Echoes
B Wordsworth : by V S Naipaul
Question : B Wordsworth claimed White Wordsworth to be his brother, who share his heart. Discuss the statement with reference of V. S. Naipaul’s short story ‘B Wordsworth’ .
Answer: Throughout the story, the poet – calypsonian B Wordsworth – built an imaginative world for himself m where he would consider himself equal to William Wordsworth. He made his comparison with William Wordsworth. He said to narrator –
“…….White Wordsworth was my brother. We share one heart …..”
Here B. Wordsworth, wanted to say that White Wordsworth i.e. William Wordsworth was his soul brother as they both have the same deepest emotions and inner feelings towards the world. They see this world in the same way. They both embraced the escapism in their own way. The tendency of escapism had affected him in the same way as it affected Wordsworth, the great poet of nature. W. Wordsworth did not like the hustle and bustle of big cities, he liked the calmness and soothing effect of nature. Similarly B. Wordsworth loved to be in the rich company of nature and derived pleasure by watching bees for hours. It is evident as he asked the narrator
“Have you ever watched ants ? And scorpions, and centipedes, and congorees – have you watched those ? “
William Wordsworth used to see into the life of things. He saw and appreciated the world with the delightful eyes of love and passion. His escapism provided him consolation and comfort in distress and pain and provided joy in everyday life. Similarly B. Wordsworth found peace and relief from the cruel and insulting world in his imaginary world. As the narrator said – “we went for long walks together. We went to the Botanical Gardens and the Rock Gardens.”
In his escapist world he was full of enthusiasm “he did everything as though he were doing it for the first time in his life.”
Wordsworth’s escapism was from the fallen man and the fallen world. He knew that his binding with man would “blind him to the loveliness that exists.” B. Wordsworth’s escapism echoes the same. He loved isolation. He was not shown interacting with anyone except the narrator. The narrator was a young innocent and inquisitive boy, devoid of any cunning or vice. He was the poet’s soul companion, he also loved observing nature. The poet loved him, fed him and shared with him his dreams and ambitions and thus made him a part of his escapist world .
B. Wordsworth admired W. Wordsworth so much that he wanted to become a great poet like him. Therefore he built an imaginary world for himself where he would consider himself equal to William Wordsworth. He claimed to be the greatest poet in the world, who would write the greatest poem “that will sing to all humanity.”. But in reality he had never completed a poem.
B. Wordsworth was thus failed and disillusioned, he did recognise the limits of his capability which finally failed him to such an extent that a year later after his death it appeared as if B. Wordsworth had never existed.
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