Daffodils One Pager

POEM 6
DAFFODILS
(By William Wordsworth)
THE POEM
The poem is a word picture of daffodils at Ullswater seen by the poet in 1802, it was first
published in 1807 in "Poems in Two Volumes" and a revised version was published in 1815.
The poem was written while he, along with his sister Dorothy visited Glencoyne Park. It is this
visit that inspired the poet to write this famous poem. It is a lyrical poem written by this nature
poet and a leading romantic poet. For him, there is nothing which is superior to nature. He
himself loved nature and was captivated by it.
THE POET
William Wordsworth, an early leader of Romanticism in English poetry, is one of the
greatest lyric poets in English literature. He was born on April 7, 1770 at Cockermouth. At the
age of thirteen, he lost his parents. His love for nature developed in his childhood. In 1802, he
married his childhood friend Mary Hutchinson. In 1843, be became Britain's Poet Laureate. He
died on April 23, 1850. One of his most important works, published in collaboration with S.T.
Coleridge is the Lyrical Ballads. Some of his other major works are: Solitary Reaper to The
Cuckoo, Lucy Poems and Intimations of Immortality. Prelude, considered to be his
masterpiece, was published after his death in 1850.
THE POEM IN DETAIL

Stanza -1 :
• The poet says that he was wandering as lonely as a cloud wanders over hills and valleys.
• While roaming, he saw a crowd of daffodils beside the lake and it seemed like they were
dancing with the movement of soft breeze.
Stanza - 2 :
• The poet describes how beautiful they looked. He compares them with the continuous
movement of stars that shine and twinkle in the night.
• There were thousands of daffodils stretching along the margin of a bay. It seemed as if
they were moving their heads in a lively dance.
Stanza - 3 :
• The waves of tile bay were dancing but the daffodils superseded them happily.
• He feels that a poet is bound to be happy in their happiness. He went on staring at them
but did not realize what wealth the scene would bring him.
Stanza - 4 :
• The scene had impressed and captivated him in a way that even when he rested on his
bed, they danced before his inward eye.
• The poet feels that the beautiful scene filled with the joy of daffodils is the bliss of
solitude.
LITERARY DEVICES
i. Lyric
This poem is a lyric. Lyric is derived from the word lyre. It means the poem is meant to
be sung to the accompaniment of the lyre. Lyrics have been written on nature, happiness,
love, grief and loss.
ii. Rhyme
The poem is composed of four stanzas. The rhyming pattern followed here is that the
first line rhymes with the third, and the second with fourth and the fifth with sixth.
iii. Imagery
Wordsworth has presented natural scenery which is calm and yet full of joy. He has used
a series of images of lakes, fields, trees, stars and clouds. Use of colors associated with
the objects of nature is there. It begins with pessimism 'lonely as a cloud' and ends with
optimism 'dances with the daffodils'.
iv. Alliteration
For Example:
Beside the lake, beneath the trees.
v. Personification
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance
Here the poet imagines the daffodils tossing and dancing like human beings.
vi. Simile
The poet compares himself to a cloud.
'"I wandered lonely as a cloud". .
vii. Hyperbole
For the sake of emphasis ideas are exaggerated and that is hyperbole.
For example:
"Ten thousand saw I at a glance"
WORD MEANINGS
• Wandered - walked slowly
• Float - to move slowly on water or in the air
• Vale - valley
• Fluttering - moving with quick light movements
• Tossing - moving suddenly one's head upwards
• Sprightly - full of life and energy
• Out did - surpassed
• Jocund - cheerful
• Glee - a strong feeling of happiness.
• Gazed - looked steadily at someone or something
• Oft - often
• Pensive - quiet or thoughtful.
• Bliss - complete happiness
• Solitude - being alone by choice

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POEM 6

THE POEM IN DETAIL

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