the solitary reaper by william wordsworth

Phan Thị Hòa
The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth.
The romantic era, often called the age of revolutions and not just the social and economic
revolutions but also a literary revolution, the age of the romantic poet. The Solitary Reaper
by William Wordsworth was written in 1805, during the first generation of romantic poets,
like many of his other poems, it expresses the benefits of work, solitude and being close to
nature and the countryside. Wordsworth wrote many of his poems in the language of the
everyday man, he was a revolutionary and believed in the power of the people. The Solitary
Reaper illustrates the beauty and importance of music found in nature and the solitude of the
countryside.
This poem of idyllic setting is a wonderful note of appreciation and at the same time a deep
feeling of unknown emotions for an unknown song by a reaper at solitude of the
countryside.
In the first stanza the speaker comes across a beautiful girl working alone in the fields of
Scotland -the Highland. She is "Reaping and singing by herself." He tells the reader not to
interrupt her, and then mentions that the valley is full of song.
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
In the first stanza the scene is set of the rustic highland countryside in Great Britain,
illustrating the importance of solitude and song. Nature is characterized as simple and
peaceful in contrast with the harsh and black industrialised London of his time. “Reaping
and Singing by herself” symbolic of the solitude encountered in the countryside and the
cheerful mood of a rural area, that Wordsworth believed was very important and benefited
the everyday man. Solitude and peace were often hard to find in the London of his time and
even revel lent to today’s modern worker day world. Wordsworth did believe though that

there was no place greater than England.
The second stanza is a list of things that cannot equal the beauty of the girl's singing:
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
The second stanza offers comparisons between far off tropical places and the countryside of
England. The speaker compared two tropical birds to the beautiful singing of the simple
rustic girl, a nightingale and a cuckoo. The speaker says that the sound is more welcome
than any chant of the nightingale to weary travellers in the desert, and that the cuckoo-bird
in spring never sang with a voice so thrilling. Concluding that tropical places are nothing
when compared with the simplicity and solitude found in the countryside .Where music and
expressive beauty are at its best in the solitude and peace only found in the countryside.
Wordsworth uses two images "word pictures" to describe how refreshing and
reinvigorating it was to listen to the melodious song of "the solitary reaper."
Firstly, A group of exhausted travelers when crossing the scorching hot Arabian desert
arrive at a nearby oasis to refresh themselves. As soon as they enter this cool and shady
retreat, they first hear the melodious song of the nightingale and immediately they feel
revitalized. The tuneful and pleasant song of the bird drives away all their feelings of
exhaustion. Similarly, Wordsworth remarks that he was also revitalized when he heard the
"melancholy strain" of 'the solitary reaper.'
Secondly, In England during the bitterly cold winter season all the birds migrate to warmer
countries in the tropics. They return to England at the beginning of the spring season which
marks the end of winter. Traditionally, it is the cuckoo which first returns to England in
spring and as soon as the people hear the melodious sound of the cuckoo bird they are
thrilled and delighted because they know that the harsh winter season has ended. The

Hebrides are a group of small islands in the remote North West coast of Scotland. The
winter season in the "farthest Hebrides" was always extremely harsh and the sound of the
cuckoo bird signaling the end of winter was specially significant. In the same manner, the
song of the solitary reaper was special to Wordsworth.
In this poem, Wordsworth uses a few literary devices to express his description so the
readers could imagine themselves listening to the soothing voice of the Scottish reaper.
These include hyperboles, the use of rhetorical questions and metaphors. The use of
hyperboles is seen in this sentence 'Breaking the silence of the seas, among the farthest
Hebrides.' It describes the voice of the reaper as one that is so loud, that it was heard miles
away from where it originally began.
The use of metaphors were seen when the poet compares the voice of the reaper to other
beautiful voices, such as those of a 'Cuckoo-bird in the spring-time' and the voice of a
'nightingale'. The metaphor of the Nightingale at once points to her commonness and
exclusiveness. It also underlines the power and purity of the voice of the lass that rouses the
poet from his reverie. Like some soothing balm to weary travelers, they act as shade to
wanderers overcome with fatigue traversing the deserts. The voice was hitherto the most
thrilling one he had heard. The voice of the cuckoo-bird in the spring-time, pales in
comparison. Its pervading presence breaks the silence of the seas among the farthest of the
Hebrides. 'Hebrides' refers to the North-Western coast of Scotland where reeds are
abundant.
Rhetorical questions were seen used to show emphasis or to allow the poet to ask question
that gives ideas about what she singing about, since he does not understand the language.
However they can feel the emotion by the tone
Will no one tell me what she sings?
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?
In the third stanza the poet is impatient and speculates about the content of what the maiden
sings, whether it be of sad unhappy things or of humbler more simple things. “For old,
unhappy, far of things and battles long ago” the poet is wondering whether it is a sadder
song, of the bad times gone and also the hard times facing London during the romantic era
time with the industrial revolution, the blackening of the capital .Or the poet wonders
whether the maiden sings of happy simpler times “or is it some more humble lay, familiar
matter of today’ which ties in with the theme the simpler peaceful times in the solitude of
the country.
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
The final stanza the poet wonders of the effect of the song on him and any other passengers
by. The beautiful rustic song the maiden sings stays in his mind and heart long after he
travelled up the hill and could no longer hear it. “The music in my heart I bore, long after it
was heard no more” which in addition to the theme of solitude and beauty in music adds an
idea of the familiar theme of memory, and the soothing effect of beautiful memories on
human thoughts and feelings. Wordsworth firmly believed in music and the peace and quiet
found in the country.
The poem is written in the first person and can be classified as a pastoral, or a literary work
describing a scene from country life. The eyewitness narration conveys the immediacy of
personal experience, giving the reader the impression that the poet did not merely imagine
the scene but actually lived it.
This is an important experience for the speaker because it is transformative. It is
transcendent; it changes the observer, and it changes the scene. It is in many ways a classic

example of a moment of Romantic artistic inspiration. The speaker has to have seen workers
before, but something in that one moment freezes him, making him call out “ Behold her,
single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass!"
The isolation of the girl makes the speaker realize his own isolation. Her song makes him
realize how art (music) transforms daily labor; he does the same by capturing the girl in a
poem. Finally, the memory is timeless, even though the girl, the moment, the song, and the
experience are all ephemeral, trapped in time and soon passing. He's living a paradox.
The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth illustrates the beautiful music encountered in
the solitude of the countryside. This poem praises the beauty of music and its fluid
expressive beauty; the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings that Wordsworth
identified at the heart of is poetry. Wordsworth felt that the countryside was a symbol of
beauty and that the everyday, common man should venture back to the countryside, the
roots of man.
First, a short summary of each stanza is provided. Additional line by line explanation is
along with some of the poetic devices used is given at the end.
Please note that stanzas 1 and 3 of the poem have been composed in the present tense while
stanzas 2 and 4 are composed in the past tense. The summaries of the first and third stanzas
are in the present tense while those of the second and fourth stanzas are in the past tense.
Stanza 1
The poet, William Wordsworth, introduces us to the subject of the poem, the solitary reaper.
She is standing alone in the field, reaping and singing. She sings a morose, gloomy song
while she cuts and binds the sheaves of grain. It seems to the poet as if the surrounding
valley is brimming over with the song of the reaper.
Stanza 2
According to the poet, the reaper’s song surpassed, in its beauty, the sweet notes of the
nightingale that welcomed tired groups of travelers into an oasis in an Arabian desert.
The voice of the harvester was more breathtaking than that of the cuckoo singing in spring
in the Hebrides islands.
Stanza 3
The poet, however, does not understand the words of the reaper's song. He starts to

speculate on the subject of the song. He thinks that perhaps it is about an ancient incident
which occurred in a distant land or a battle which may have taken place years ago.
He further wonders, whether the song has something to do with the day to day life of the
solitary reaper. He thinks that she might be singing about grief and sadness which has
occurred and might return.
Stanza 4
To the poet, it seemed that the song of the solitary reaper would not end. She sang as she
worked, bending over her sickle. For a long time the poet listened to the song, enchanted
and transfixed. As he moved up the hill, he continued to carry the music in his heart even
after he could no longer hear it.
Additional line by line explanation along with identification of some of the poetic
devices and figures of speech used.
In lines 1 and 2, the poet, William Wordsworth has introduced us to the solitary reaper.
He has added a dramatic touch with the use of the words, ‘Behold her’. He has further
pointed out that the solitary reaper was standing alone in the field. ‘Yon’ is short for
‘yonder’, a word used in old English which means ‘there’. He has referred to the reaper as a
‘Highland Lass’. Here, ‘highland’ refers to the Scottish Highlands, and ‘lass’ is a Scottish
term for a girl or a young woman.
In line 3, he has told us that the young woman was reaping the corn and singing. There is an
element of internal rhyming (‘reaping’ and ‘singing’).
In line 4, Wordsworth has addressed the reader. He has stated that the moment was such that
one could either stand still and experience the song of the solitary reaper, or gently pass by
without a sound.
In line 5 and 6, the poet has stated that she cut and bound the grain by herself as she sang a
sad and sorrowful tune.
In lines 7 and 8, the poet has beckoned us to listen to the song of the solitary reaper. It
seemed to the poet that the entire deep valley was overflowing with the solitary reaper’s
song. The poet has also used alliteration (‘sings’ and ‘strain’, line 8).
In lines 9-12, William Wordsworth has transported the reader to the Arabian Desert. Here,
‘shady haunt’ refers to an oasis in the desert. Bands of travelers, exhausted and drained from

traveling over the desert, would be welcomed into the oasis by the pleasant notes of a
nightingale’s song. The poet has stated, that the song of the solitary reaper was so beautiful,
that it surpassed the song of the nightingale.
Several examples of alliteration can be seen here: ‘No’ and ‘nightingale’ (line 9), ‘welcome’
and ‘weary’ (line 10), ‘some’ and ‘shady’ (line 11), ‘among’ and ‘Arabian’ (line 12).
In the lines 13 to 16, the poet has talked about the spring song of the cuckoo bird. The
Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland. In the spring, the cuckoo
birds in these islands break into beautiful tunes. The cuckoo bird’s tune appears to break the
silence and stillness of the surrounding seas. Yet the voice of the young reaper is more
thrilling to the poet’s ears that that of the cuckoo bird.
The poet has used alliteration (‘silence’ and ‘seas’)
In line 17, the poet has wondered aloud whether no one would tell him what the solitary
reaper was singing about. The poet was unfamiliar with the language of the reaper’s song
and hence he could not understand the meaning of the words.
In the next few lines the poet has speculated about the possible subjects of the young
woman’s song.
In line 18, William Wordsworth has used alliteration (‘perhaps’ and ‘plaintive’).
He has conjectured that the song of the reaper may be about sad things that may have
occurred a long time ago in some far off place (“old unhappy far off things”, line 19).
In line 20, Wordsworth has remarked that the song might also have something to do with a
battle in the past.
In the next few lines however, the poet has wondered whether the song was about some
simple, day to day occurrence in the life of the solitary reaper (lines 21 and 22).
The poet has used internal rhyming (‘familiar and ‘matter’, line 22)
The poet has further speculated whether the song was about some naturally occurring
“sorrow, loss or pain” that has been there in the past and may return in the future (lines 23
and 24).
Regardless of what the song’s theme may have been, it seemed to Wordsworth that the
solitary reaper's song did not have an ending (lines 25 and 26).
The poet continued to observe the solitary reaper bending over her sickle and singing at her

work (lines 27-28).
The poet has used alliteration in line 27 (‘saw’ and ‘singing’).
In line 29, the poet has remarked that as he listened to the reaper’s song he was completely
transfixed by it.
In the last three lines 30, 31 and 32, the poet has stated that as he slowly walked up the hill,
the music of the solitary reaper’s song continued to be in his heart long after it could not be
heard anymore.
In line 31, there has been use of alliteration (‘music’ and ‘my’).
William Wordsmith's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" or "Daffodils": Analysis
A BESTWORD ANALYSIS
As far as there is to mention, there is little of weight or consequence to speak of in the direct
analysis of William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, or “Daffodils” as it is
popularly referred to today. From introduction to conclusion, William Wordsworth cleanly
describes the act of watching a patch of country daffodils swaying in the breeze and the
lasting effect this pleasant image has on his quiet moments of reverie thereafter. But,
perhaps in this simple four stanza poem, William Wordsworth has, in writing “I Wandered
Lonely as a Cloud”, succeeded in creating one of his greatest works of Romantic poetry by
so perfectly actualizing the emotional virtue of Romantic poetry itself.
William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850) was a Romantic poet and a major influence in bringing
about the 18th centuries’ Romantic Age of Literature. An original poet for many different
artistic qualities, his personality and emotional intelligence had made him the perfect
forefather for a literary movement that would resound philosophically and poetically to this
day. Romanticism, defined by it predisposition towards nature and its deep emotional
connection with the feelings of the poet, is what makes William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered
Lonely as a Cloud” such a perfect example of Romantic poetry.
Another literary revolution realized by William Wordsworth, for the sake of anyone who
wanted to read his works, was his acceptance of all forms of readership and choosing to
write in very plain English. His writing was a movement away from those of his peers, who
wrote specifically for educated aristocrats and the intellectual elites who were, at this time,
the major consumers of poetry. Instead he wrote for the average Englishman. The very fact

that William Wordsworth’s “I Wander Lonely as a Cloud” is more popularly known as
“Daffodils” is evidence to the poem’s significantly broader circulation and distribution in
areas where “Daffodils” readership was less concerned with the formality of the poem and
instead appreciated it, quite literally, for the “Daffodils”.
I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD
Written at Town-end, Grasmere. The Daffodils grew and still grow on the margin of
Ullswater and probably may be seen to this day as beautiful in the month of March, nodding
their golden heads beside the dancing and foaming waves. – William Wordsworth, 1804
I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 5
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay: 10
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay, 15
In such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood, 20
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
- William Wordsworth, 1804
William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud” opens with the narrator
describing his action of walking in a state of worldly detachment; his wandering “As lonely
as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills,” (1-2). What he is thinking of we never
really uncover, but his description leaves us to analyze his words as a sort of “head in the
clouds” daydream-like state where his thoughts are far away, unconcerned with the
immediate circumstances in which he finds himself. Wordsworth, ever the Romanticist,
perhaps uses these two introductory lines to describe the disconnected and dispassionate
ways that we all live our lives; walking through life in a haze of daily ritual and monotonous
distractions in a pointless and spiritually disinterested state where we fail as emotional
creatures to appreciate the quiet beauties of life that we as human beings need for spiritual
sustenance. William Wordsworth’s “lonely cloud” is our own private impersonal perception
of the world, floating miles above it and missing the quiet virtues of nature, beauty, and
other sources of emotional nourishment.
As William Wordsworth’s narrator is walking, he notices “A host, of golden daffodils;…
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” (4 and 6). Wordsworth goes on to describe these
“golden daffodils” as a vast plot of swaying flowers around the fringes of a bay, outdoing
the beauty of the ocean’s waves with their own golden oscillation. Describing the daffodils
for the next several lines, Wordsworth helps us to visualize what he himself has seen and
was so moved by; “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. / The waves beside them danced;
but they / Out-did the sparkling waves in glee” (12-14). These light-hearted daffodils,
weaving in unison with each other in the wind, have romantically touched Wordsworth,
their natural beauty reaching him in ways that he describes as not fully understanding until
later: “A poet could not but be gay, / In such a jocund company: / I gazed - and gazed - but
little thought / What wealth the show to me had brought:” (15-18).
It is here that your humble writer can not help but remember one of William Wordsworth’s
earlier poems that he had written six years earlier. William Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in
Early Spring” (1798) serves the reader in much the same way as Wordsworth’s “I Wandered

Lonely as a Cloud”, in that his narrator draws inspiration from nature’s beauty to experience
a deep and meaningful emotion within himself as a philosopher and a poet. The great
difference, however, between Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in Early Spring” and “I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is that in “Lines Written in Early Spring” natures beauty
induces in Wordsworth a deep and powerful mourning for how mankind has perverted his
own nature in his then modern society, whereas “Lines Written in Early Spring” invigorates
Wordsworth’s narrator with the mental imagery of the daffodils.
Most importantly, in both poems Wordsworth describes his narrator as having a moment of
quiet introspection. In much the same way that most readers can relate, Wordsworth’s
narrator in “Lines Written in Early Spring”, upon having a few moments to think to himself,
lapses into a depressed state from his own quiet thoughts: “While in a grove I sate reclined,
/ In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts / Bring sad thoughts to the mind.” (William
Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in Early Spring”, 1798, lines 2-4.). In Wordsworth’s “I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” his narrator reciprocally, upon relaxing on a couch in quiet
contemplation, is elated and pleasantly entertained by the thoughts of the daffodils dancing
in his memory: “when on my couch I lie / In vacant or in pensive mood, / They flash upon
that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude; / And then my heart with pleasure fills, /
And dances with the daffodils.” (19-24). Wordsworth’s narrator in “I Wandered Lonely as a
Cloud” is not grieved by “What man has made of man” (William Wordsworth’s “Lines
Written in Early Spring”, 1798, line 8.) but contented and near-tickled by his reminiscence
of the golden, light-hearted beauty of the daffodils.
A message can be so drawn from this contrast, whether William Wordsworth intended it or
not, in a Post-Modern dissection and personal interpretation of a theme that holds as much
true to the cannon of Romanticism as to Wordsworth’s own personal philosophy. Perhaps
the popular title for Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, “Daffodils”, finds, in
itself, the virtue of the poem and its interpretive meaning. The daffodils are, as well as what
Wordsworth would have intended, natural beauty; the tranquil occurrences of lucky
happenstance that we experience and carry with us in our proverbial hearts as cherished
moments and treasured memories. Likely, many readers skimmed Wordsworth’s
description of the daffodils and quickly spurned it as a “Romantic blubber” of sorts.

Needless to say, however, Wordsworth believes, as does your humble writer, that any human
being possessing a soul and beating heart would find themselves deeply touched by the
scene of a thousand-fold host of yellow daffodils swaying in the breeze against the backdrop
of waves breaking against the rocks of a bay. This mental image, otherwise missed by those
caught up in their daily bustle and contemporary distractions, their “wandering lonely as
clouds” so to speak, is what we draw from nature and experience when we cease our self-
destructive pace. If we slow down, just enough, we may catch by the wayside of our
wanderings a spiritual creature that could serve us as a pleasant mental image or perhaps
even as a meaning or purpose in life.
In William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, the daffodils become much
more than mere flowers. They are a symbol of natural beauty and, more importantly,
symbolize living a life as rich in experience and sensation as would make a life worth
living. They represent, in their light-hearted dance, the joy and happiness of living an
adoring and fulfilling life, embracing it for every drop of nectar it could so bring.
Romanticism, a poetic philosophy that Wordsworth himself engendered, finds much virtue
in this meaning; the daffodils reaching out and catching the eye of Wordsworth’s narrator, or
perhaps Wordsworth himself, and inspiring him so much emotionally, that he was left with
little choice than to express them poetically. Wordsworth’s narrator of “Lines Written in
Early Spring” struggles with his own innate human predisposition towards melancholy in a
world where contemporary human society and civilization has destroyed our connection to
nature, and incidentally our own nature as well, but Wordsworth’s narrator in “Daffodils”
has taken from the moment the sweet nourishment of spiritual manna that was necessary to
keep a quiet instance of introspection from turning to depression and, instead, becoming an
exuberant reverie of a setting in memory; “They flash upon that inward eye / Which is the
bliss of solitude; / And then my heart with pleasure fills, / And dances with the daffodils.”
(21-24).
William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” or “Daffodils” is a deep and
moving work of poetry that under a deceivingly simple exterior could possibly be, under
energetic dissection, argued as one of Wordsworth’s greatest works of Romanticism. By
staying true to Romanticism’s philosophy of embracing not only nature but the careful

expression of the poet’s emotions through art and how nature can so deeply affect it,
Wordsworth, in four simple stanzas if imagery, could, perhaps, not better described in verse
the Romantic ideology. The popular title for Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a
Cloud”, “Daffodils”, has in a single word summed an entire literary philosophy.
The poem is 24 lines long, consisting of four six-line stanzas. Each stanza is formed by a
quatrain, then a couplet, to form a sestet and a ABABCC rhyme scheme.
[1]
The fourth- and
third-last lines were not composed by Wordsworth, but by his wife, Mary. Wordsworth
considered them the best lines of the whole poem.
[1][12]
Like most works by Wordsworth, it is
romantic in nature;
[13]
the beauty of nature, unkempt by humanity, and a reconciliation of
man with his environment, are two of the fundamental principles of the romantic movement
within poetry. The poem is littered with emotionally strong words, such as "golden",
"dancing" and "bliss".
The plot of the poem is simple. Wordsworth believed it "an elementary feeling and simple
impression".
[14]
The speaker is wandering as if among the clouds, viewing a belt of daffodils,
next to a lake whose beauty is overshadowed:
[15]
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

The reversal of usual syntax in phrases, particularly "Ten thousand saw I at a glance" is used
as part of foregrounding (for emphasis).
[16]
Loneliness, it seems, is only a human emotion,
unlike the mere solitariness of the cloud.
[17]
In the second and third verses, the memory of
the daffodils is given permanence (particularly through comparison the stars); this is in
contrast to the transitory nature of life examined in other works:
[18]
Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:
In the last stanza, it is revealed that this scene is only a memory of the pensive speaker.
[12]
This is marked by a change from a narrative past tense to the present tense. as a conclusion
to a sense of movement within the poem: passive to active motion; from sadness to
blissfulness.
[16]
The scene of the last verse mirrors the readers' situation as they take in the
poem:

[19]
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Like the maiden's song in "The Solitary Reaper," the memory of the daffodils is etched in
the speaker's mind and soul to be cherished forever. When he's feeling lonely, dull or
depressed, he thinks of the daffodils and cheers up. The full impact of the daffodils' beauty
(symbolizing the beauty of nature) did not strike him at the moment of seeing them, when
he stared blankly at them but much later when he sat alone, sad and lonely and remembered
them.
[17]
Personification is used within the poem, particularly with regards to the flowers themselves,
and the whole passage consists of images appearing within the mind of the poet.
Wordsworth replaced "dancing" (4) with "golden"; "Along" (5) with "Beside"; and "Ten
thousand" with "Fluttering and" to create the 1815 revision. He then added a stanza between
the first and second, and altered "laughing" (10) to "jocund". The last stanza was left
untouched.
Stanza wise summary of 'The Daffodils'
Summary of the first stanza:
The poet has compared himself to a floating cloud passing over hills and valleys. He was on
a stroll through the countryside when he suddenly came across countless yellow daffodils.
These daffodils were beside a lake under trees. The flowing breeze made the daffodils
flutter and it seemed as if they were dancing.
Summary of the second stanza:
To William Wordsworth, the daffodils appeared to be as continuous as the twinkling stars on
the Milky Way galaxy. They were arrayed in a seemingly unending line along the bank of
the adjacent bay. To the poet, it seemed as if ten thousand daffodils were bobbing in the

gentle breeze and he imagined them to be engaged in a lively dance.
Summary of the third stanza:
There were waves on the surface of the lake, but these waves of water were no match for the
waves of daffodils rippling in the breeze. Wordsworth has remarked that a poet can feel
nothing but happiness in that kind of cheerful company. Although he beheld the beautiful
sight for a long time, he did not understand the true value of that beautiful experience just
then.
Summary of the fourth and last stanza:
(This stanza has been written in the present tense by the poet and so it has been summarized
by using the present tense)
Whenever the poet is in low spirits, the sight of the daffodils flashes in his mind. His heart
fills with joy and happiness and it seems to him as if his heart is dancing with the daffodils.
Additional line by line discussion of ‘The Daffodils’ along with some of the poetic
devices and figures of speech used
In the first line, the poet has used the simile ‘lonely as a cloud’. He has compared himself to
a solitary cloud. Just like a cloud floats over hills and valleys( line 2), the poet too has been
rambling across the countryside.
Wordsworth has used the phrase ‘a crowd’ (line 3) followed by the phrase ‘a host’ (line 4)
when he has referred to the daffodils. Both these phrases refer to the large number of
daffodils and using them both one after the other lays stress on the enormous number of
daffodils.
In line5, alliteration has been used with the help of the words ‘beside’ and ‘beneath’
This line also determines the location of the daffodils.
In line 6, internal rhyming (‘fluttering’ and ‘dancing’) has been used by William
Wordsworth. He has also described the motion of the daffodils by using the two words. He
has also used personification by using the word ‘dancing’ thus attributing to the daffodils, a
quality which is generally associated with humans.
In lines 7, 8, 9 the poet has compared the unending line of daffodils to the continuous
shinning stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
In line 7, alliteration has been used (‘stars’, ‘shine’)

Line 10 further describes how the daffodils are lined up along the bank of the bay.Here
‘margin’ refers to the bank of the bay.
In line11, William Wordsworth has tried to quantify the amount of daffodils by using the
phrase ‘ten thousand’. He has used a hyperbole (‘ten thousand’) which is a figure of speech
used for exaggeration and effect.
In line 12, personification (‘tossing their heads’ and ‘sprightly dance’) has been used.The
poet also adds more detail to the way they were dancing by using these two phrases.
The poet has referred to the waves in the nearby bay (line 13). Personification has been used
here by using the term ‘dancing’ with reference to the waves. But he has concluded that the
waves of the rippling daffodils outshone the waves in the water (line14).Here, ‘they’ refer to
the daffodils. The waves in the bay are called ‘sparkling’ to describe the reflection of
sunlight on them.
In lines 15 and 16, Wordsworth has remarked, that a poet could not help being happy in
such a cheerful company. By referring to the daffodils as ‘jocund company’ he has used
personification.
By using the phrase ‘I gazed’ twice (line 17), the poet has emphasized on the fact that he
spent a lot of time viewing the daffodils. Here repetition is used. But at the same time, he
has admitted that he did not understand the true value of that beautiful sight at that time
(lines 17 and 18). In line 18, alliteration has been used (‘What wealth’)
In lines 19 and 20, the poet has remarked upon those times when he is lying on his couch in
a dejected mood.
At times like these, the images of the daffodils flash in his mind (line 21).
Here, he uses a phrase ‘that inward eye’ which to him is ‘the bliss of solitude’ (line22).
Here, ‘the inward eye’, is used to refer to one’s mind and the memories stored in it.Since, it
is much easier for a person to reflect upon and remember old memories when he/she is
alone, it is called ‘the bliss of solitude’.
As soon as the poet remembers, the daffodils, his heart is filled with bliss and it joins the
daffodils in their dance (lines 23 and 24).
In line 24, alliteration has been used by Wordsworth (‘dances’ and ‘daffodils’).
Daffodils by William Wordsworth Poetry Intertextual Oral Task

Flowers are perhaps one of the main symbols of happiness in the world. This is because of
their bright colours, amazing shapes and often beautiful fragrance. Therefore, they are
arguably the most common topic for poetry. Many people will immediately come across
flowers when thinking about nature, but little do they think and appreciate the wonder of
flowers when walking around everyday. This is because flowers are grown all over this
planet and are often thought as being ordinary. However William Wordsworth has been able
to capture his experience in one of his most famous poems by the name of “Daffodils”
which will be the basis of my oral today. William Wordsworth was a major English
romantic poet who helped launch the Romantic Age of English Literature. I will be
comparing his poem to a photo of daffodils which was taken in England. The poem clearly
describes the appearance of the daffodils that Wordsworth encountered on a stormy day
when walking by Ullswater in England and especially focusing on the way that the daffodils
look dancing as if they are on a breezy day. The poem is as follows:
Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” is written in the form of a lyric. There is a consistent rhyming
scheme throughout the whole poem. The rhyming scheme for the first stanza is A,B,A,B and
then ends with a rhyming couplet C,C which continues throughout the whole poem. The
iambic pentameter rhythm varies slightly ranging from 7-9 syllables in each line.
Enjambment is common throughout the poem to express longer ideas and enables us to see
exactly how the poem should be read and understood.
Wordsworth commences with a description of the daffodils at first sight. “I wander’d lonely
as a cloud” in line 1 is an example of a simile in which Wordsworth gives the impression
that he is floating in the sky like a cloud looking down at the valleys and hills which also
sets the scene. In the final line of the first stanza, Wordsworth describes the movement of
the daffodils as “fluttering and dancing in the breeze” which is a personification in which
the poet compares the waving of the daffodils to humans dancing.
Stanza two moves on from the first impression of the daffodils to focusing on the expanse
of daffodils in that particular area. “Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the
Milky Way” that appears in line 1-2 is a combination of hyperbole and a simile depicting
how the daffodils are stretched to far distances like the stars on the Milky Way. This theme
is further reinforced in the next line as a hyperbole- “they stretch’d in never ending line”.

This is followed by the final line “tossing their heads in sprightly dance” which is a
personification. The poet relates the motion of the flowers to the tossing of heads and
sprightly dance of a person.
In stanza three, the theme is once again changed from illustrating the amount of daffodils to
expressing the mood of the poet. “the waves beside them danced” in the first line is a
personification that compares the floating of the waves to dancing. “I gazed – and gazed” in
the fifth line are the first examples of repetition in this poem. This is used to show a period
of time has passed away while the poet stared at the daffodils. “What wealth” in the last line
is a lame attempt of alliteration that portrays the amount of happiness the daffodils had
brought him which was undoubtedly one of Wordsworth’s intentions.
In the final stanza, Wordsworth reflects upon his observation in the past at an old age. He
explains how he can feel and visualise the daffodils even when he is just lying on the couch
with nothing on his mind or think deeply. The final line of the poem “and dances with the
daffodils” is an alliteration in which Wordsworth shows that he can move freely with the
daffodils in his daydream.
After analysing the poem extensively, it can be concluded that Wordsworth has intended to
show the beauty of daffodils through his poem. I have found that there is an obvious link
between this poem’s context and the visual text that I have chosen. The visual text is a photo
of hundreds of daffodils that are situated between trees and a lake. It is clear that daffodils
and the photo pose links in terms of specific subject matter and setting. Wordsworth’s poem
focuses on the movement and pleasure of the daffodils as I explained earlier which is
exactly what the photo is trying to emphasise. The visual text demonstrates how impressive
and splendid the daffodils look all together in a group especially with the bright yellow
colour because yellow is a happy colour and contrasts greatly amongst the green of the
English countryside. In addition, the location of the daffodils in the photo is identical to the
one in the poem which is undoubtedly the main link and is revealed in the first stanza-
“Beside the lake, beneath the trees.”
In conclusion, the obvious intertextual link between the visual text and the poem is the
subject matter which is shown through the location and beauty of the daffodils.
“The Gift of the Magi” O. Henry

The following entry presents criticism on O. Henry's short story “The Gift of the Magi”
(1906).
INTRODUCTION
“The Gift of the Magi” (1906) remains one of the most recognizable and frequently
anthologized stories in American literature. In its time the tale was extremely popular, both
commercially and critically, and O. Henry was called the “Yankee Maupaussant.” Today the
story is considered juvenilia and has not garnered much serious critical attention. “The Gift
of the Magi” initially appeared in one of O. Henry's best-known collection of stories, The
Four Million, which was published in 1906.
Plot and Major Characters
On Christmas Eve, a young married woman named Della has cut and sold her long,
beautiful hair to earn the rest of the money she needs for her husband's Christmas present: a
platinum chain for his treasured watch. When her husband, Jim, returns to their apartment,
he is shocked to see her hair gone; he has sold his watch to buy her a pair of tortoise-shell
combs for her long hair. Touched by his thoughtfulness, Della assures him that her hair will
grow back and she gives him the watch chain. When he sees the gift, he lovingly tells her
that he has sold his cherished watch to buy her the combs for her hair. The story concludes
with an omniscient narrator praising the sacrifice and love of the young couple.
Major Themes
Critics have noted the irony of the young couple sacrificing their most treasured possessions
—Della's hair and Jim's watch—in order to buy each other gifts related to those same
possessions. Poverty is also a prominent theme, as Della saved her money for months to buy
the platinum watch chain, but she still had to cut and sell her beautiful hair. The descriptions
of the environs and the couple's clothing also underscore the indigence of the characters in
the story. As O. Henry was categorized as a realist, “The Gift of the Magi” has been
perceived as an authentic, anecdotal look at lower-class American life near the turn of the
century. The story is also thought to exemplify the author's interest in the elements of
surprise and trick endings, as the impact of the mutual sacrifice is not revealed until the
conclusion of the tale.
Critical Reception

Upon its publication in The Four Million, “The Gift of the Magi” caught the attention of the
American public as well as reviewers. It was frequently mentioned as a prime example of O.
Henry's work and has appeared in several anthologies of American short stories. Yet the
story has mostly failed to attract serious critical analysis. There has been some debate as to
the source of “The Gift of the Magi,” and a recent critic, John A. Rea, has determined where
the plotline for the story originated. Many commentators consider the story more of an
anecdote, devoid of complex characters and themes. Recently “The Gift of the Magi” has
been classified and republished as a story for children. Despite the lack of considerable
critical attention, most literary scholars still consider it one of the best Christmas stories
ever written.
The reader quickly understands that $1.87 is not a lot of money when the narrator says ‘That
was all.’ We get a better understanding of their poverty when we witness Della’s
embarrassment. She must haggle for every household purchase to save sixty cents worth of
pennies and she is ashamed of the necessity and the poverty it indicates. And, just in case
the reader is slow, we are told that such dealings indicate parsimony.
Porter contrasts the poverty of the Youngs to the vast wealth and riches of King Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba. He shares with the readers the two small treasures of the household
and contrasts the value of these treasured objects to the vast storehouses of wealth that
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba have. Yet despite the obvious poverty and meagerness of
these treasures, Porter will soon show us that what Jim and Della have is of more value than
any priceless treasure locked up in a storehouse.
Generosity
Generosity is a major theme in Gift of the Magi. Clearly, any story that focuses on gift-
giving as its major plot-line must deal with the concept of generosity. However, Porter is
interested in something deeper than superficial generosity of giving a gift that comes easily.
He is interested in generosity born out of a love so deep it transcends reason or wisdom.
Love, such as we see between Jim and Della.
Both Jim and Della sell their personal treasure in order to enhance the treasure of the other.
Della sells her hair in order to buy a watch chain for Jim’s only valuable inheritance. Jim
sells his watch in order to enhance Della’s crowning glory. The narrator of the story

comments on their actions by saying “And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful
chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the
greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said
that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.”
Love
In the paragraph where we are introduced to Jim, the writer gives us an idea of Della’s
exuberant affection for Jim when he says “whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came
home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James
Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.”
When the narrator writes “Which is all very good.” He hints that there must be more in a
marriage. And in some small way Jim sums it up when he sees his gift from Della and says
“They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your
combs.” His statement seems a natural commentary on the uselessness of the gifts since
their intended purpose has been ironically removed.
However, Jim’s remark, is also a comment on the value of the gifts. They are too nice not
only because of the money they represent but also because of the sacrificial love they
represent. Self-sacrifice in the name of love is the wisest gift.
The Gift of the Magi
Special allowance for a period of translated fiction will probably have to be made in the
history of the 20th century Russian literature, just as it had to be done for the Russian
literature at the beginning of the 19th century, when work by a Russian author was a rarity.
Perhaps this is not so much in the context of history of literature as in that of the history of
the Russian reader and publisher, granted the possibility of such a history. For some reason,
the unawareness of the name O. Henry existed until 1923, although he had died back in
1910 and during the years preceding his death was one of the most popular and beloved
authors in America.
The Gift of the Magi written by O. Henry is a little drama of mutual self-sacrifice between
husband and wife that encapsulates what the world in all its stored-up wisdom knows to be
indispensable or ordinary family life. Unselfish love shared, regardless of the attendant
difficulties or distractions, is the idea implied again as a major criterion in the treatment of

domestic affairs.
In The Gift of the Magi O. Henry's style of narration is invariably ironic or playful. His
writing is studded with metaphors but only for the purpose of amusement with the
unexpectedness of the comparisons made - a surprise of a literary nature:
"Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty
seconds."
"Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown
waters."
In the narrative and descriptive passages of The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry enters into a
conversation with us, the readers, making no point of arousing in us an illusion of direct
contact or of reality but rather forever emphasizing his role as the writer. Therefore,
conducting the story not from the standpoint of an impersonal commentator but from that of
his own person, he brings in an outside narrator. Given such a system of narration, dialogue
stands out with particular relief and takes on a substantial share of the effect of plot and
style. The conversations of the characters have a direct connection with the plot and with
the role of the character. They are rich in intonations and ambiguous in some special way.
The Gift of the Magi is a love story built-in in the most traditional way but some details are
added. In this story it is a comic detail which is not directly connected with love but which,
at the same time, turns out to be the fundamental detail for the plot. Love plays the simple
motivation for creating the intrigue.
O. Henry's pervasive tendency to lay bare the construction of the story and subject the plot
to a parody play, the unexpectedness of his ending acquires a special meaning in The Gift of