Study Guide Poem: Report to Wordsworth
Themes in the Poem
In Boey Kim Cheng's "Report to Wordsworth," one main theme is the destruction of nature.
The poet laments how humans have damaged the environment, leaving it far from the beauty
and vitality it once had in Wordsworth's time. Nature, once full of life, is now described as
broken and polluted. The line, "The flowers are mute, and the birds are few," highlights the
loss of natural beauty and wildlife, while " She has been laid waste. Smothered by the smog,"
paints a vivid picture of environmental devastation. Through this imagery, the poet
emphasises the dire state of the natural world, which has been deeply harmed by human
activities. The poem ends with a powerful image, “Gob…labouring to utter his last cry”,
showing just how deeply humanity's damage has affected even the greatest forces in the
universe. This highlights how serious and far-reaching the harm to nature has become.
Another key theme is humanity’s loss of connection to nature. The poet suggests that people
today no longer respect or value the natural world as they should. Unlike Wordsworth, who
celebrated and found deep meaning in nature, modern humanity has neglected its beauty and
importance. This is reflected in the line, "You should be here, Nature has need of you," where
the poet calls upon Wordsworth to help remind us of nature’s worth. Similarly, the line "
Triton’s notes struggle to be free," symbolises how nature’s voice has been silenced due to
human neglect. Together, these themes highlight both the harm caused to nature and the need
for humanity to rediscover its respect and care for the environment.
Language of the Poem- Imagery, Poetic Devices, Figures of Speech
Boey Kim Cheng’s "Report to Wordsworth" uses vivid imagery and poetic devices to
emphasize the devastation of nature and humanity's destructive role. The language evokes a
sense of loss and urgency, portraying a world where nature is no longer alive and thriving as
it once was.
The poet personifies Nature as a living being who has been “laid waste” and “smothered by
the smog.” This creates a powerful image of nature suffering due to human actions. Words
like “mute” and “few” in the line “the flowers are mute, and the birds are few” highlight the
silencing of nature’s beauty, reinforcing the idea that life is disappearing. The metaphor of
the sky “slowing like a dying clock” suggests that time is running out for the environment,
emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Classical allusions to Greek mythology, such as Proteus, Triton, and Neptune, deepen the
poem’s impact. Proteus, a shape-shifting sea god, is described as being “entombed in the
waste we dump,” symbolizing how pollution has trapped and destroyed the vitality of the
seas. Triton’s horns are “choked,” and Neptune, the god of the sea, is “helpless as beached as
a whale,” comparing divine powers to vulnerable, dying creatures. These images show how
human greed has damaged even the most powerful forces in nature.
The poet also uses strong metaphors and contrasts to convey the spiritual damage caused by
environmental destruction. The line “Poetry and piety have begun to fail” suggests that
human creativity and morality are no longer enough to save nature. The final image, “God is
labouring to utter his last cry,” portrays the destruction as so immense that even divine power
is overwhelmed, leaving readers with a haunting sense of loss and responsibility. Through
these devices, the poem powerfully critiques humanity's role in nature’s decline.
Boey Kim Cheng uses personification to make nature feel alive and show how much it has
been hurt by human actions. Personification gives human qualities to parts of nature, helping
readers connect emotionally with the damage being described.
For example, Nature is personified as a victim in the line “She has been laid waste.
Smothered by the smog,” where she is shown as suffering and struggling to survive. This
makes the destruction caused by pollution feel personal and tragic, as though we are harming
someone we should care for.
The gods of the sea are also personified. Proteus, a powerful sea god, is described as being
“entombed in the waste we dump,” which makes the impact of pollution on the oceans feel
even more severe. Similarly, Triton’s horns are “choked,” and Neptune, another sea god, is
“helpless as beached as a whale.” These images show how human actions have not only hurt
nature but also weakened its most powerful and mythical symbols.
Finally, in the line “God is labouring to utter his last cry,” even God is personified as
struggling to speak. This suggests that the harm humanity has done to the world is so great
that even divine forces are overwhelmed. Through personification, the poem makes the
destruction of nature feel more urgent and heartbreaking, encouraging readers to see the
natural world as something alive and worth protecting.
Structure of the poem
‘Report to Wordsworth’ by Boey Kim Cheng is a contemporary poem that is contained
within a single stanza of fourteen lines. It’s a variation of a traditional sonnet ( a fourteen-line
poem with a specific rhyme scheme). In Cheng’s case, the poem uses examples of rhyme but
does not follow a pattern commonly associated with a sonnet.
The poem follows a regular ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme, typical of a
Shakespearean (or English) sonnet. This structured pattern creates a sense of order, which
contrasts with the chaos and destruction described in the poem. It emphasises how human
actions have disrupted the natural balance.
The sonnet is divided into two parts: the first 12 lines present vivid imagery of nature’s
suffering, such as “the flowers are mute, and the birds are few.” The final two lines, called a
rhyming couplet, provide a striking conclusion: “God is labouring to utter his last cry.” This
ending drives home the idea that even the most powerful forces are overwhelmed by
humanity’s actions.
By using a sonnet form, Boey connects the modern problem of environmental destruction to
the Romantic tradition of poets like Wordsworth, who wrote about the beauty of nature. The
rigid structure and rhyme scheme also help reinforce the poem's emotional impact, making
the message more memorable for readers.
Sample Personal Response (add more examples from the text with explanation how it
made you feel)
Boey Kim Cheng's "Report to Wordsworth" made me think deeply about how humans treat
nature. The poem describes nature as suffering because of pollution and destruction, and it
uses strong images that made me feel sad and concerned. For example, when the poet says,
“smothered by the smog,” it really hit me that air pollution is choking the earth, making it
hard for plants and animals to survive. The line “the flowers are mute, and the birds are few”
also made me realize how much wildlife is disappearing because of pollution and human
activity. It felt like nature, which we often take for granted, is losing its voice, and this made
me think about how we’re harming it without fully understanding the consequences.
The way the poet personifies nature also made me feel more connected to the planet. When
nature is described as having a “mighty heart” that is now lying still, it almost felt like nature
itself was a person who was being hurt and ignored. This idea made me feel like we should
be doing more to take care of the earth, just as we would take care of a friend who is
suffering. The poet also uses references to gods like Proteus and Neptune to show how even
the most powerful forces of nature are now struggling. This gave me a sense of how serious
the problem is, as even powerful symbols of nature cannot survive the damage caused by
humans.
The ending of the poem, where God is “labouring to utter his last cry,” made me think about
how big this problem is. It’s not just about nature, but about how we, as humans, are
impacting everything around us, even on a cosmic level. It made me feel that we can’t ignore
these issues anymore, and that we need to act before it’s too late. The poem really made me
reflect on how important it is for all of us to care for the earth before we lose it completely.
