Tag Archives: Intimations of Immortality

My Grandson, a “Best Philosopher”

By Robin Bates | Published: March 1, 2013

Having grandchildren has changed my perspective on Wordsworth’s “Intimations of Immortality.”

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Such Singing in the Wild Branches

By Robin Bates | Published: March 21, 2012

On a beautiful spring morning when she is startled by birdsong, Mary Oliver describes a merging with nature where she “began to understand what the bird was saying.”

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With Aging, Abundant Recompense

By Robin Bates | Published: February 10, 2011

  In a follow-up to yesterday’s post where I talked about my cancer-ridden friend Alan, I examine another passage from The Brothers Karamazov. This one is focused on aging generally, not just death. If you ever find yourself getting depressed about getting old, check it out.   And check out as well William Wordsworth’s Intimations […]

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A Spiritual Interpretation of Waterfalls

By Robin Bates | Published: June 20, 2010

Spiritual Sunday I still haven’t gotten over the waterfalls at Yosemite—does one ever?—and so am sharing a spiritual interpretation of a waterfall by the 17th century mystical Anglican poet Henry Vaughan.  I’ve mentioned in a previous post  that I have mixed feelings about Vaughan (especially by how he sees the natural world cordoned off from […]

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How Lost Innocence Can Breed Monsters

By Robin Bates | Published: July 13, 2009

Continuing the theme of lost innocence leads me to a discussion of Stephen King, America’s master of horror. Whether you like him or not, King is the bestselling author in the world because he taps effectively into our collective nightmares. One of these nightmares is over losing touch with our childhood innocence, and there is […]

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Coping with the Loss of Childhood

By Robin Bates | Published: July 10, 2009

As I have been writing on dreams of lost innocence and the challenges of growing up, I thought I’d write on one of the great poems on the subject. In “Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” Romantic poet William Wordsworth wrestles with his deep sense of loss. (You can read the entire poem […]

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