Great works of literature all have universal themes; these unite both the text and the readers of the work. The major messages of any work are dependent upon the people who wrote them, and thus, the times in which they were composed. Themes have evolved as humans, and our mindsets, have. The ancients wrote of what they knew of the world and how they tried to understand it in their epic poetry. The Anglo-Saxons told tall tales of their heroes and role models, like the protagonist Beowulf. Soon, the narratives started to change from mysticism and magic and into more logically-founded central ideas as humans started to explore and learn more about the world around them. In the Renaissance, writers played with themes of love and youth. The poets of the Romantic era expanded upon this ideal greatly; the Enlightenment had altered man from a being about himself into one more in tune with nature through. By juxtaposing pastoral country scenes and the dreary, urban surroundings of the Industrial Revolution, the Romantic writers used themes to tell their readers important philosophical understanding. William Wordsworth, an influential lyrical poet, spoke about the turbulent times he lived in and what he garnered from all of his experiences. In Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, William Wordsworth built the themes of the work around the emotions nature inspired in him. Wordsworth’s return to the valley of the River Wye made him realize all of what he had missed while