A CHARACTER

A CHARACTER

_by William Wordsworth

I marvel how Nature could ever find space 

For so many strange contrasts in one human face:
There's thought and no thought, and there's paleness and bloom
And bustle and sluggishness, pleasure and gloom. 

There's weakness, and strength both redundant and vain;
Such strength as, if ever affliction and pain
Could pierce through a temper that's soft to disease,
Would be rational peace--a philosopher's ease. 

There's indifference, alike when he fails or succeeds, 

And attention full ten times as much as there needs; 

Pride where there's no envy, there's so much of joy; 

And mildness, and spirit both forward and coy. 

There's freedom, and sometimes a diffident stare 

Of shame scarcely seeming to know that she's there, 

There's virtue, the title it surely may claim, 

Yet wants heaven knows what to be worthy the name. 

This picture from nature may seem to depart, 

Yet the Man would at once run away with your heart; 

And I for five centuries right gladly would be 

Such an odd such a kind happy creature as he.

Meaning :- This poem describes about both the society and the human character.  He is fascinated with human personalities in that we can be happy one minute and depressed the next. He describes the ups and the downs, the full and the empty. When he “marvel(s) how nature could ever find space…” for all the contrasts, he is thinking of the  variety in humans that is less obvious in nature. Of all the natural occurrences he has seen and been moved by, he now focuses on humans. Wordsworth says: “There is thought and no thought…” One does not exist without the other, but there can never fully be a lack of thought and never be just thought. The two complete each other. He sees humans and both beautiful and flawed. There are flaws to beauty, and sometimes even flaws can be beautiful.Balance is necessary for everything.