Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Bucket List Item #45: Tintern Abbey

I’ve hesitated to write this blog post, because frankly I don’t know where to start.  I’ve been in the Legendary London Centre for one week, and it has been the most amazing week of adventures.  In only one short week, I’ve been to Piccadilly Circus, seen part of the London Wall, visited the Tower of London, saw the Royal Bridge, ate at Borough Market, saw Twelfth Night at the Globe, shopped at Portobello Market, went to 221B Baker Street and Speedy’s Café, got a picture at platform 9 ¾, saw Big Ben and rode the London Eye, saw Stonehenge, toured the Romans baths in Bath, and visited Wales.  Amongst all of these things I’ve done, one place that was really incredible to visit was Tintern Abbey in Wales.  In our English class, we read a beautiful poem by Wordsworth about Tintern Abbey.  At first, it appeared to be a very long poem that I didn’t totally understand, but after re-reading it a few times, I began to understand the meaning behind his wondrous words.  The poem reminiscences of a visit to Tintern Abbey years ago, and reflects on the simple beauties of nature.  As I read this poem, the theme that came to my mind was nostalgia.  This feeling of nostalgia made me sit back and think back to memories from my childhood and beautiful places I've seen.  These are a few lines from the poem that really spoke to me: “Therefore am I still/  A lover of the meadows and the woods/ And mountains; and of all that we behold/ From this green earth; of all the mighty world… In nature and the language of the sense/ The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,/ The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul/ Of all my moral being.” I love these words about being still and being in nature.  After walking through Abbey that was still standing, yet partially in ruins, I went behind it and sat on the grass, where I wrote a poem of my own, reflecting on my feelings of the nature around me.  I’m so grateful that I was able to visit Tintern Abbey, as well as of the places I’ve been so far on this journey. 

Tintern Abbey
By Jennie Tijerino

Glorious is the green
Of the hills and the trees
That surround and embrace me
At the very Tintern Abbey

Birds chirp in the distance
Softly in the wind
The sun hits my back
Green grass beneath my feet
The earth is alive
And connected
To these ancient walls
And aches that have sprung from the soil
This magnificent structure
Still stands from the ages
The spirit alive inside
And the air surrounding it
Still echoes the songs from within
Body and soul
I feel the enormity
The serenity
Of these sacred ruins

Glorious is the green
Of the hills and the trees
That surround and embrace me
At the very Tintern Abbey

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