The Solitary Reaper

1887 Words4 Pages

William Wordsworth’s poem “The Solitary Reaper” has a symbolic recollection of seeing a woman reaping and singing in the Scotland Highlands. He uses four stanzas of eight lines and innate rhyme scheme to perceive the speakers experience. The orator utilizes sophisticated allusions to personify the aftermath of the Highland lass on his lonely heart. In addition, he dictates his reminiscence through the application of multiple detailed literary techniques. Through his experience or inexperience of the situation he uses nature to symbolize the deeper meaning of the poem. Finally through his eyes Wordsworth might have been suggesting the stanzas be compared to life and the mysteries in the human condition. Multiple interpretations have been made based on who the audience believes the speaker to be. Based on the background of what was going on in Scotland we can go either way with the argument.

William was a kin to Dorothy Wordsworth and four other siblings yet he and Dorothy were the closest. Dorothy was a poet and diarist, she was known for starting a poetry tour in Scotland the year of 1803 (“Harold”). William was said to be on the tour with his sister and their good friend Samuel Coleridge ("Recollections”). Most of the places they had gone to on their carriage ride were not accessible therefore, they had to walk. The Scottish expedition that they went on was also known as the romantic Counterpart ("Recollections”). Dorothy was one of the main writers of the romantic expedition along with Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. Yet, you can argue that William wrote this from his perspective and not from the writings of another.

Multiple different interpretations exist of the poem about who is the keynote of the poem. Some say Wordswo...

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...onder what is the content of life?

Works Cited

Ashraf005, . "The Solitary Reaper." shvoong. shvoong, 11 29 2008 . Web. 23 Feb 2012.

"Cukoo, Nightingale, Lark, Woodpecer and other musical birds in Folklore." socyberty. socyberty, 2012. Web. 27 Feb 2012.

“Explanation of: ‘The Solitary Reaper’ by William Wordsworth.”LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2000. LitFinder. Web. 22. 22Feb2012.

Harold , Bloom. "William Wordsworth ." Trans. Harold Bloom The scene of Instruction "Tintern Abbey". . updated. New York: Chelsea House publishers, 2007. 42-44. Print.

"Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland 1803." undiscoveredscotland. Undiscovered Scotland, 2000. Web. 23 Feb 2012.

""The Solitary Reaper" ." enotes. enotes, 2012. Web. 24 Feb 2012.

“William Wordsworth.” LitFinder Conteporary Collection. Detroit: Gale,2007. LitFinder. Web. 22Feb. 2012.

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