«Move along these shades in gentleness of heart». William Wordsworth, Ecological Empathy, and a Reading of “Nutting”

The aim of this article is to investigate William Wordsworth’s poetics by employing an ecocritical lens that gives due consideration to a complex of significant elements and factors, from the author’s mental growth and proto-ecological awareness to his place-rooted imagination and environmental commitment. Space is devoted to an analysis of Wordsworth’s intimate connection with the Lake District, as well as to pertinent qualities of his Nature poetry, with a careful eye toward landmark studies in Literary Ecology and how they have assessed the Romantic artist’s intellectual and creative production. A close reading of “Nutting”, a short but emblematic narrative poem published in the second edition of the Lyrical Ballads (1800), will bring these aspects to light with powerful allegorical resonance. The reading will also facilitate reflection on human/non-human interactions, a state of holistic and healthy cohabitation, eco-caring practices, and the awakening of an ecospiritual consciousness.