Read the following excerpt and answer the question that follows. Abridged from Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Being the third son of the family and not bred to any trade, my head began to be filled very early
with rambling thoughts. My father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent share of
learning, as far as house-education and a country free school generally go, and designed me for the
law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and my inclination to this led me so
strongly against the will, nay, the commands of my father, and against all the entreaties and
persuasions of my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be something fatal in that
propensity of nature, tending directly to the life of misery which was to befall me.
What does the historical context of the writing demonstrate or tell you? (10 points)

even in that time, children and parents disagreed about what was best for the future.

wordsworth tends to see nature as 'out there'; a presence which surrounds humans, and contributes to human life, but is different from humans. if you look at a typical wordsworth poem (there was a boy, ye knew him well ye rocks) - wordsworth talks about nature as something that needs to be learned about and understood, nature is different from us.  

if you look at a byron poem (the isles of greece is a good one) - byron looks at nature mainly for what it already means to man. wordsworth will look at a landscape and see the mountains, trees, valleys, and rivers as almost spiritual presences - wordsworth wants to get to know nature.  

byron will look at the same landscape and he will want to know who lives there, what are the villages? are there any farms or mines, is there some history?  

wordsworth looks at nature for what it is; byron is forever asking what it means.  

wordsworth thinks that humans are part of nature; byron thinks that nature is part of being human