The Solitary Reaper

The Solitary Reaper
Summary
It’s difficult to imagine Wordsworth’s poetry
without connotations to nature and the natural
By William Wordsworth
life. The poem is a picture of rustic life and its effective beauty.
Beauty is an immortal object to all romantic poets. John Keats
says: "Beauty is truth, truth is beauty That's all ye know on earth, and all ye
need to know".
To Wordsworth, "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful

emotions".
In this poem the poet tells us the story of a lovely Highland Girl,
who is working in a field and singing a song. He is deeply
impressed by her song and remembers the melody of her song
even after he has left the place. He cannot understand the
language of the song but the sad beauty of her voice goes
straight to his heart. He listened "motionless and still". The
atmosphere of the poem and the song of the girl as a part of the
beauty of Nature leave a lasting impression on the mind of the
poet.
The poem, "Solitary Reaper", is a classic illustration of Romantic

poetry with typical Wordsworth's style. We know Wordsworth
for creating awe inspiring natural scenes that create everlasting
impact on the readers' hearts and minds. The most extreme level
of emotional and romantic appeal is the impact that is created by
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drawing the unseen yet visible lines between the sweetness of
human emotions and its spontaneity by crossing the barriers
of language.
why was the reaper alone? Was it deliberate on the part of the
poet? If so, what could his motives be? Perhaps the reaper
represents the human soul when it’s left to become one with
nature. The solitude in this poem is unique because we don’t know
what the song actually means. We, as readers, are not told if the
song she’s singing is of hope or despair.
Analysis
Lines 1-2
Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!
The speaker opens this poem by directing our attention to a

woman, "single in the field.", "single" It means she's out there in
the field alone. She is "solitary," as we learn in line 2.
Oh, and this "she" is a "Highland Lass." the word "lass" it's a
Scottish word for "girl."
As for "Highland," a geography lesson can help us out. Scotland can be

divided into two parts: the lowlands and the highlands. The lowlands are
the southern part, and the highlands are the northern part. the whole
highlands-lowlands distinction isn't just a geographical issue. Back in the
day, there were some pretty big cultural divisions too and a lot of
prejudice and racism between highlanders and lowlanders.
the speaker comes across a beautiful girl working alone in the

fields of Scotland (the Highland)
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Lines 3-4
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
The poet orders his listener to behold a “solitary Highland lass”

reaping and singing by herself in a field. He says that anyone
passing by should either stop here, or “gently pass” so as not to
disturb her.
The speaker tells his readers to stop and observe because, he's
moved by the woman's song and figures. So, other people might
be moved as well. The speaker is absolutely fascinated by this
scene, and is worried lest somebody disturb it.
Lines 5-8
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
The speaker now gives us more details about what is going on. The
poet says that the highland girl cuts and binds the grain in
sheaves. She is also singing a sad song. She is very busy in her
song as well as her work. The poet once again advises the
passerby to listen to her song. He says that the whole deep valley
is echoing with her sweet song. The whole dale is listening to her
sweet voice. We should also listen to her song and enjoy it.
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Lines 9-12
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travelers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
The speaker begins the second stanza by elaborating on how
great the highland lass's song is.
Let's break this down just a bit:
"Chaunt" is just an old British spelling of "chant," and here it

means "sing"
A "shady haunt" shady area, enclosed by trees, kind of like this.
the poet compares the sweet voice of the girl to that of a

nightingale. Nightingale is considered a sweet-voice bird. The
poet says no nightingale has so far sung as melodious a song as
the girl sings.
When some group of tired travelers reaches a shady place, in the

Arabian deserts, the nightingale welcomes the caravan with its
sweet song.The poet says that the voice of the singing girl is
rather sweeter than that of a nightingale.
Lines 13-16
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.
These lines show a comparison between the song of the girl and
the song of the cuckoo. He says that such a sweet voice was
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never heard from the cuckoo even in the spring season. The song
of cuckoo is always very sweet but the voice of the girl, who was
singing, was sweeter than the cuckoo’s. The voice of the girl was
so sweet that it broke the silence of the seas and of the far off
islands on north-western coast of Scotland. These islands are
never disturbed by any storm but
the voice of the girl intruded into the silence of this group of
islands. This was because of the praiseworthy song of the girl
which even affected the seas.
Lines 17-20
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
In these lines the poet tells us about the language of the song.
He does not know what the song is about; a war, a calamity, love
or else.He says will no one tell him the meaning of the song of the
girl.
But, he can never forget the beauty and spontaneity of the song
Lines 21-24
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?
These lines are also an expression of the misunderstanding
language of the song. The poet again guesses at the theme.
Perhaps she is singing a simple song on some ordinary matter of
the present age. Perhaps she is singing simple sorrow of loss or of
some misery. May be she is singing for the lover who has jilted
her. Probably, the incident of loss or pain has taken place in the
past and it may be experienced again in future.
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Lines 25-28
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;—
These lines also show that the poet did not know the theme of
the song. He says whatever theme she sang, irrespective of that,
it seemed that the song of the young girl would not come to an
end. The poet says that he saw the girl busy at her work and also
singing while reaping with a sickle in bent motion.
Lines 29-32
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.
These are the concluding lines of the poem. The poet says that
first he listened to her song standing still and motionless. But as
he mounted up the hill of Scotland, the tune of the song was so
sweet that it struck the heart of the poet. He was so impressed
that he carried, the melody of the song with him long after the
song was ended by the girl. Actually, the poet, being a poet of
nature, was profoundly impressed by this natural scene. He
Poetic Devices
remembered this song for its natural melodious effect.
“O listen! for the Vale profound Is overflowing with the sound.”-
This is an instance of Apostrophe. Apostrophe is a figure of
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speech where the speaker addresses an absent person or an
inanimate or abstract object. In this stanza, the narrator
addresses an unknown and, possibly abstract, entity to express
the beauty of the song that fills the vale.
“Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow For old, unhappy, far-off

things, And battles long ago”- This is an example of a Metaphor.
The ‘plaintive numbers’ or the melancholy tunes of the solitary
reaper are likened to a river that winds through the field.
Also, in the second stanza the speaker compares the song of the
reaper to those of the nightingale and cuckoo.
Imagery is also used in connection with the reaper herself. All

the reader knows is that the reaper is a simple peasant girl
singing a rather sad song while harvesting grain in a field.
However, the speaker’s imaginative associations make her much
more. He connects her with shady haunts of Arabian sands, the
cuckoo and the nightingale, the seas beyond the Hebrides, epic
battles, and the common human experiences of sorrow and pain.
From his perspective, she becomes the center of the universe, if
only for a moment. Like her song, she become a metaphor for the
eternal.
Music is also a dominant image in the poem. It is reinforced by

the ballad form whose tones, rhythms, and rhymes emphasize the
lyrical feeling.
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OMAMA

The Solitary Reaper

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The Solitary Reaper

To Wordsworth, "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful

The poem, "Solitary Reaper", is a classic illustration of Romantic

Behold her, single in the field,

The speaker opens this poem by directing our attention to a

As for "Highland," a geography lesson can help us out. Scotland can be

the speaker comes across a beautiful girl working alone in the

The poet orders his listener to behold a “solitary Highland lass”

"Chaunt" is just an old British spelling of "chant," and here it

A "shady haunt" shady area, enclosed by trees, kind of like this.

the poet compares the sweet voice of the girl to that of a

When some group of tired travelers reaches a shady place, in the

“Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow For old, unhappy, far-off

Imagery is also used in connection with the reaper herself. All

Music is also a dominant image in the poem. It is reinforced by

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