But what kind of poetry? What was to be its motive power? What its animating spirit? Here the experience of life acting upon his natural character became the deciding factor.
Wordsworth was born a lover of joy, not sensual,
[200]
 but spiritual. The first thing that happened to him, when he went out into the world, was that he went bankrupt of joy. The enthusiasm of his youth was dashed, the high hope of his spirit was quenched. At the touch of reality his dreams dissolved. It seemed as though he were altogether beaten, a broken man. But with the gentle courage of his sister to sustain him, his indomitable spirit rose again, to renew the adventure of life. He did not evade the issue, by turning aside to seek for fame or wealth. His problem from first to last was the problem of joy,—inward, sincere, imperishable joy. How to recover it after life’s disappointments, how to deepen it amid life’s illusions, how to secure it through life’s trials, how to spread it among life’s confusions,—this was the problem that he faced. This was the wealth that he desired to possess, and to increase, and to diffuse,—the wealth
“Of joy in widest commonalty spread.”
None of the poets has been as clear as Wordsworth in the avowal that the immediate end of poetry is pleasure. “We have no sympathy,” said he, “but what is propagated by pleasure, ... wherever
[201]
 we sympathise with pain, it will be found that the sympathy is produced and carried on by subtle combinations with pleasure. We have no knowledge, that is no general principles drawn from the contemplation of particular facts, but what has been built up by pleasure, and exists in us by pleasure alone.” And again: “The end of Poetry is to produce excitement, in co-existence with an over-balance of pleasure.”
 
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.
Painted by W. Boxall.
After an engraving by J. Bromley.
But it may be clearly read in his poetry that what he means by “pleasure” is really an inward, spiritual joy. It is such a joy, in its various forms, that charms him most as he sees it in the world. His gallery of human portraits contains many figures, but every one of them is presented in the light of joy,—the rising light of dawn, or the waning light of sunset. Lucy Gray and the little maid in We are Seven are childish shapes of joy. The Highland Girl is an embodiment of virginal gladness, and the poet cries
“Now thanks to Heaven! that of its grace
Hath led me to this lovely place.
Joy have I had; and going hence
I bear away my recompence.”
[202]
Wordsworth regards joy as an actual potency of vision:
“With an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the heart of things.”
Joy is indeed the master-word of his poetry. The dancing daffodils enrich his heart with joy.
“They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
The kitten playing with the fallen leaves charms him with pure merriment. The skylark’s song lifts him up into the clouds.
“There is madness about thee, and joy divine
In that song of thine.”
He turns from the nightingale, that creature of a “fiery heart,” to the Stock-dove:
“He sang of love, with quiet blending,
Slow to begin and never ending;
Of serious faith, and inward glee;
That was the song—the song for me.”
He thinks of love which grows to use
“Joy as her holiest language.”
[203]
He speaks of life’s disenchantment............