The Full Text of “Mutability”
1From low to high doth dissolution climb,
2And sink from high to low, along a scale
3Of awful notes, whose concord shall not fail;
4A musical but melancholy chime,
5Which they can hear who meddle not with crime,
6Nor avarice, nor over-anxious care.
7Truth fails not; but her outward forms that bear
8The longest date do melt like frosty rime,
9That in the morning whitened hill and plain
10And is no more; drop like the tower sublime
11Of yesterday, which royally did wear
12His crown of weeds, but could not even sustain
13Some casual shout that broke the silent air,
14Or the unimaginable touch of Time.
The Full Text of “Mutability”
1From low to high doth dissolution climb,
2And sink from high to low, along a scale
3Of awful notes, whose concord shall not fail;
4A musical but melancholy chime,
5Which they can hear who meddle not with crime,
6Nor avarice, nor over-anxious care.
7Truth fails not; but her outward forms that bear
8The longest date do melt like frosty rime,
9That in the morning whitened hill and plain
10And is no more; drop like the tower sublime
11Of yesterday, which royally did wear
12His crown of weeds, but could not even sustain
13Some casual shout that broke the silent air,
14Or the unimaginable touch of Time.
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“Mutability” Introduction
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“Mutability” Summary
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“Mutability” Themes
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The Power and Beauty of Change
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The Wisdom of Selflessness
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Mutability”
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Lines 1-3
From low to high doth dissolution climb,
And sink from high to low, along a scale
Of awful notes, whose concord shall not fail; -
Lines 4-6
A musical but melancholy chime,
Which they can hear who meddle not with crime,
Nor avarice, nor over-anxious care. -
Line 7
Truth fails not
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Lines 7-10
but her outward forms that bear
The longest date do melt like frosty rime,
That in the morning whitened hill and plain
And is no more; -
Lines 10-12
drop like the tower sublime
Of yesterday, which royally did wear
His crown of weeds, -
Lines 12-14
but could not even sustain
Some casual shout that broke the silent air,
Or the unimaginable touch of Time.
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“Mutability” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Metaphor
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Simile
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Personification
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Repetition
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Enjambment
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Alliteration
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Paradox
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Consonance
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“Mutability” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Mutability
- Doth
- Dissolution
- Awful
- Concord
- Melancholy
- Chime
- Avarice
- Care
- Rime
- Sublime
- Sustain
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Mutability”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Mutability” Speaker
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“Mutability” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Mutability”
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More “Mutability” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
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The Wordsworth Museum — Visit the Wordsworth Museum's website to learn more about Wordsworth's life, work, and times.
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Wordsworth's Legacy — Read a review of a recent Wordsworth biography that discusses the poet's continuing influence.
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Wordsworth's Influence — Listen to Professor Seamus Perry discussing what makes Wordsworth's poetry important.
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More of Wordsworth's Poetry — Read more of Wordsworth's work at the Poetry Foundation.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by William Wordsworth
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