Analysis Of I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud By William Wordsworth

1487 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Wordsworth intimation

Differing Interpretations of Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” has had favor with many audiences due to its cheery nature and simple writing style. The poem opens on the poet “wandering” or “float[ing]” over valleys and hills when he suddenly happens upon a cluster of daffodils. The field of daffodils seems never-ending and stretches around the bay of a lake. The flowers sway in the breeze and, although the lake is pretty, they are more beautiful. This sight fills the poet with joy and he takes in the beauty around him without even realizing the effect that the beauty of the daffodils is having on him. Now whenever he finds himself lonely or sad, the poet thinks of the magnificence
The poem was ridiculed as plain and lacking in depth. Although Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is written in a basic rhyming couplet, the depth of the poem can be interpreted differently through hidden meanings, the location of the audience, and analysis of the individual stanzas of the poem. Wordsworth is know for his simple and straightforward writing style. It is fairly easy to read and understand “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”. However when looking at the individual words that Wordsworth chose, a hidden depth is revealed. For example, in the first stanza the word “host” appears. This word does not stand out as a large literary metaphor but the word’s multiple meanings adds an entire new level of understanding to the poem. The most prominent meaning of the word, host as “a large number of items” is obvious. Wordsworth explains that he saw ten thousand flowers in a single glance and as he
“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” emphasizes that it is important to appreciate the beauty in small moments throughout life, as those moments will be the ones that make life worth living in the long run. Those memories are the one that will cure loneliness, strife, and depression and it is important to cherish them. Location, personal experiences, other interpretations of words in the poem, and delving into the actual body of the poem can all change the way an audience views “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” but the overlying theme stays constant. This poem is a shining example of how life isn 't about the destination, but is instead about the journey. The poet wanders without a destination in mind and, during his journey, he happens upon a beautiful scene which he recalls in later years for comfort. The message of this poem is an important one and no matter what variation of the poem is read, the meaning is still portrayed prominently. Life is made of moments, so cherish the beauty of those precious moments. Too many people rush through their daily lives without lifting their eyes from the pavement they are walking on. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is a blatant reminder to slow down and appreciate the life that is give as there is no telling how much is remaining. Each day, each beautiful moment is a gift and Wordsworth calls to audiences everywhere to notice and appreciate the beautiful

Show More
Related

  • Calypso Borealis By Muir And I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wordsworth uses figurative language when he says, “I wandered lonely as a cloud “ He started with a nostalgic diction used the word “lonely” with a negative connotation of being alone, “cloud” floating by himself. Then he shifted to joyful diction as he notices a field of daffodils, “ When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils;” Wordsworth is able to get out of his somber mood when he saw "golden daffodils," because he appreciates the beauty in nature . Equally, he illustrates in detail images of the daffodils, “And twinkle on the milky way,” “Fluttering and dancing in the breeze” , "Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance." William Wordsworth is saying that the field full of flowers looks more like a sky filled with starts , when he writes that they were “tossing their heads “gives us the feeling of people dancing at a party . As a result, I can imagine the daffodils blowing in the wind, he helped me to create and impressive image of the daffodils; this is so far my favorite imagery of his

    Read More

  • John Muir And I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    The encounter with the flower had so impressed Muir that he wrote a letter about it to his university professor, Professor J. D. Butler. He mentions that the calypso meeting happened forty five years ago and yet he vividly remembers the meeting and is able to describe it in detail. He mentions that it was one of his most unforgettable and inspiring meetings in his life with anybody or anything. Wordsworth reminisces in the last stanza of his poem that frequently when he is lying on his couch feeling bored or sad he reflects upon the vision of the daffodils and that makes him happy again. He uses the expression “in vacant or in pensive mood” using the word vacant rather than ‘empty’, implying that he has room in his mind for thought, as opposed to having nothing in his mind at

    Read More

  • Comparing two poems - Binsey Poplar by Hopkins and I wandered lonely

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem also comes across as carefree which can be seen by the description of the jubilant mood the author is in: 'on my couch I lie in a vacant or in pensive mood' Wordsworth writes that he 'lies' on his couch it immediately shows the calm and peaceful state he is in. There is then confirmation on his carefree state of mind when he describes himself in a 'vacant or ... ... middle of paper ... ... rates the number of plants as well as the fact that the daffodils are 'stretched in never-ending line' The 'Binsey Poplars' poem contains a lot of anger and rage, this reflects on the author, Hopkins.

    Read More

  • Friendship in Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    Despite his position, Wordsworth can hear the “soft island murmur” of the mountain springs. As “five long winters” suggests, Wordsworth is cold and dreary—London, we must remember, is a bitter place. He longs for the islands: the sand, sun, and warm waters that those murmurs suggest. The coldness of winter could be brought about by Rebecca’s distance from her brother; they had been, at the time of the poem’s writing, separate for five long years. But he can hear reconciliation coming just at the edge of hearing: he can spot the horizon of friendship. But no sooner does friendship appear in the poem than it is thwarted by these lines:

    Read More

  • Acquainted With The Night Analysis Essay

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Its deserted streets are a potent symbol of man and nature 's indifference to the individual. The insistence of the narrator on his own self-identity is in part an act of defiance against a constructed, industrial world that has no place for him in its order” (Bolton). As the poem continues on, the narrator becomes aware of his own consciousness as he comes faces nature and society during his walk. He embraces nature with the rain, dark and moon but he also reinforces his alienation from society as he ignores the watchman and receives no hope of cries for him. The societal ignorance enforces our belief that he is lonely on this gloomy night. “When he passes a night watchman, another walker in the city with whom the speaker might presumably have some bond, he confesses, ‘I… dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.’ Likewise, when he hears a voice in the distance, he stops in his tracks--only to realize that the voice is not meant "to call me back or say goodbye" (Bolton). The two times he had a chance to interact with the community, either he showed no interest in speaking or the cry wasn’t meant for him. These two interactions emphasize his loneliness with the

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Percy Shelley And The Sublime/Beautiful

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Wordsworth is easily understood as a main author whom expresses the element of nature within his work. Wordsworth’s writings unravel the combination of the creation of beauty and sublime within the minds of man, as well as the receiver through naturalism. Wordsworth is known to be self-conscious of his immediate surroundings in the natural world, and to create his experience with it through imagination. It is common to point out Wordsworth speaking with, to, and for nature. Wordsworth had a strong sense of passion of finding ourselves as the individuals that we truly are through nature. Three poems which best agree with Wordsworth’s fascination with nature are: I Wandered as a Lonely Cloud, My Heart leaps up, and Composed upon Westminster Bridge. In I Wandered as a Lonely Cloud, Wordsworth claims that he would rather die than be without nature, because life isn’t life without it, and would be without the true happiness and pleasure nature brings to man. “So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Analysis of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud – An Analysis    I chose the poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth because I like the imagery in it of dancing daffodils. Upon closer examination, I realized that most of this imagery is created by the many metaphors and similes Wordsworth uses. In the first line, Wordsworth says "I wandered lonely like a cloud. " This is a simile comparing the wonder of a man to a cloud drifting through the sky. I suppose the wandering cloud is lonely because there is nothing up there that high in the sky besides it.

    Read More

  • Dorothy & William Wordsworth Analysis

    1832 Words  | 4 Pages

    ‘It is often suggested that the source for many of William Wordsworth’s poems lies in the pages of Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal. Quite frequently, Dorothy describes an incident in her journal, and William writes a poem about the same incident, often around two years later.’ It is a common observation that whilst Dorothy is a recorder – ‘her face was excessively brown’ – William is a transformer – ‘Her skin was of Egyptian brown’ . The intertextuality between The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals and ‘I wandered lonely as a Cloud’ allows both Dorothy and William to write about the same event, being equally as descriptive, but in very differing ways. Dorothy writes in a realist ‘log-book’ like style, whereas William writes in a romantic ballad style. This can be very misleading, as it gives William’s work more emotional attachment even though his work is drawn upon Dorothy’s diary, which in its turn is very detached, including little personal revelation. When read in conjunction with William’s poetry, Dorothy’s journal seems to be a set of notes written especially for him by her. In fact, from the very beginning of the journals Dorothy has made it quite clear that she was writing them for William’s ‘pleasure’ . This ties in with many of the diary entries in which she has described taking care of William in a physical sense. In a way this depicts the manner in which William uses his sister’s journal to acquire the subject of his poetry, which makes it seem as though Dorothy is his inspiration.

    Read More

  • I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” William Wordsworth accomplishes his ideal of nature by using personification, alliteration, and simile within his poem to convey to the reader how nature’s beauty uplifts his spirits and takes him away from his boring daily routine. Wordsworth relates himself in solidarity to that of a cloud wandering alone, “I wandered lonely as a cloud” (line 1). Comparing the cloud and himself to that of a lonely human in low spirits of isolation, simultaneously the author compares the daffodils he comes across as he “floats on high o’er vales and hills” (line 2) to that of a crowd of people dancing (lines 3-6 and again in 12). Watching and admiring the dancing daffodils as he floats on by relating them to various beauties of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the poem “I Wandered lonely as a cloud,” by William Wordsworth reflects on the importance of a happy memory. William Wordsworth was inspired by his love for nature and by an event occurred with his sister during their vacation. This poem is about a lonely man who love flowers especially Daffodils, find himself imagining those beautiful, bright and golden Daffodils whenever he is sad and alone. Memorable moments are often a way to escape the problems of daily life because sometimes we just need to drop our problems and relax. We need something to concentrate on so that we can relax and this vision is exactly the type of relaxing method a lonely and sad person needs, just as the poet did in his in this poem.

    Read More

  • Wordsworth’s Romantic Style Present in Tintern Abbey

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    His poem recognizes the ordinary and turns it into a spectacular recollection, whose ordinary characteristics are his principal models for Nature. As Geoffrey H. Hartman notes in his “Wordsworth’s poetry 1787-1814”, “Anything in nature stirs [Wordsworth] and renews in turn his sense of nature” (Hartman 29). “The Poetry of William Wordsworth” recalls a quote from the Prelude to Wordsworth’s 1802 edition of Lyrical ballads where they said “[he] believed his fellow poets should "choose incidents and situations from common life and to relate or describe them.in a selection of language really used by men” (Poetry). In the shallowest sense, Wordsworth is using his view of the Tintern Abbey as a platform or recollection, however, this ordinary act of recollection stirs within him a deeper understanding.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud By William Wordsworth

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the poem, the poet presents an overall meaning. The main meaning is that nature can bring happiness when it’s needed and that its beauty should be appreciated. The speaker of this poem makes a heaven out of a windy day and a bunch of daffodils. When he felt lonely, the daffodils around him, gave him a boost of joy. The poet is implying that people have become blind to the beauty of nature that is easily accessed, which is why he focused on the visual descriptions of the daffodils. Wordsworth wanted to emphasize the importance of

    Read More

  • A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal, by William Wordsworth

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the latter part of the romantic period, Wordsworth, as a part of his lyrical ballads, wrote “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal.” Although not initially intended, the poem eventually became part of a series labeled as the “Lucy Poems.” The five poems, in some way or another, address loss, separation, and their connection to nature. Recent analyses have yielded interesting results in interpreting the poem. Because of the ambiguity present within the lines, varying interpretations have emerged.

    Read More

  • Nature in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth is about the poet’s mental journey in nature where he remembers the daffodils that give him joy when he is lonely and bored. The poet is overwhelmed by nature’s beauty where he thought of it while lying alone on his couch. The poem shows the relationship between nature and the poet, and how nature’s motion and beauty influences the poet’s feelings and behaviors for the good. Moreover, the process that the speaker goes through is recollected that shows that he isolated from society, and is mentally in nature while he is physically lying on his couch. Therefore, William Wordsworth uses figurative language and syntax and form throughout the poem to express to the readers the peace and beauty of nature, and to symbolize the adventures that occurred in his mental journey.

    Read More

  • The Role of Nature in the poetry of William Wordsworth

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the poem progresses, the speaker’s attitude changes in (line 26), where he tells us that his mood is lowered. It is here that the speaker presents himself as “a happy child of earth” in (line 31); as once again Wordsworth... ... middle of paper ... ... / Of the unfinished sheepfold may be seen / Besides the boisterous brook of Greenhead Ghyll,” showing the growth of human beings in relative notion to nature.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud By William Wordsworth

Open Document