The Thorn by William Wordsworth | Line by Line Explanation, Summary, Analysis

The Thorn is a poem by William Wordsworth written in 1798 and published in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (1798). It is a long poem famous for the issue of the speaker’s character who appears to be an unreliable narrator speaking of some gossip he has heard of. The poem is narrated by an unnamed, unreliable speaker who directly addresses the reader in a gossiping tone, telling the story of a destitute woman whose lover abandoned her and left her with a child. While the narrator is unreliable, the poem suggests how society can destroy the individual by robbing her of her innocence and then condemning her. The character of the destitute woman in the poem shows unyielding willpower, endurance of trauma, and a preserved sense of individual self. . . . So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature as we strive to offer a complete course for the preparation of UGC NET English literature, NTA NET English literature, PGTRB English,, SET English literature, TGT PGT English, GATE English Literature, and other exams, please stay connected with the Discourse, Thanks, and Regards!