Phan Thị Hòa The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth. The romantic era, often called the age of revolutions and not just the social and economic revolutions but also a literary revolution, the age of the romantic poet. The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth was written in 1805, during the first generation of romantic poets, like many of his other poems, it expresses the benefits of work, solitude and being close to nature and the countryside. Wordsworth wrote many of his poems in the language of the everyday man, he was a revolutionary and believed in the power of the people. The Solitary Reaper illustrates the beauty and importance of music found in nature and the solitude of the countryside. This poem of idyllic setting is a wonderful note of appreciation and at the same time a deep feeling of unknown emotions for an unknown song by a reaper at solitude of the countryside. In the first stanza the speaker comes across a beautiful girl working alone in the fields of Scotland -the Highland. She is "Reaping and singing by herself." He tells the reader not to interrupt her, and then mentions that the valley is full of song. 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. In the first stanza the scene is set of the rustic highland countryside in Great Britain, illustrating the importance of solitude and song. Nature is characterized as simple and peaceful in contrast with the harsh and black industrialised London of his time. “Reaping and Singing by herself” symbolic of the solitude encountered in the countryside and the cheerful mood of a rural area, that Wordsworth believed was very important and benefited the everyday man. Solitude and peace were often hard to find in the London of his time and even revel lent to today’s modern worker day world. Wordsworth did believe though that there was no place greater than England. The second stanza is a list of things that cannot equal the beauty of the girl's singing: 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. The second stanza offers comparisons between far off tropical places and the countryside of England. The speaker compared two tropical birds to the beautiful singing of the simple rustic girl, a nightingale and a cuckoo. The speaker says that the sound is more welcome than any chant of the nightingale to weary travellers in the desert, and that the cuckoo-bird in spring never sang with a voice so thrilling. Concluding that tropical places are nothing when compared with the simplicity and solitude found in the countryside .Where music and expressive beauty are at its best in the solitude and peace only found in the countryside. Wordsworth uses two images "word pictures" to describe how refreshing and reinvigorating it was to listen to the melodious song of "the solitary reaper." Firstly, A group of exhausted travelers when crossing the scorching hot Arabian desert arrive at a nearby oasis to refresh themselves. As soon as they enter this cool and shady retreat, they first hear the melodious song of the nightingale and immediately they feel revitalized. The tuneful and pleasant song of the bird drives away all their feelings of exhaustion. Similarly, Wordsworth remarks that he was also revitalized when he heard the "melancholy strain" of 'the solitary reaper.' Secondly, In England during the bitterly cold winter season all the birds migrate to warmer countries in the tropics. They return to England at the beginning of the spring season which marks the end of winter. Traditionally, it is the cuckoo which first returns to England in spring and as soon as the people hear the melodious sound of the cuckoo bird they are thrilled and delighted because they know that the harsh winter season has ended. The Hebrides are a group of small islands in the remote North West coast of Scotland. The winter season in the "farthest Hebrides" was always extremely harsh and the sound of the cuckoo bird signaling the end of winter was specially significant. In the same manner, the song of the solitary reaper was special to Wordsworth. In this poem, Wordsworth uses a few literary devices to express his description so the readers could imagine themselves listening to the soothing voice of the Scottish reaper. These include hyperboles, the use of rhetorical questions and metaphors. The use of hyperboles is seen in this sentence 'Breaking the silence of the seas, among the farthest Hebrides.' It describes the voice of the reaper as one that is so loud, that it was heard miles away from where it originally began. The use of metaphors were seen when the poet compares the voice of the reaper to other beautiful voices, such as those of a 'Cuckoo-bird in the spring-time' and the voice of a 'nightingale'. The metaphor of the Nightingale at once points to her commonness and exclusiveness. It also underlines the power and purity of the voice of the lass that rouses the poet from his reverie. Like some soothing balm to weary travelers, they act as shade to wanderers overcome with fatigue traversing the deserts. The voice was hitherto the most thrilling one he had heard. The voice of the cuckoo-bird in the spring-time, pales in comparison. Its pervading presence breaks the silence of the seas among the farthest of the Hebrides. 'Hebrides' refers to the North-Western coast of Scotland where reeds are abundant. Rhetorical questions were seen used to show emphasis or to allow the poet to ask question that gives ideas about what she singing about, since he does not understand the language. However they can feel the emotion by the tone 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? In the third stanza the poet is impatient and speculates about the content of what the maiden sings, whether it be of sad unhappy things or of humbler more simple things. “For old, unhappy, far of things and battles long ago” the poet is wondering whether it is a sadder song, of the bad times gone and also the hard times facing London during the romantic era time with the industrial revolution, the blackening of the capital .Or the poet wonders whether the maiden sings of happy simpler times “or is it some more humble lay, familiar matter of today’ which ties in with the theme the simpler peaceful times in the solitude of the country. 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. The final stanza the poet wonders of the effect of the song on him and any other passengers by. The beautiful rustic song the maiden sings stays in his mind and heart long after he travelled up the hill and could no longer hear it. “The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more” which in addition to the theme of solitude and beauty in music adds an idea of the familiar theme of memory, and the soothing effect of beautiful memories on human thoughts and feelings. Wordsworth firmly believed in music and the peace and quiet found in the country. The poem is written in the first person and can be classified as a pastoral, or a literary work describing a scene from country life. The eyewitness narration conveys the immediacy of personal experience, giving the reader the impression that the poet did not merely imagine the scene but actually lived it. This is an important experience for the speaker because it is transformative. It is transcendent; it changes the observer, and it changes the scene. It is in many ways a classic example of a moment of Romantic artistic inspiration. The speaker has to have seen workers before, but something in that one moment freezes him, making him call out “ Behold her, single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass!" The isolation of the girl makes the speaker realize his own isolation. Her song makes him realize how art (music) transforms daily labor; he does the same by capturing the girl in a poem. Finally, the memory is timeless, even though the girl, the moment, the song, and the experience are all ephemeral, trapped in time and soon passing. He's living a paradox. The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth illustrates the beautiful music encountered in the solitude of the countryside. This poem praises the beauty of music and its fluid expressive beauty; the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings that Wordsworth identified at the heart of is poetry. Wordsworth felt that the countryside was a symbol of beauty and that the everyday, common man should venture back to the countryside, the roots of man. First, a short summary of each stanza is provided. Additional line by line explanation is along with some of the poetic devices used is given at the end. Please note that stanzas 1 and 3 of the poem have been composed in the present tense while stanzas 2 and 4 are composed in the past tense. The summaries of the first and third stanzas are in the present tense while those of the second and fourth stanzas are in the past tense. Stanza 1 The poet, William Wordsworth, introduces us to the subject of the poem, the solitary reaper. She is standing alone in the field, reaping and singing. She sings a morose, gloomy song while she cuts and binds the sheaves of grain. It seems to the poet as if the surrounding valley is brimming over with the song of the reaper. Stanza 2 According to the poet, the reaper’s song surpassed, in its beauty, the sweet notes of the nightingale that welcomed tired groups of travelers into an oasis in an Arabian desert. The voice of the harvester was more breathtaking than that of the cuckoo singing in spring in the Hebrides islands. Stanza 3 The poet, however, does not understand the words of the reaper's song. He starts to speculate on the subject of the song. He thinks that perhaps it is about an ancient incident which occurred in a distant land or a battle which may have taken place years ago. He further wonders, whether the song has something to do with the day to day life of the solitary reaper. He thinks that she might be singing about grief and sadness which has occurred and might return. Stanza 4 To the poet, it seemed that the song of the solitary reaper would not end. She sang as she worked, bending over her sickle. For a long time the poet listened to the song, enchanted and transfixed. As he moved up the hill, he continued to carry the music in his heart even after he could no longer hear it. Additional line by line explanation along with identification of some of the poetic devices and figures of speech used. In lines 1 and 2, the poet, William Wordsworth has introduced us to the solitary reaper. He has added a dramatic touch with the use of the words, ‘Behold her’. He has further pointed out that the solitary reaper was standing alone in the field. ‘Yon’ is short for ‘yonder’, a word used in old English which means ‘there’. He has referred to the reaper as a ‘Highland Lass’. Here, ‘highland’ refers to the Scottish Highlands, and ‘lass’ is a Scottish term for a girl or a young woman. In line 3, he has told us that the young woman was reaping the corn and singing. There is an element of internal rhyming (‘reaping’ and ‘singing’). In line 4, Wordsworth has addressed the reader. He has stated that the moment was such that one could either stand still and experience the song of the solitary reaper, or gently pass by without a sound. In line 5 and 6, the poet has stated that she cut and bound the grain by herself as she sang a sad and sorrowful tune. In lines 7 and 8, the poet has beckoned us to listen to the song of the solitary reaper. It seemed to the poet that the entire deep valley was overflowing with the solitary reaper’s song. The poet has also used alliteration (‘sings’ and ‘strain’, line 8). In lines 9-12, William Wordsworth has transported the reader to the Arabian Desert. Here, ‘shady haunt’ refers to an oasis in the desert. Bands of travelers, exhausted and drained from traveling over the desert, would be welcomed into the oasis by the pleasant notes of a nightingale’s song. The poet has stated, that the song of the solitary reaper was so beautiful, that it surpassed the song of the nightingale. Several examples of alliteration can be seen here: ‘No’ and ‘nightingale’ (line 9), ‘welcome’ and ‘weary’ (line 10), ‘some’ and ‘shady’ (line 11), ‘among’ and ‘Arabian’ (line 12). In the lines 13 to 16, the poet has talked about the spring song of the cuckoo bird. The Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland. In the spring, the cuckoo birds in these islands break into beautiful tunes. The cuckoo bird’s tune appears to break the silence and stillness of the surrounding seas. Yet the voice of the young reaper is more thrilling to the poet’s ears that that of the cuckoo bird. The poet has used alliteration (‘silence’ and ‘seas’) In line 17, the poet has wondered aloud whether no one would tell him what the solitary reaper was singing about. The poet was unfamiliar with the language of the reaper’s song and hence he could not understand the meaning of the words. In the next few lines the poet has speculated about the possible subjects of the young woman’s song. In line 18, William Wordsworth has used alliteration (‘perhaps’ and ‘plaintive’). He has conjectured that the song of the reaper may be about sad things that may have occurred a long time ago in some far off place (“old unhappy far off things”, line 19). In line 20, Wordsworth has remarked that the song might also have something to do with a battle in the past. In the next few lines however, the poet has wondered whether the song was about some simple, day to day occurrence in the life of the solitary reaper (lines 21 and 22). The poet has used internal rhyming (‘familiar and ‘matter’, line 22) The poet has further speculated whether the song was about some naturally occurring “sorrow, loss or pain” that has been there in the past and may return in the future (lines 23 and 24). Regardless of what the song’s theme may have been, it seemed to Wordsworth that the solitary reaper's song did not have an ending (lines 25 and 26). The poet continued to observe the solitary reaper bending over her sickle and singing at her work (lines 27-28). The poet has used alliteration in line 27 (‘saw’ and ‘singing’). In line 29, the poet has remarked that as he listened to the reaper’s song he was completely transfixed by it. In the last three lines 30, 31 and 32, the poet has stated that as he slowly walked up the hill, the music of the solitary reaper’s song continued to be in his heart long after it could not be heard anymore. In line 31, there has been use of alliteration (‘music’ and ‘my’). William Wordsmith's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" or "Daffodils": Analysis A BESTWORD ANALYSIS As far as there is to mention, there is little of weight or consequence to speak of in the direct analysis of William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, or “Daffodils” as it is popularly referred to today. From introduction to conclusion, William Wordsworth cleanly describes the act of watching a patch of country daffodils swaying in the breeze and the lasting effect this pleasant image has on his quiet moments of reverie thereafter. But, perhaps in this simple four stanza poem, William Wordsworth has, in writing “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, succeeded in creating one of his greatest works of Romantic poetry by so perfectly actualizing the emotional virtue of Romantic poetry itself. William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850) was a Romantic poet and a major influence in bringing about the 18th centuries’ Romantic Age of Literature. An original poet for many different artistic qualities, his personality and emotional intelligence had made him the perfect forefather for a literary movement that would resound philosophically and poetically to this day. Romanticism, defined by it predisposition towards nature and its deep emotional connection with the feelings of the poet, is what makes William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” such a perfect example of Romantic poetry. Another literary revolution realized by William Wordsworth, for the sake of anyone who wanted to read his works, was his acceptance of all forms of readership and choosing to write in very plain English. His writing was a movement away from those of his peers, who wrote specifically for educated aristocrats and the intellectual elites who were, at this time, the major consumers of poetry. Instead he wrote for the average Englishman. The very fact that William Wordsworth’s “I Wander Lonely as a Cloud” is more popularly known as “Daffodils” is evidence to the poem’s significantly broader circulation and distribution in areas where “Daffodils” readership was less concerned with the formality of the poem and instead appreciated it, quite literally, for the “Daffodils”. I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD Written at Town-end, Grasmere. The Daffodils grew and still grow on the margin of Ullswater and probably may be seen to this day as beautiful in the month of March, nodding their golden heads beside the dancing and foaming waves. – William Wordsworth, 1804 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, 5 Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: 10 Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, 15 In such a jocund company: I gazed - and gazed - but little thought [...]... used .The poet also adds more detail to the way they were dancing by using these two phrases The poet has referred to the waves in the nearby bay (line 13) Personification has been used here by using the term ‘dancing’ with reference to the waves But he has concluded that the waves of the rippling daffodils outshone the waves in the water (line14).Here, ‘they’ refer to the daffodils The waves in the. .. followed by the final line “tossing their heads in sprightly dance” which is a personification The poet relates the motion of the flowers to the tossing of heads and sprightly dance of a person In stanza three, the theme is once again changed from illustrating the amount of daffodils to expressing the mood of the poet the waves beside them danced” in the first line is a personification that compares the. .. location of the daffodils in the photo is identical to the one in the poem which is undoubtedly the main link and is revealed in the first stanza“Beside the lake, beneath the trees.” In conclusion, the obvious intertextual link between the visual text and the poem is the subject matter which is shown through the location and beauty of the daffodils The Gift of the Magi” O Henry The following entry presents... formed by a quatrain, then a couplet, to form a sestet and a ABABCC rhyme scheme.[1] The fourth- and third-last lines were not composed by Wordsworth, but by his wife, Mary Wordsworth considered them the best lines of the whole poem [1][12] Like most works by Wordsworth, it is romantic in nature;[13] the beauty of nature, unkempt by humanity, and a reconciliation of man with his environment, are two of the. .. little money, their gifts come more from the heart and show how much they care about each other Having the story set in a big city impacted the theme of the story Life is more stressful in the city, especially for those who are less fortunate The difference of the setting being in the city rather than a small town, is that the cities often have many people who cannot afford expensive presents The city has... and ‘dancing’) has been used by William Wordsworth He has also described the motion of the daffodils by using the two words He has also used personification by using the word ‘dancing’ thus attributing to the daffodils, a quality which is generally associated with humans In lines 7, 8, 9 the poet has compared the unending line of daffodils to the continuous shinning stars in the Milky Way galaxy In line... scene of the last verse mirrors the readers' situation as they take in the poem:[19] For In They oft, when vacant And or flash Which couch bliss heart I pensive that the my my in upon is then on inward of with pleasure lie mood, eye solitude; fills, And dances with the daffodils Like the maiden's song in "The Solitary Reaper, " the memory of the daffodils is etched in the speaker's mind and soul to be... sell her beautiful hair The descriptions of the environs and the couple's clothing also underscore the indigence of the characters in the story As O Henry was categorized as a realist, The Gift of the Magi” has been perceived as an authentic, anecdotal look at lower-class American life near the turn of the century The story is also thought to exemplify the author's interest in the elements of surprise... statement seems a natural commentary on the uselessness of the gifts since their intended purpose has been ironically removed However, Jim’s remark, is also a comment on the value of the gifts They are too nice not only because of the money they represent but also because of the sacrificial love they represent Self-sacrifice in the name of love is the wisest gift The Gift of the Magi Special allowance for a... time, turns out to be the fundamental detail for the plot Love plays the simple motivation for creating the intrigue O Henry's pervasive tendency to lay bare the construction of the story and subject the plot to a parody play, the unexpectedness of his ending acquires a special meaning in The Gift of the Magi By itself, the surprise effect is a common feature of both the novel and the short story In O . paradox. The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth illustrates the beautiful music encountered in the solitude of the countryside. This poem praises the beauty. of the second and fourth stanzas are in the past tense. Stanza 1 The poet, William Wordsworth, introduces us to the subject of the poem, the solitary reaper.