In their article entitled "I", Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royale state that "literature, like art more generally, has always been concerned with aspects of this which may be called the..."not I' or else" (Bennett 129-130). Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Confessions and William Wordsworth in his two-part Prelude raise the issue of isolation from humanity in relation to achieving a more natural state of existence. Although both Rousseau and Wordsworth analyze moments of isolation from what may be considered social normality, each author approaches this isolation differently in his or her attempt to better embody the natural man. Wordsworth seems to focus primarily on the internal, socially independent dynamics of his psyche, while Rousseau seeks a more natural state of being through the analysis of his interactions with others. Rousseau, through the disarming and candid tone of this work, conveys an exclusively mental isolation, while Wordsworth employs a more veiled and metaphorical strategy to achieve a retreat that is both mental and physical from modern conventions. Ultimately, the constant influence of society in Rousseau's Confessions impedes his ability to achieve an effective return to Nature, while Wordsworth's ability to completely isolate himself from modern influences leads to a more complete progression towards the natural state of man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Even in the opening lines of Wordsworth's work, it is evident that the author places a higher value on the clarity of thought found in Nature than the complications of human experience. He claims that a stream near his birthplace possesses the ability to “…temper/ Our human stubbornness,” and that it “composed [his] thoughts/ To something more than childish sweetness, giving [him]/ Between the irritable abodes of humanity/ A knowledge, a vague sincerity, of the calm/ That Nature breathes among the fields and groves? (Wordsworth ln 9-15). The quote seems to refer to Nature as a balancing force in human existence that causes mortal banalities to become less significant. He can also be said to heavily rebuke his social environment by contrasting his pure and calm communication with Nature to the turbulent complications of interacting with humanity. Through his criticism and willful extraction from humanity, Wordsworth is able to achieve a pre-infantile state of mind that not only allows him to transcend the most simplistic human thought, but actually results in a previously minimalist thought process unattained by man. This concept is further exemplified through his personification of Nature in the following lines. By stating that Nature instills knowledge and calm in the described environment, Wordsworth implies that Nature is an entity or being to be interacted with and that, because he is able to understand its message, he has further progressed to become natural man. Because Wordsworth was able to grasp this unique form of innate knowledge, he isolated himself from the worldly distractions of humanity enough to communicate deeply with Nature. The author also acknowledges his early embrace of Nature when he asks, “Was this why I, a four-year-old, / A naked boy, among your silent pools, / Took a long bath on a day of summer...?" (Wordsworth ln 17-19). In addition to the sentiments of the previous quote, Wordsworth further acknowledges her innocence by detailing her nakedness, but also focuses on the loneliness thatconsistently found in Nature describing the pools as silent. Wordsworth seems to seek this independence from human interaction solely for the purpose of being able to communicate more fully with Nature, even before he is able to make a conscious effort to do so. Contrary to Wordsworth's genuine appreciation for Nature at the beginning of The Two-Part Prelude, Rousseau is challenged to define the meaning of the emotions he experiences from a young age. In the first pages of the Confessions, Rousseau recalls: “I had feelings before I had thoughts: this is the common destiny of humanity… I have no idea what I did before the age of five or six… I still had no ideas about things, but I already knew every feeling. I hadn't conceived anything; I had heard it all” (Rousseau 8). It is evident at this point in Rousseau's work that, unlike Wordsworth, the author regards himself as the rest of humanity in terms of mental capacity. While Wordsworth describes himself as being in touch with nature at the age of four, Rousseau claims to remember no such experience at such a young age. Although Rousseau's ability to maintain an emotional connection with his surroundings is dimly perceived at this point, he focuses more on fostering his personal relationships rather than exploring more deeply this intuitive connection with Nature. Rousseau goes on to describe himself as “…by birth a citizen of the republic and the son of a father whose love for his country was his greatest passion,” and who was “…inflamed by his example” (Rousseau 8 ). At this point in the work the author feels part of a purely social entity. From birth he defines himself in terms of nationality and family ties, which consequently leads him to dedicate his young life to emulating his father. The social focus of Rousseau's early memories firmly juxtaposes that of Wordsworth as the latter is already realizing the deeper benefit that comes from this otherworldly connection with the natural. Rousseau, therefore, appears to begin his Confessions as less mentally transcendent than Wordsworth in that the social way in which he defines himself clouds his ability to achieve the isolation from humanity that proves necessary to return to a state of Nature. As Wordsworth continues to progress through the first part of his work, he deepens his description of isolation from mankind both in terms of a unique connection with nature and a willful rejection of social pleasures. In describing this deep attachment to Nature, he states: Not infrequently from the tumult I retreated/ To a silent bay, or sportingly/ Gazed askance, Leaving the tumultuous crowd,/ To cut the shadow of a star/ That shone on the ice /...and I watched/ until all was calm as a summer sea. (Wordsworth ln 170-184) This passage, in addition to showing Wordsworth's abandonment of what he sees as the intrusive and crazy atmosphere of social life, also exemplifies the lack of resentment or loneliness he experiences as a result of this isolation. Through the use of the word "sportingly," Wordsworth conveys that, although he casts a fleeting glance at the social interaction he is leaving behind, he does so more for the purpose of joke than true interest. He seems to give only mild recognition to the actions of the rest of humanity and prefers instead to deal with the sublime experience of observing how the elements of nature interact with each other. Rather than linger in a situation he sees as purely chaotic, Wordsworth retreats to a safe distance in the company of the surroundings he seems best able to interpret, observing humanity's interactions until they resemble a condition ofNature: the tranquility of a summer sea. At this point in the poem, it seems that Wordsworth has achieved such complete mental and physical separation from humanity that he must define the actions of others in terms of natural phenomena. Unlike Wordsworth's successful retreat from humanity described in his poetry, Rousseau's work appears not to go beyond contemplating the potential consequences of completely abandoning social constraints. Although Rousseau considers the return to the Nature of existence crucial, he cannot separate his personal aspirations from the judgments of others. In a crucial moment of mental isolation and awareness of his difference from those with whom he interacts, Rousseau states: I could imagine nothing greater and more beautiful than to be free and virtuous, above the reach of fortune and good o bad opinion of men... Although a sense of false shame and fear of ridicule initially prevented me from living by these principles... From that moment on I was determined on my course of action, and only put off putting it into practice to the necessary time for various opponents to oppose it and thus ensure its triumph. (Rousseau 346-347)Although it is evident in this passage that Rousseau seeks a connection with nature that excludes the pressures of public opinion, his state of mind is still somehow tied to social obligation. In fact, he explicitly states that the reason for delaying this conversion to his newfound natural perspective is that he believes it is important that it be resisted by others first. As Rousseau continues to view the attention of others as more important than his quest for a return to Nature, it is evident that his lack of isolation from humanity impedes his progression towards the natural state he seeks to achieve. Rousseau's perspective differs from that of Wordsworth in that the latter is able to accept and embrace the fact that humanity is progressing without him, while Rousseau can only vaguely glimpse the benefits of a natural state without being able to let go his previous existence behind him. Wordsworth is not only unafraid of the ridicule that might follow his intentional estrangement from social interaction, but goes so far as to jokingly acknowledge his isolation. Rousseau, however, sees this very prospect as terrifying and debilitating. Although Confessions continues to focus on Rousseau's difficulty in ignoring the opinions of others, the author later attempts simultaneous physical and mental isolation by settling on the Île de Saint-Pierre. Upon his arrival, Rousseau declares that he “…would have liked to be so confined to [his] island as to no longer need to trade with mortals, and [he] certainly took every conceivable measure to relieve me of the necessity of maintaining any” (Rousseau 625 ). A few pages later, however, he reveals that he has managed to convince Thèrése to live with him in the intendant's house. Despite the fact that he initially claims to have no need for any human interaction and has accepted his complete isolation from the modern world, his subsequent transport with his longtime lover belies the fact that he is still hindered by his desire to do so. belong. At the end of Wordsworth's poem, however, the author fully embraces his isolation, stating: If in my youth I have been pure of heart/ If, mingling with the world, I am content/ With my modest pleasures, and have lived/ With God and Nature/ from small enmities and base desires,/ The gift is yours! (Wordsworth ln 473-478) Through this quote it is conveyed that Wordsworth, although he attempted to understand the reasoning behind social formalities as they have traditionally been defined by humanity, prefers.