24. William Wordsworth, "Strange Fits of Passion"

This poem I always admired, for numerous reasons—mainly because it represents a shift in style for Wordsworth, from generating personal epics to drafting series of short lyrics, allowing for multiple interpretations and a quick connection to the narrator's emotional reaction to his surroundings. His universe is not clearly understood: his immediate environment still maintains a mystical, mysterious quality. The reader is allowed to invent a story to accompany the work, in order it seems to help the narrator better understand his world. A resonant message for this troubling era.