Perception of nature is explored by both poems. The language of each poem makes this apparent. The key words in Wordsworth's poem, in the line "My heart leaps up when I behold," is 'behold.' The speaker does more than just see the rainbow; he beholds it. Likewise, the speaker in Dickinson's poem does more than just see nature. "Nature is what we see," and "Nature is what we hear." While Wordsworth beholds only one aspect of nature, a rainbow, Dickinson lists many aspects that can be seen and heard: "The Hill-- the Afternoon--/ Squirrel--Eclipse--the Bumble bee--" and "the Bobolink--the Sea--/Thunder--the Cricket." These are the perceptions of nature displayed in both poems.
Using thse perceptions of nature, the poets examine the relationship between nature and the workings of the human mind. Wordsworth examines in his poem how he percieves nature as he ages. His heart leaps up when he finds a rainbow in the sky. Likewise, nature has had this effect on him when he was a child, and as a man, and so will it when he grows old. Nature has always caused the sense of fascination in him, and this does not change. It is as if somehow he manages to keep his childhood fascination and curiosity, or as if the sight of the rainbow triggers a memory that gets him to think about how he saw things before. Dickinson examines more directly the relationship between nature and how the mind works. She states in her poem that "Nature is what we know--/ Yet have no art to say". Nature is something that we have in our minds, but which we cannot put into words; we know it, but the definition is elusive. Dickinson says that words are not adequate to describe nature. Human language and, ultimately, the human mind are faced with limitations. In this manner Wordsworth and Dickinson examine the relationship between nature and the workings of the human mind.
Both the poem of Wordsworth and the poem of Dickinson deal with perceptions of nature and examine the relationship between nature and the workings of the human mind. Wordsworth's poem deals more indirectly with the perceptions of nature, while Dickinson's poem is precisely about just that. Wordsworth writes about the constancy of his perception of nature, the way he see's nature, throughout his life. Dickinson writes that though nature is easily seen and heard all around, and even if it is something that we know, it is very difficult to give a true description of it. These are the perceptions and examinations of nature of Wordsworth and Dickinson in their poems.