Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Summary in English
This poem talks about the beauty of a peaceful morning in a city. The poet says that the city looks like it’s wearing the freshness of the morning as if it is a beautiful dress. Everything is quiet and still – the ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples all shine brightly under the clear sky. The sun rises and covers the valleys, rocks, and hills with its light. The river flows gently and calmly. The poet feels deep peace and says even the houses seem to be asleep, and the whole city is resting quietly.
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Summary in Hindi/Urdu
Ye nazm sheher (city) mein aik pur sukoon subha (morning) ki khoobsurti (beauty) ke baare mein hai. Shair (poet) kehta hai ke sheher aise lagta hai jaise us ne subha ki taazgi (freshness) ka ek khoobsurat (beautiful) kapra (dress) pehna ho. Har cheez khamosh (quiet) aur saakoon mein hai – jahaz (ships), minar (towers), gumbad (domes), rangmanch (theatres), aur mandir (temples) sab saaf aasman (sky) ke neeche chamak rahe hain.
Sooraj (sun) nikalta hai aur wadiyon (valleys), pathron (rocks), aur pahadiyon (hills) ko apni roshni (light) se dhak leta hai. Darya (river) bohot narmi se aur aaram se beh raha hai. Shair kehta hai ke us ne dil se gehra sukoon (deep peace) mehsoos kiya, aur lagta hai ke ghar (houses) bhi soye hue hain, aur poora sheher aaram (rest) kar raha hai.
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Analysis
Title & Background:
“Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” is a sonnet (14-line poem) written by the famous English Romantic poet William Wordsworth in 1802. The poet wrote it while crossing the Westminster Bridge in London early in the morning with his sister Dorothy. He was deeply moved by the beauty and calmness of the city at that peaceful hour.
Main Theme (Central Idea):
The main theme is the unexpected beauty and calm of London in the early morning. Even though cities are usually noisy and full of activity, the poet shows us how peaceful and magical the city looks before the day begins. It feels like nature and the city are in perfect harmony.
Tone & Mood:
The tone is full of awe, admiration, and peace.
The mood created in the poem is calm, silent, and joyful. It gives a sense of stillness and inner peace.
Poetic Devices (with Simple Meanings):
| Device | Example from Poem | Explanation in Simple English |
|---|---|---|
| Personification | “This City now doth, like a garment, wear…” | The city is described like a person wearing clothes — it “wears” the morning’s beauty. |
| Simile | “…like a garment” | The city is compared to a person dressed in beautiful clothes. |
| Imagery | “Ships, towers, domes…” & “bright and glittering…” | The poet uses words that create visual images so we can see the scene in our mind. |
| Alliteration | “Silent, still”, “smokeless air” | Repeating starting sounds to make the lines sound musical and smooth. |
| Hyperbole | “Earth has not any thing to show more fair” | The poet exaggerates to show how extremely beautiful the scene is. |
| Enjambment | Lines continue without full stops | The poem flows like the river, reflecting natural calmness. |
Line-by-Line Summary (In Easy English):
“Earth has not any thing to show more fair:”
Nothing in the world looks more beautiful than this view right now.“Dull would he be of soul who could pass by…”
Only a person with no feelings could ignore such a beautiful sight.“A sight so touching in its majesty:”
The view is grand and also touches the heart with emotion.“This City now doth, like a garment, wear…”
The city is wearing the morning like a soft, beautiful dress.“The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,”
The morning is quiet and the city is simple and open, with no crowd or smoke.“Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie…”
All the buildings are clearly visible, calm and shining.“Open unto the fields, and to the sky;”
The city looks connected with nature — open to the sky and land.“All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.”
Everything shines in the fresh air without any pollution or smoke.“Never did sun more beautifully steep…”
The sun has never made anything look more beautiful than this.“In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;”
Not even nature’s valleys and hills look as good in the morning light.“Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!”
The poet has never seen or felt such peace and calmness.“The river glideth at his own sweet will:”
The river flows gently and freely, like it chooses its own path.“Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;”
The houses look like they are sleeping — the city is very quiet.“And all that mighty heart is lying still!”
The busy heart of London is completely still in this peaceful moment.
Structure and Form:
The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet (14 lines, divided into 8 lines (octave) + 6 lines (sestet)).
It follows the rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA CDCDCD.
The form suits the poem’s calm and reflective mood. The turning point (called “volta”) comes after line 8, where the poet shifts from describing the city’s appearance to its emotional effect on him.
Message / Moral:
Even in the busiest and noisiest cities, there are moments of peace and natural beauty. We just have to pause and look. Nature and human creations can live in harmony, and sometimes we find beauty in unexpected places.
Why This Poem Is Special:
It shows that beauty is everywhere, even in big cities.
Wordsworth usually wrote about nature, but here he surprises us by admiring a man-made place.
The poem teaches us to appreciate silence, calm, and early mornings, which we often ignore in modern life.
Conclusion:
“Composed Upon Westminster Bridge” is a simple yet powerful poem that captures a rare peaceful moment in a busy city. Wordsworth uses beautiful words and poetic techniques to show how deeply he is touched by this scene. The poem reminds us that we don’t always have to go to the mountains or forests to see beauty — sometimes it’s right in front of us, even in a sleeping city.
