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English Literature / Unit 12   ENL 1122 short lesson, about 20 seconds

"Tintern Abbey": Memory and Return

Captions available

The idea

"Tintern Abbey" moves through three stages of the speaker's relation to nature: boyhood's animal pleasure, youth's passion, and maturity's thoughtful sense of a spirit in all things. It ends by addressing his sister, in whom he sees his former self, and whose memories will sustain her.

In practice

Boy, youth, man; then the sister.

Where people slip

The loss of youthful joy is offset by gain.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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