In this lyric poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” Williamsworth expresses how a child's view of nature changes and becomes distorted as the child grows. finds it difficult to understand why humanity does not appreciate or perceive nature in all its splendor. Why, as time passes, do we value nature less from a spiritual point of view? “There was a time when the meadows, the groves and the streams/The earth and everything that we commonly see/Appeared to me/Clothed in a celestial light,/The glory and freshness of a dream./ It is not now what it once was. of yesteryear;--/ Turn wherever I may,/ By night or by day,/ The things that I have seen, I can no longer see. ”(1-9) In this opening stanza the poet expresses This brings him back to the fallen state as he gets lost in thought looking at the thought at his feet. It is ironic that Thought is derived from the French word Thought, as the poet returns to the thought process that humanity is no longer in a state of perfect form. Before that moment, it was a beautiful day and he loved looking at the beauty and happiness of the earth. His thoughts ruin everything and he once again recognizes the instinctive connection with nature. He sees the child's connection with nature transform into imitation of adulthood while he is still young. Woodsworth wants the child to live in the moment and enjoy what nature has to offer. He wonders why the child is in such a hurry to grow up. He calls the boy a "Mighty Prophet", because the child is so young and closer to the celestial state. “Soon your soul will have its earthly burden, / And custom will rest on you with a weight, / Heavy as frost, and deep almost a lifetime! " (131-133) In this simile, Woodsworth compares the child's soul to a soul heavy like cold, implying that as you get older, your problems will become greater and life will weigh you down.