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Running head: On Wordsworth and Daffodils

On Wordsworth and Daffodils

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On Wordsworth and Daffodils William Wordsworths poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is a wonderful example of using figurative language to connect the imagination of the poet and nature. The poems structure, rhyming ABABCC, has a serene rhythm to it, adding to its reflective quality. Woodworth uses personification throughout, as if to intertwine man and nature. From the very first line, Wordsworth identifies his being with that of a cloud. A cloud is a visible aspect of the sky, which connects with nothing but air. The transformative nature of a cloud overhead is indicative of one who wanders whose place on the Earth is dependent solely by the wind. The cloud That floats on by seems to be disconnected from the Earth, a mere shadow passing by. Woodsworth seems to be saying he is at a loss as that cloud, but on line three he discovers a crowd/A host, of golden daffodils which he describes as dancing. Here the personification of flowers brings us down to Earth, and the contrast between the monochromatic image of the wandering cloud and the bright daffodils, trees and lake describes the vividness of his recollection. It is worth nothing that the cloud is barely described, yet Wordsworth goes further describing the size of the field of flowers with more figurative language. In other words, he uses nature to describe nature with this line, continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the milky way., celebrating the vastness of the flowers. The stark contrast of the cloud and the stars is a story of permanence. A cloud, of course, appears and disappears, sometimes within minutes,

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yet no mortal man will ever have outlived a star. The daffodils, dancing, have become permanent in his memory. This is not to say that Wordsworth did not see beauty in a cloud, for he made use of it as a metaphor in his poem the beauty being the power of metaphor itself. This poem celebrates the connection man has with nature and the imagination, and as much as he creates a stark contrast between the cloud and the other images in the poem, it is worth remembering that even though a poet might wander as a cloud without the beauty of nature entrenched in his or memory, the poem would simply not work without the memory of the cloud itself. Halfway through the poem, at line 13, Wordsworth tells us what hes getting at in the third stanza. Although the waves danced, as well, the daffodils stuck in his memory as being more gleeful than the waves. This momentary sight, of the daffodils, Wordsworth celebrates as living much further on, describing days when he is vacant or pensive, where the memory of the jocund daffodils fills his heart with pleasure. Written in 1804, the poem could in its simplicity be described as merely a reminder of the beauty of nature. Yet, it is more than that. It is a celebration of the universal means which we can all communicate, nature, and the visceral qualities with which a poet can connect the world to his soul. Further, daffodils are a sign of Spring and rebirth. Even while he may not have intended further interpretation, this poem was said to begin the age of Romanticism. (Gifford, 2012)At the time of its writing, three revolutions had occurred: the French, American and Industrial Revolution. New ideas were celebrated, and questions of humanitys existence were debated

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across the Western World. Romanticism celebrated mans symbiotic relationship with unbridled nature, while also questioning the literary forms of the time.

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Works Cited
Gifford, K. (2012, January 2012). The Romantics. Retrieved December 13, 22, from Humanities Web: http://www.humanitiesweb.org/spa/lil/ID/4

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