Topic : The Solitary Reaper

Made by: Bhairavi Class: 9th A

Poem
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. 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.

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?

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.

Video of Poem

Meaning of Poem
Wordsworth sighted a young girl belonging to the Highland region of Scotland, all by herself in the field, reaping and singing her song so melodiously to glory. Anyone who passes her by, would either completely ignore her or stop to listen to her soft enchanted melody. Without even realizing that the clock for the day was ticking, she continued endlessly to cut and bind the grain and sang the tune of her melancholic song. The lyrics of the song sounded so clear that they seemed to overflow even to the farthest corner of the valley, when one listens with the ears of the heart. Any down-trodden and heavy hearts would feel welcome to this valley of rest at least for a short time. Something that even the songs of the most

The voice of the lass sounded so shrilling in the most melodious musical note ever known to man, according to the description of the poet. It has outshone even the sweetest song of the cuckoo bird that sings at break of every spring. It has broken even the silence of the farthest Pacific islands of the 'Hebrides'. Wordsworth wondered if it would be possible for anyone to explain to him the true implications of the contents of her songs. It might be that her sad and mournful song speaks of misfortunes and tragedies of events that happened long ago. Or it might be she is singing as per the happenings of the present day, familiarizing herself with the harsh realities of trials and tribulations of this world. Things that might have happened or about to take place in

About the Poet

Born on the 7th of April in 1770, William Wordsworth helped launch the Romanticism Era by writing major romantic poems. Wordsworth experienced a hard start to his life from a young age of eight when his mother died from an infection. Following his mothers death, he and his four siblings were sent to live with relatives. Dorothy, one of his four siblings, also became a poet and influenced his work. She was a year younger then Wordsworth and they seemed to be the closest of the siblings despite the nine year period when they were separated during their later schooling. Wordsworths father who was a legal representative taught Wordsworth poetry from Milton, Shakespeare and Spenser. In Hawkshead Grammar School, Wordsworth developed a love of poetry

Pictures of Poet

Young William Wordsworth

Aged William Wordsworth

Wordsworths first publication was in 1787 when he entered his sonnet in The European Magazine. In 1793 Wordsworth's earliest poems "An Evening Walk" and "Descriptive Sketches" were published in an attempt to raise money. Wordsworth's natural poetic style reflects the work he did with Samuel Taylor Coleridge on the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads. Coleridge and Wordsworth bonded quickly and developed a strong friendship that would help their future work together. Some of the poems written by Wordsworth are "intern Abbey," "The Brothers," Michael," "The Excursion," The Thorn, and "The Prelude." In all his poems the environment around him plays a roll. In 1802 Wordsworth married Mary Hutchinson and they lived together in a cottage; his sister Dorothy lived

Some Books of William Wordsworth