
In life there are two kinds of people.  There are those people who require lots of stuff to keep them happy, and there are those who are happy with the bare basics.  Imagine two men.  One of the men needs a small two Bedroom apartment with a thirty two inch television and a Keurig Coffee maker to be happy.  The other man needs a six Bedroom, three bath “mansion” with a television hung on the wall with surround sound in every room to be happy.  Depending on which person you are determines how much living space you need to be happy.  If you are materialistic you will need a large home, but if you are satisfied with basic necessities you will only need enough space to live comfortably with your family.  In the poem, Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room, by William Wordsworth the metaphor of being content with limited space is illustrated throughout the poem.  This metaphor occurs frequently throughout the entirety of the poem.  The first instance involves Nuns and their living quarters, a convent, the second instance involves hermits, referred to as “Shut-in’s” within their cells, and the third instance involves the speaker in this poem discussing with the audience what it is like to write a sonnet (a.k.a. a poem with limited lines and limited syllables per line).  In Wordsworth’s poem, Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room, he uses the examples of Nuns and their narrow room, the hermits and their cells, and the speaker being content within the boundary of a sonnet when he is writing poetry to illustrate the metaphor of contentment with limited space. 

The first instance in regards to the metaphor of being content with limited space is in regards to nuns and their convent’s narrow room.  In Wordsworth’s Poem he states “Nuns fret not at their convent’s narrow room” (Wordsworth 65).  This represents being content with limited space because the nuns find their living quarters sufficient.  In order to be a Nun you cannot require too much space to yourself (or too much personal space).  Nuns are required to live in close proximity to other Nuns in their convent.  Nuns are required to live in close proximity to other Nuns because they are a community whose sole purpose is to worship together and spread the word of God to other people. The Nuns find their living quarters sufficient and this is evident because they don not worry (fret) about having to live in close proximity to other Nuns, thus Nuns are content with limited space.  One has to be content with limited space when becoming a Nun because there is no other option.  All nuns live in close proximity to other nuns and this has always been how it has been since the very beginning of convents.  The example of the Nuns and their convent’s is similar to other example’s Wordsworth provides in his poem.  Wordsworth uses the examples of the Nuns and their narrow room in order to support his point of being content with limited space.  

The second instance in regards to the metaphor of being content with limited space is in regards to hermits being content with their cells.  In Wordsworth’s Poem he states “hermits are contented with their cells” (Wordsworth 65).  A hermit is a reclusive person who does not like to leave his home, as Wordsworth calls it a, “shut-in” (Wordsworth 65).  When the speaker uses the analogy of hermits and their cells he is referencing “shut-in’s” being content with staying inside their tiny living quarters.  This represents being content with limited space because the hermits do not mind being confined in the rooms of their house/living quarters.  It actually makes them happy or content being inside this limited amount of space.  A shut in is happy with having limited space because they are comforted with being confined in a room away from other people.  A shut in does not need lots of space because hermits/shut-ins keep to themselves and would definitely not need room for company or family.  Wordsworth uses the example of hermits and their cells to strengthen the point he made with the Nuns and their convent.  Wordsworth is supporting the metaphor being content with limited space present in his poem by providing another example similar to the point made with the Nuns in order to strengthen his point.

The Nuns and their Convents Narrow Room and the Hermits and their cell are very similar.  Nuns and Hermits are similar because they both are confined to very little living space.  They are also similar because they both are happy with being confined in their limited living space because it brings them comfort and a sense of fulfillment.  Imagine there is a Nun living in a Convent.  The Nun wakes up every morning like everyone else.  The Nun eats breakfast, brushes her teeth, and does a prayer ritual with all the other Nuns.  The Nuns has no time to worry about how much stuff she has because she is living with others (and frankly she has no room for tons of stuff).  The Nuns is worried about having a strong connection with God rather than worrying about how many purses she has and how many rings she has.  Also, Imagine there is a Hermit.  A hermit likes to stay in there home.  The hermit is comforted by the fact that they don’t have lots of stuff, because if they have lots of stuff then they would have to get a bigger home to store their stuff in.  If the hermit had a bigger home then they would not have the satisfaction/comfort of being confined in a limited amount of space away from other people.  All though the Nun and the hermit are two very different people they are similar in the fact that they both like the bare basics in life and don’t want the stress of having lots of materialistic things in their life.  

The third instance in regards to the metaphor of being content with limited space is about the speaker being bound by certain writing conventions when he is composing sonnets like Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room.  In Wordsworth’s Poem he states “twas pastime to be bound / Within the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground” (Wordsworth 65).  Pastime is something one does to amuse himself/herself in their free time.  Some people play cards or watch television in their pastime but the speaker writes sonnets.  Imagine a poet like the speaker.  A poet is a naturally creative and a whimsical person by nature.  A poet wouldn't sit around and watch television all day, a poet rights poems because their ideals bring them comfort and happiness.  When the speaker discusses “the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground” he is discussing how the Sonnet is limited to the amount of lines and syllables per line the poet can write.  The Speaker is content with limited space because he writes sonnets for amusement and comfort.  The speaker is content with limited space because he writes poems that have limits/boundaries, yet he is happy/content when he writes these poems with limits to the amount of space they can take up on a page.  The point that Wordsworth is trying to make is similar to the point he was trying to make with the Nuns and the hermits.  Wordsworth is using this example in regards to limiting oneself while writing sonnets to strengthen his point on being content with limited space.    

The Nuns and their narrow room, the Hermits and their cells, and the Speaker writing sonnets are all very similar.  These examples are all similar because they all have to due with being content with limited space.  The nuns and their narrow rooms and the Hermits and their cells are both confined by walls.  The Speaker writing sonnets is not confined by walls, but he is confined by syllables and lines (which serve as metaphorical walls).  These three examples are all similar in nature because they have to do with contentment with being bound to limited space.  

In Wordsworth’s poem, Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room Wordsworth provides multiple examples to support the metaphor of being content with limited space.  Wordsworth discusses Nuns in their Narrow Room, Hermits and their Cells, and the Speaker writing Sonnets to justify this metaphor.  Nuns are content because they go into becoming a Nun knowing that they have to live in limited space with other Nuns, Hermits are comforted by being reclusive and being bound in limited space, and the Speaker is comforted by having to get all of his thoughts into a very short (well structured) poem.  
