Summary

“Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802” begins with the speaker, implicitly standing on Westminster Bridge in London, declaring “earth has not anything to show more fair” than the city of the city before them (1). They describe London as wearing “the beauty of the morning” like a garment, as all of its many buildings sit silently before the rush of human activity fills them with sound (5). It is even so early that the air is still clear and smokeless, causing all the city to lie open “unto the fields, and to the sky” (7).

The speaker continues, claiming the rising sun has never so beautifully shone upon “valley, rock, or hill” ( 10). This tranquil scene fills them with such a deep calmness as they have never felt before watching the river gliding at its own gentle pace. The beauty of the vision causes them...