I discovered the idea of using semblance in poetry while reading Chris Townsend’s article, “The Language of Semblance in The Prelude,“ where Mr. Townsend discusses Wordsworth’s use of semblance, focusing on Wordsworth’s poem, “The Prelude.”  Semblance can be thought of as how something appears on the outside; and, sometimes, this appearance is a facade hiding what is real.  Semblance may also express only a hint or trace that something existed.  According to Mr. Townsend, Wordsworth often used words like “seems” and “appears” to relate the semblance of one thing to another.  Furthermore, as Townsend points out, Wordsworth’s use of semblance was often followed by a pattern of “doublings, dichotomies, and things that come in halves.”  To illustrate, Townsend provided some examples from “The Prelude:” 

“His figure seemed \ Half sitting, and half standing (IV.413-414),”

and

“When from behind that craggy Steep, till then \ The bound of the horizon, a huge Cliff, \ As if with voluntary power instinct, \ Uprear’d its head (I.408-411),”

And, one more,

“A meditation rose in me that night \ Upon the lonely mountain when the scene \ had passed away, and it appeared to me \ The perfect image of a might mind, \ Of one that feeds upon infinity, \ That is exalted by an under-presence, \ The sense of God, or whatsoe’er is dim \ or vast in its own being (XIII.66-73).

What struck me about Wordsworth’s use of semblance was that he is noncommittal in his assertions, as if he was unwilling or unable to express with certainty the likenesses he proposed.  In my own writing, I usually express in concrete terms the similarities between two things, or the projection of one element’s characteristics onto another. 

For example, in the poem, “Sunset,” I begin, “The lake stretches from the bluff; \ Opaque glass with texture rough, \ Rippled by a painter’s brush \ Whose hand has lost its steady touch.”  The lake IS opaque glass, not LIKE opaque glass; and the ripples were caused by a painter’s shaky hand, not something LIKE a shaky hand. 

Again, in the poem, “Reborn,” “The bluffs that rise majestic’ly \ Above the lake with enmity, \ Eventually must retreat \ With breakers surging at their feet.”  The bluffs are not LIKE a man, they ARE a man.

After reading Townsend’s article, though, and considering Wordsworth’s use of semblance, I wonder if I’ve not limited myself.  There is a certain mystery to Wordsworth through his use of semblance that is compelling.  It leaves to the reader to decide, through their own imagination and interpretation, what the poet is saying.  By his use of semblance, Wordsworth invites the reader to participate in his composition.  Reading a poem is no longer a passive undertaking; it becomes dynamic, engaging the reader in higher cognitive levels.  I like what Townsend says about Wordsworth: “The spiritualized vision of a natural world that interacts with the human mind is, for Wordsworth, the most tantalizing view of things.”

Does this mean that I will completely do away with concrete language in my poems?  Of course not.  But it does mean that I have a new tool to add to my literary tool box, semblance.

For more on Townsend’s thoughts on Wordsworth and his use of semblance, go to

The Language of Semblance in The Prelude