B. Wordsworth

Perspective is often defined as the position, views, or personality of the narrator as it influences the story they tell. The perspective is often referred to as the point of view from which the story is told, in both a literal and figurative sense. The story is seen through the eyes of the narrator, but the narrator also shapes the world through their opinions and views. The narrative perspective of the boy in “B. Wordsworth,” for example, influences the story being told because the boy’s personality changes and evolves over the course of the story.

“B. Wordsworth” is written from the first-person perspective of a young boy as he begins to see the wonder of the world around him. In this way, the story can slowly reveal to the audience that the boy is beginning to internalize Wordsworth’s lessons. The narrator’s perspective at the beginning of the story, for example, focuses on the practicalities of life. By the end of the story, the narrator is dealing with more complex and abstract ideas such as Wordsworth’s legacy after his home is destroyed. The narrative perspective imbues the story with credibility, showing how one young boy’s world is changed by a chance encounter with a poet.