Allusion in The Striding Place

This verse is one stanza of a longer poem entitled “The Force of Prayer,” which William Wordsworth wrote after visiting Bolton Abbey in 1807. The sentiment of the verse is essentially true. The Strid is an ancient name, deriving from the Old Norse word for “stride.” It is so named because the River Wharfe is narrow enough at the Strid for someone to stride over it. If you’re reading this, please don’t try to stride over it.