In modern day, people dwell on the negative parts of their lives more than the positives.  William Wordsworth’s, “Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room” expresses that despite being in bad conditions there is always a bright side to any situation. The theme expresses a contrast between the negative way we usually perceive rules and how we should not complain, but accept their importance and value. The poem suggests that rules give us a break from total freedom. This poem identifies the bad working conditions of the nuns, hermits, students, maids, and weavers. The expectation is that these workers would be upset over the poor working conditions, but they are not upset. Instead, they openly accept these conditions and proceed to do them with positive attitudes. Looking at the title of the poem, I see this as a clear statement not a command. It is stating that one’s perception of how a workplace looks should reflect how the worker’s attitude should be towards the workplace and how the person actually acts. Since this sonnet is all about freedom and liberty and feeling that is found. The poet refers to himself several times throughout the sonnet. He used direct “I” statements to do so. Continuing, Wordsworth includes a list of people who are bound from freedom which include, nuns, hermits, students, maids, and the weaver. These people are all confined in their doom according to the poet. Which is the reason they are trying to find liberty in a solace place. In the poem Wordsworth uses word choice, figurative language, and sonnet form to make connections to the theme which is that there is always something positive to every bad situation.  

When looking at the passage and analyzing the word choice, Wordsworth uses a lot of repetition in this poem. Certain words that he uses are prison and cell these are used several times throughout the poem. Not only are the words “prison” and “cell,” but they are places that are seen as bad and have poor conditions. These words are used interchangeable to show meanings of the same concept but using different word choices. In relation, these words together make the reader feel like they have no freedom in the world. These words stick out the most because no one in the world should feel hopeless. However, Wordsworth uses positive and negative lines through this poem. After he expresses the negative side for the people he then changes it to show the positivity of the lines before. For example, in line eight, “In the truth the prison, unto which we doom” (Line 8). Wordsworth resolves the workplace conditions by suggestion liberty should find solace. 

 Wordsworth uses several different types of figurative language to express different meaning and understanding of the poem. Personification is used to create a more intense feeling of the situation happening to help understand the meaning more clearly. For example, the students are in their “pensive citadels” meaning that is a good enviroment As mentioned above the types of people who were bound from freedom are compared to bees, “bees that soar for bloom, High as the highest Peak of Furness-fells, Will murmur by the house in foxglove bells” (Line 7). These lines show meaning of the situation that the people will overcome their situations and be happy with what is going. In this same line the word “furness” is referring to the mountains. This gives a better understanding to the reader when they are trying to close text read this sonnet. Another figurative language he uses is an oxymoron, specifically in the line, “Who have felt the weight of too much liberty” (Line13).  

In this type of poem, a volta is used to turn the thought or argument around. In lines eight and nine, Wordsworth expresses that there is a “prison into which we doom ourselves”. He is trying to show how people view their missions in life. In our everyday lives people complain constantly about having to go to work. From reading this sonnet Wordsworth states that no matter how much complaining is done, at the end of the day people are still going to do it and be happy about it. There would be more problems than those that already exist if people had nothing to do. Obviously, our jobs are not actually prisons but they can be prison-like metaphorically. In the last five lines, Wordsworth confirms that the Sonnet form, although it is extremely restrictive, is still a great way to begin a poetry writing project, and that Wordsworth himself enjoys using the Sonnet form. Wordsworth uses the phrase "sundry moods" which shows that there is a generally fickle mood in the poem. Perhaps he feels that he can use the sonnet form when he is feeling fickle, especially if he cannot concentrate. The next line "within the Sonnet's scanty plot of ground" refers to the limitations that the sonnet form produces. "Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be)" points out that anyone can feel the pain of writer's block, and also, anyone can use the sonnet form to produce a nice poem if they feel like it. And again, the last two lines of the poem explain how Wordsworth himself uses the sonnet form and how he is gratified by it.
