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Study Guide
London, 1802 Literature and Writing
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Literature and Writing
altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. (3-6)"Pen" here stands in for literature on the whole – Wordsworth puts literature up there as one of England's great traditions, along with things as important as religion and military might.
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free (10-11)Here, Wordsworth means Milton's poetic voice. The wild, natural imagery of these lines emphasize the tremendous power and vast scope of Milton's work.