I wan-/dered lone-/ly as/ a cloud

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by: William Wordsworth

(Also known as ‘Daffodils,’ is one of the most popular poems in the English language. It is a
quintessential poem of the Romantic Movement.)

About William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth Born on April 7, 1770, Cockermouth, Cumberland, England he wrote this
beautiful poetry filled with imagery, usually based around the natural world.
He, along with his close friend and fellow poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was the pioneer of
the romantic era of poetry. He was also the poet laureate for Queen Victoria for seven
years. And he became England's poet laureate in 1843, a role he held until his death in 1850.

About the Poem’s Historical Context

On 15th of April 1802, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came across a host of daffodils
around Glencoyne Bay, in the Lake District. The poem was made through the poet’s
inspiration which is (William and his sister Dorothy) when Walking along the Glencoyne Bay,
when they stumbled across beautiful daffodils along the bay. The event was the inspiration
behind the composition of his lyric poem. ‘Daffodils’ or ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ based
on the poet’s mood, the surrounding location, and the beauty of nature.
The poem was composed within the time period of 1804-1807 and subsequently published in
1807, with a revised version published in 1815.

Now let’s go to per stanza Detailed Analysis

This imaginative piece of flower poetry is full of figurative language including metaphors,
personification and imagery, with some moments of alliteration.

Stanza One
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.

In the first stanza, the term “wandered” means walking free of their own accord. The poet
is referring to himself as the “cloud” in a metaphorical sense of the word.
Although the daffodils flower is yellow the poet intends to signify its beauty by using golden
color, an example of metonymy here the poet is referring, to the effect in place cause, by
the sunlight. The daffodils personifies as “host” means in a collective bunch. They are a
source of immense beauty for the poet hailing from the Romantic Era.
It’s a windy day overall it signifies the meaning of the flowers dance and flutter as the wind
blows. The poets refers to daffodils dancing, a trait relatable to humans.-personification

Stanza Two
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.

Stanza 2 is an allegory it is a clear and direct referral to the native galaxy Milky Way. The
space continuum holds great mystery for the Romantic Era poet as he envisions the daffodils
to be in a constant state of wonder as the stars beyond the reach of humans.
The poet makes an allusion to the Milky Way, our galaxy, filled with its own planetary solar
systems stretched beyond infinity. The lake also supposedly has a large area since the
daffodils are dispersed along the shoreline. Along the Milky Way’s premises lie countless
stars which the poet alludes to daffodils fluttering beside the lake.
By “ten thousand”, he meant a collection of daffodils were fluttering in the air. It’s just a
wild estimation at best as he supposes ten thousand daffodils at a glance. The term
“sprightly” comes from sprite which is primarily dandy little spirits people, they are akin to
fairies.

Stanza Three
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:
The sparkling waves of a lake, means sparkling due to the sunlight. This image is contrasted
with the dance of daffodils. So, the contrast presents the resemblance of the lake’s water
to the daffodils.
The flowers were a “jocund company” to him that he could not find in humans. “Jocund”
means cheerful and light-hearted.
Also the repetition of the word “gazed” in the next line points at the poet’s state of mind
at that moment in which he kept on gazing. The second half of the line quickly catches
readers’ attention. Wordsworth is now asking, what wealth the flowers had brought him on
that day. Thus, he quickly comes into reality from his imagination to inform readers about
his viewpoint.

Stanza Four
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.
The last stanza describes the inspiration behind writing of the poem. According to
Wordsworth, whenever he lies on his couch in a vacant or thoughtful mood, the image flashes
in his mind’s eyes. It is a simultaneous process, not a forced one. So, whenever, the poet’s
mind becomes empty of thoughts, the image supplies him with the source of energy to re-
think. Not only that, when he feels down, the scene acts similarly.
Wordsworth compares the daffodils to the “bliss” of his solitary moments. He provides the
reason why he says so. According to him, the memory associated with the daffodils fills his
heart with pleasure, making his heart leap up once again like a child. In this way, the poet
highlights the role of nature, especially daffodils, in his life.

Now Let’s explore the Figurative Language and Poetic Devices sa Poem
The Author makes use of several literary devices in his poem. These include but, are not
limited to similes, hyperboles, personification, and allusion. Similes are also used since the
poet alludes himself to an aimless cloud, as he takes a casual stroll.
At times, hyperbole is used to explicate the immensity of the situation. The allusion of
daffodils to stars spread across the Milky Way is one such instance. Furthermore, the
daffodils are even made in order to create a human portrayal of Mother Nature in this
instance.
Moreover, the poet has also used reverse personifications, equating humans to clouds, and
daffodils to humans with constant movement. The images, in most cases, are visual and some
have auditory effects (For example, “Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”) Using this
clever tactic, the poet brings people closer to nature, becoming a hallmark yet an effective
methods for relating readers with nature that’s inspires to live in a meaningful life.
Let’s explore All the Different Themes in Poetry

1. Symbolism
The poem begins with a symbolic reference to the cloud. The poetic persona is the
embodiment of such a cloud. Hence, it symbolizes being lonely and thoughtless. The most
important symbol of this piece is the daffodils. Apart from that, the daffodil acts as a
symbol of rejuvenation and pure joy. In his pensive mood, they become a means for the poet’s
self-reflection.

2. Tone and Mood

The tone of this poem, is emotive, hyperbolic, expressive, and thoughtful. In the first
stanza, (Makita nato,) the tone of the speaker helps readers to understand how he felt after
seeing the daffodils on a specific event. As the poem progresses, it appears hyperbolic. In
the last stanza, he chooses a thoughtful tone for describing the impact of the scene on his
mind. The tone also follows the mood of the poem.

Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Christabel is an unfinished lyric ballad written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was finished
in two years: ang first part niya was made in 1797 and second part is in 1800 which was
published in 1816.
This narrative story is about a female character of a young lady named Christabel and her
encounter with a stranger called Geraldine.

(About the Author---read the PPT)……..

This is only a Brief Analysis:

(The poem revolves around the encounter of Christabel with another female character
Geraldine. And this is how the narrative story goes.)

Christabel is a lovely, innocent, young, and virtuous daughter of Sir Leoline. One night while
praying in the woods for her fiancé, she was startled by another distress lady who called
herself Geraldine a wicked paranormal woman in disguised.

(gi trick niya si Cristabel by stating) that she was kidnapped by a gang and left to the jungle
for an unknown reason. Geraldine says that she is the daughter of Lord Roland de Vaux, once
a friend of Sir Leoline. (The two men quarreled, had not spoken for years).

Futher about the story, Cristabel doesn’t realize that Geraldine has lied to her. Being kind
and full of mercy, Christabel takes the lady to her home and share her bed. Once in the
bedroom, Geraldine puts a spell on poor, innocent Christabel. Because Cristabel is under
Geraldine’s spell it is impossible for Christabel to tell anyone about what had happened that
night in the bed and the time she spent with her, including a few intimate moments.

When she finally breaks the spell and speaks about Geraldine’s deception, Sir Leoline rejects
her entreaty, with Sir Leoline sending a message telling Lord Roland that his daughter is
safe and offering reunion. Before any conformation on Geraldine' identity, and the long
narrative poem ends

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in the poem.

The author, has also used some literary devices in this poem. The analysis of some of the
literary devices has been given in this graphic organizer.

1. Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of
/uh/ and /a/ in “Comes seldom save from rage and pain,” and the sound of /ee/ in “She
kneels beneath the huge oak tree”.

2. Anaphora: the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For
example, “and take” is repeated in the second part of the poem to emphasize the point,

“And take two steeds with trappings proud,

And take the youth whom thou lov’st best.”

3. Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession such
as the sound of /l/ in “The lovely lady Christabel!” and the sound of /t/ in “Perhaps ‘tis
tender too and pretty” and the sound of /m/ in “Mary mother, save me now!”

4. Imagery: the used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses.

For example, “As fills a father’s eyes with light”, “And turning from his own sweet maid”
and “They only swelled his rage and pain.”

5. Symbolism: the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic
meanings different from literal meanings. “Serpent” symbolizes temptations, “the white
Dove” represents purity, and “Christabel” herself is the symbol of purity and innocence.

Analysis of Poetic Devices

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis
of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

Ballad: Since the type of poem narrates a story in short stanzas about the story of an
innocent girl Cristabel.

Free Verse: Because the type of poetry does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This
is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.

Stanza: since the poetic form of some lines is a long poem which has seventy stanzas in it
with each composed of a different number of verses.