their pulpit. Wordsworth, even though he wrote politically inspired poetry, seemed to be able to keep things apart when he needed to.

In his "Letter to Mary Ann Rawson," Wordsworth states his defense of slave owners. Obviously not a popular advocacy amongst abolitionists, I find this to be a bold and admirable move, if not slightly neglectful to the personal responsibility of the slave owners. Wordsworth rightly says that they aren't responsible for the legality of slavery, but that the legislature is. This is certainly correct. However, there are plenty of things that are legal today that could be considered immoral and contrary to basic human values, and those who participate in them cannot blame the government for their misstep.

I'm not saying that the abolition of slavery was a weak move. It was a wonderful move, a first step in a line of many that would eventually give people of color the same rights as all. However, I find Wordsworth to be in error in his simple deduction of the state of affairs. Are the slave owners 100% to blame? No. However, without their demand for slaves, Wordsworth would have no critiques of the legislature. He seems to take the stance of many neo-conservatives and members of the religious right today. Law makers are expected to dictate morality to the masses, rather than requiring the masses to make their own morality. Perhaps Wordsworth felt the common people weren't ethically responsible enough, and regardless for my admiration of the man's articulate defense of his beliefs, I can't help but find the undertones of his stance do be a dangerous precursor to the conundrum we find ourselves in today.