Throughout ‘ Splendour in the Grass,’ William Wordsworth engages with the theme of aging. But, one can still seek to enjoy the “philosophic mind” that can only develop in old age.

The poet compares the light of youth with the flourishing of a glorious flower or the splendor of a single blade of grass. The meaning of ‘ Splendour in the Grass’ is that despite the loss of youth and beauty, there is still a great deal one can appreciate and take comfort in as one ages. He reminds readers of the development of a “philosophic mind” that is only possible to attain as one ages and the importance of maintaining one’s faith in the face of death.

In the next lines, he provides readers with reasons to maintain their strength despite suffering and because of it. It is a radiance that is incredibly temporary, like the splendor of grass and the glory of a flower. In the poem’s first lines, the poet begins by describing the “radiance” that he, and all human beings, lose as they age. ‘Splendour in the Grass’ by William Wordsworth is a short excerpt from a longer work in which Wordsworth reminds readers that there are sources of happiness in one’s old age.