Boost your exam success with this focused analysis of Report to Wordsworth by Boey Kim Cheng, part of the Cambridge Songs of Ourselves anthology. Discover how the poem critiques modern environmental destruction while invoking the legacy of Wordsworth’s pastoral poetry. This guide will help you understand the poem’s powerful imagery, structure, and use of contrast between nature’s past beauty and its current decay—crucial insights for achieving high marks in your exam.
Analysis
Boey Kim Cheng's poem 'Report to Wordsworth' reflects a deep sense of environmental loss and degradation, echoing the concerns of Romantic poet William Wordsworth. Addressed to Wordsworth as a plea, the poem laments humanity's destruction of nature, portraying the Earth as suffering and near death. Cheng intertwines classical mythology and contemporary issues, referencing figures like Proteus and Triton to emphasise the magnitude of the crisis. Through vivid imagery of pollution and decay, the poem warns of the consequences of neglecting nature, urging a return to the reverence for the natural world that Wordsworth once celebrated.
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00:00 Intro
00:05 Biographical and historical context
02:44 Structural overview
07:52 Title
08:35 Line-by-line analysis
Additional Resources
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The Poem: Report to Wordsworth by Boey Kim Cheng
You should be here. Nature has need of you.
She has been laid waste, Smothered by the smog,
the flowers are mute, and the birds are few
in a sky slowing like a dying clock.
All hopes of Proteus rising from the sea
have sunk; he is entombed in the waste
we dump. Triton’s notes struggle to be free,
his famous horns are choked, his eyes are dazed,
and Neptune lies helpless as beached as a whale,
while insatiate man moves in for the kill.
Poetry and piety have begun to fail,
As Nature’s mighty heart is lying still.
O see the wound widening in the sky,
God is labouring to utter his last cry.
About Me
I’m an experienced English teacher with over 25 years of classroom and private tutoring experience. My videos are tailored to help students achieve top marks in AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas/WJEC, CCEA and Cambridge IGCSE English exams.
Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!
Let's Discuss!
What do you think about Report to Wordsworth by Boey Kim Cheng?
The speaker in the poem addresses Wordsworth, a poet famous for his celebration of nature. How does this address shape the poem’s message about nature’s decline?
How does Kim Cheng use contrasting imagery to highlight the changes in the environment since Wordsworth’s time?
The poem suggests a loss of innocence and a disconnect between humanity and nature. How do the tone and structure of the poem convey this sense of loss?
How do you interpret the speaker’s tone in the poem—does it shift from admiration to criticism? What impact does this have on the reader?
Share your thoughts in the comments and let's dive into the powerful message of Report to Wordsworth!
