Ode to Duty....... by Wordsworth...Summary

Ode to Duty by Wordsworth...Summary

Ode To Duty

Summary

The popular poem 'Ode To Duty' was composed by William Wordsworth in 1805. It was published in his 'Poems in Two Volumes' in 1807. In this poem the poet personifies duty as a goddess. He got inspiration to compose this ode from Gray's 'Ode To Adversity' in which he personifies 'Adversity'. According to the poet duty is the most  important part in the life of human beings. He personifies duty as the strict daughter of God. This poem is in the form of ode. An ode in which somebody is addressed. Like this, the duty is addressed in the poem 'Ode To Duty'.
The poet compares duty to the light that shows the right path to human beings. It guides human beings to do the right things in life. It helps a man in removing mental conflicts and also help to overcome fears in his life. The poet says that there are also some persons who do not require the help of duty to do the right things in their life. They do them naturally as their inner voice guide them to do it. They are happy persons. They are  men of noble characters. If sometimes they fail to perform their duty well then duty helps them to choose the right path.

The poet says that it will be very nice when people will perform their duty according to their inner voice and will feel satisfied to do them. As inner voice never can be wrong. They will be happy to do so. But when they feel any confusion in their life then they want the help of duty. The poet expresses his feelings that when he was young he liked the freedom and did their works according to his comfort. He was a lover of his freedom. He always selected the easy path to go. Because the way of duty is not so easy. But now he decides to follow the right path of duty.

an style="font-size: large;">The poet chooses the right path to follow not because of his mental conflicts but he knows the importance of the right of duty. The poet now wants to live a happy and peaceful life. Duty is a strict daughter of God's voice. According to the poet, duty is always hard to perform but she has very kind expressions. She has always a  divine smile on her face. Like human beings, the objects of nature also perform their duty. As flowers bloom in the garden and spread their fragrance all around because it is their duty to spread fragrance all around. As all the planets move in their direction always performing their duty to the universe. 

Here Wordsworth invokes the duty to help him to perform his works well as she is powerful. The poet says that his works are not very sublime in nature. He requests duty to guide him always to follow the right path. He further says that he wants to be under the guidance of duty. He prays again Duty to give enough mental power to sacrifice himself for the good of others. He says that he needs enough courage for it. After being kind he has become now more and more intelligent to perform his duties well for the sake of others. The poet prays her to give him the power of self-confidence to pass his life truthfully.

Thus the poem 'Ode To Duty' has a universal appeal. It teaches the importance of duty in the development of human personality. It contains the poet's personal and confessional elements. Thus the poem reflects the development of the poet's mind. It has both novelty and sublimity in its theme. Its conception of duty makes it more splendor forever. The ode has seven stanzas of eight lines each. The meter is iambic tetrameter of first seven lines of each stanza but the eighth line is in iambic hexameter. The rhyming scheme of each stanza is different.