"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
by William Wordsworth
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.
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.
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:
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.
I thought that this was a very beautiful poem and it was a very beautiful poem and it created such a pretty image of nature in my mind. I felt like this would be a really good bedtime poem to read to a child before they go to sleep because it is so soothing and peaceful to think about daffodils, waves and clouds. I like that this poem rhymes too because it makes it flow so nicely. This sounds weird but the way that the poem rhymes kind of reminds me of water flowing perfectly down a waterfall. I liked the descriptions of the daffodils too and it reminded me of little dancing fairies or some twinkling stars. I also really like the quote, “What wealth the show to me had brought” because the poet is enjoying the beautiful view and I feel like I would think the same thing if I saw such a vast field of daffodils from the viewpoint of a cloud. This poem also reminds me of spring and summer which makes me kind of sad that we are going into the colder months of the year.
ReplyDeleteI prefer solitude to being in a group of people. For me, being around others for an extended amount of time is draining and requires a lot of my own social reservoir. I especially enjoy going on walks by myself, and being able to observe things without other people. Being able to take this all in without outside influence helps me to note many more things about my surroundings, and in a much happier way. Without anyone around, it's impossible to "not but be gay", since there is so much company than first appears. "As lonely as a cloud" does not mean that the cloud is sad or upset, it is floating freely and as it pleases. Loneliness isn't always synonymous with unhappiness.
ReplyDeleteThe poem made me feel easy and peaceful, especially in the midst of the college process. There is a rhyme scheme throughout the verse that makes the words flow nice and harmoniously when reading it. I loved how Wordsworth used different words that I usually wouldn't think as peaceful to help support the poem- like the words 'lonely' and 'never-ending', it could only be me, but they make me feel mellow, but this poem gives them a completely different meaning. Wordsworth completely redefines loneliness as a way to admire the atmosphere and be happy in your own world, like how he added the thought of happy daffodils to our minds. I feel like I can imagine this poem from a cloud-like perspective because of how its written and all of the imagery used.
ReplyDeleteThe rhyme scheme made this very pleasurable to read. It also utilized imagery very well, especially in the first three stanzas; I could easily picture the beautiful scene that the poem was describing. The first stanza starts off with a simile that sets the tone for the rest of the poem, "I wandered lonely as a cloud", which, to me, gave me vibes that were more peaceful than sad. Another device that was used was personification ("Tossing their heads in sprightly dance", "And dances with the daffodils").
ReplyDeleteWhat I find striking about this poem is how it portrays solitude as a positive state of mind. Instead of feeling somber in the face of solitude, the poet is overjoyed, for he observes the surroundings with glee as he sees "a host, of golden daffodils." Towards the end of the piece, when the visions of clear lakes, milky-way stars, and dancing flora seem to fade, he revels in, "the bliss of solitude", and enjoys his artistic time alone immensely, showing that solitude can be far more fulfilling than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is describing an out of body experience to me. It feels as if the POV is constantly shifting, while the narrator is staying in the same space. It is almost as if the narrator is describing the world from POVs that are not his own. This creates a scene of peacefulness that calms the reader. The constant personification of the objects in nature also gives the poem a more relatable feel. By saying a "crowd of daffodils" the poet is able to create a connection between himself and the daffodils, and hereby extend this relationship to the reader. However, in each description of himself, the narrator is able to show the contrast between himself and nature. Nature is always plentiful in this poem, while the narrator has only his thoughts for company. This drew me in because it is a scene of serenity that I often seek for yet struggle to achieve. Nowadays life is extremely busy, and this poem shows the contrast between the ultra busy world we live in today and the peaceful world of nature.
ReplyDeleteFo this poem I really like the rhyme scheme because I think that it ties the whole poem together. By rhyming the poem it sets a scene in which readers can connect with. The first stanza as a whole does this very well because I picture a nice day in a park when all this is happening where you can feel the breeze and see the white fluffy clouds. The author also has great imagery because he really makes it so you can see the scene in each stanza and get the full effect that each stanza has. He also uses other literary devices such as metaphor and personification the make the scene. Tossing their heads in sprightly dance (12) where I can picture and see there heads dancing around which is the point the author is getting too. The author uses a metaphor right off the bat to show the openmindedness of the narrator who is just walking through the park or the field just focusing on nature and getting lost because it is a perfect day.
ReplyDeleteI liked this poem and especially liked the metaphor of "wander[ing] lonely as a cloud". I think the reference is really interesting because people do not often take a moment and look at the clouds and focus on where they are going. Instead, we often look at the clouds and see them strictly as just clouds. Sometimes we'll use their scientific names of cumulus, stratus, or cirrus, but most of the times, if at all, we describe them as big, white, and puffy. The paths of clouds are unknown, they seem to sort of just go where the wind takes them, with no direction in sight. Wordsworth metaphor of clouds to people really painted an image in my mind because I could easily picture a cloud roaming from place to place watching from so far away, above everything else the daily lives of others and being in awe of the simplest things
ReplyDeleteEventhough William Wordsworth is writing about his loneliness, this poem brings me great happiness and a smile to my face as he describes the wondrous feeling of seeing the field of daffodils. When I was reading the first stanza, I was taken back to those times when I am just alone and dont feel at all lonely just in a moment of peace ad tranquility as I am left with my thoughts which is what I imagine Wordsworht is describing. This not only brought me back to one of those times but I imagined myself as a child in a car with the window down admiring the clouds and scenery while imagining what shapes the clouds could be. The rhyme scheme and simple images that this poem illustrates gives me a sense of tranquiity and joy as he describes the bright yellow daffodils.
ReplyDeleteThe reaction the poet feels is quite exaggerated. While I understand that the point is to convey the feeling given by the flowers, I can't really connect with the level of feeling described. It does, however, paint a pretty picture for me. The perspective being described as seemingly aerial pulls me out of it slightly, but it creates the impression of being in the field. The last about daydreaming brings my out to every time I've had a nice recollection while milling about.
ReplyDeleteThe daffodils are compared to a several other aspects of the natural world. They are horses, "tossing their head," the ripples of the ocean, etc. This poem harkens backs to "The Red Wheelbarrow," where an individual feels a sense of serenity in the minimal. There need not be the fiery emotions of Shakespeare or the violence of Arthur Miller, but everything is okay when thoughts turn to daffodils.
ReplyDeleteThis poem also speaks to the subconsciousness, and the feeling that come from wandering down 'memory lane.' What is thought doesn't necessarily have to be a profound thing, as one's mind belongs only to them.
This poem made me profoundly happy. I don’t really want to delve deep into potential messages or themes or ideas it discusses because I’m not sure I would find any very easily. It’s so simple, and it makes you really picture yourself as this lonely but free flowing cloud getting to experience new things as you soar above the earth. I think this is a lot like how people are as they grow up, meaning that we too get to are just drifting through a world that, for the most part, is out of our control. The people we meet and the places we go are just a part of the breeze that is our lives, carrying us everywhere and to everyone as to enrich our personal quality of living. I’ve stated this a lot in my blogs but I think there is a lot of beauty in simplicity, and it takes a great deal of effort to examine and enjoy this beauty when we are so focused on analyzing deeper meanings. I mean heck, I even made it into some sort of metaphor for humans which completely takes away from the artistry laid out by the words and simple statements of the piece.
ReplyDeleteWordsworth has created a serene, happy mood and is able to paint a simple yet extraordinary picture that allows the audience to escape their own business. There is something so powerful in the simplicity of nature and the beauty of being alone in it. We are always looking towards a great moment or goal to make us happy, but there is the opportunity for happiness in everything, even just the solitude of standing in a meadow of daffodils. The scene radiates happiness and fills the audience with contentment as they read it.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is just splendid! The poet uses so many words and symbols that strike the reader in a warm and loving spot. The rhyme scheme is a nice and playful ABABCC for every stanza, which makes this poem easy to read and also quite welcoming to indulge in. The symbols are non stop and very lovely, the stanzas tacks onto the reader with images of golden daffodils, endless stars that shine and a nice summer breeze. How could someone not feel the fuzzies when you read a word like jocund?
ReplyDeleteI found this poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" has a distinct point of view and a slow beat. The writer cleverly used the clouds to describe his feeling as an observer. Instead of feeling lonely and depressed in the face of solitude, he is excited. He deeply enjoyed the "wealth the show to me had brought." Furthermore, the rhyme scheme is patterned with relatively long words to slow down the tempo, just like cloud floating in the sky. It is truly relaxing.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was very calming and enjoyable to read. The poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” is a more “traditional” poem than some others that we have read in that it has an ABABCC rhyme scheme and 6 lines in a stanza. However, listening to it the poem, it reads like a story and the words flow nicely into the next. This poem uses a lot of imagery, which allowed me to create a picture in my head about the scene that the author is describing. My favorite part of the poem is the personification that the author used. He describes the trees as “dancing in the breeze,” the waves “danced,” and at the end of the poem, his heart “dances with the daffodils.” This personification allowed me to really enjoy the poem and it creates a happy picture.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what it is but something about the serenity and comfort of the poem is, to me at least, so depressing. I feel for the poor cloud, wandering in solitude, wishing to be with the jubilant daffodils. I think it wouldn't be as sad if the descriptions of the world which the cloud inhabits were less nice. The fact that outwardly everything is fine, nay, perfect juxtaposes so well with the loneliness of the cloud. I’m not a fan of the way Wordsworth ends the poem. I believe we, as social creatures, need connection and that there is no such thing as bliss in solitude. True solitude drives the otherwise sane crazy, it corrupts the most innocent of individuals. Solitude is not something to be lauded but something to be avoided at all costs, For the field of flowers is not constructed of millions of lonely individuals but is one interconnected society based off of common human needs.
ReplyDeleteI love that the poem sounds very peaceful as you read it. It reminds me of a nice sunny day in the spring or summer. Where all the flowers have bloomed and you're walking through the field. Also, the image very much describes the scene to a tee. Like you can see the lonely cloud among the daffodils, and though it's by itself, it doesn't give off a feeling of sadness or sorrow. You can feel the joy coming from the photo as well as the poem. I also think the rhyme scheme ababcc makes the poem feel childlike. Everything from the poem and the photo creates an image of a child or a person at peace.
ReplyDeleteI very much liked this poem. I thought the imagery was excellent. Listening to this poem you get a vivid picture in your mind of what it describing. There is a peaceful tone to this poem which creates visuals in your head. I liked the rhyme scheme in this poem. The simplicity of the ABABAB rhyme scheme sets the tone for this poem as a relaxed simple thing that is to be enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteFrom the poem, one can infer that the author's attitude shifts after being greeted by "a host, of golden daffodils." After a long day of solitude, the type that makes you feel like you have a lack of company rather than being free of company manifests within the author. The poet takes on a deeper personal meaning when you read the line "a poet could not but be gay, / In such a jocund company." Beauty is most appreciated by those who seek it and want to share it with the world. Those people would usually take on the form of creative minds like writers, artists, and of course, poets. The daffodils and picturesque scenery may resonate with everyone, but they truly bring the author happiness because his inherent nature as a poet gives him the ability to appreciate them. The work does not utilize a rhyme scheme, therefore more attention must be given to the descriptive words and phrases rather than the poem as a whole. The zealous manner in which the poet reacts to the flowers reminds me of the song "I love the mountains."
ReplyDeleteI love how this poem puts me in such a happy mood! It feels so pretty and calm. As I read it, I feel like I am daydreaming because I can so clearly visualize looking down from above at an open field of daffodils. I also like how I can just enjoy it instead of analyzing it. One of my favorite lines are, "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance" just because it feels so light. I think since it is getting colder now, I find joy in reading warm poems like this.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth, the major theme is nature and the involvement of humans in natural beauty. Wordsworth compares his loneliness to that of a single cloud and he compares the endless rows of daffodils to the countless stars in the sky. Throughout the poem, Wordsworth compares that on Earth to that of the sky. His use of various literary devices, gives the poem a serene tone. The simplicity of the poem allows the reader to find peace within themselves, yet at the same time it causes one to really think about the smallest of things. One may begin to think of the way the clouds move aimlessly and allow the wind to blow them where they wish. The pace and literary devices used influence the poem greatly and if Wordsworth did not use these literary devices, it would be hard to imagine that the effect that the poem would have on its readers would be the same as if it were to stay the same.
ReplyDelete- Lizaida Paulino