Daffodils Poem summary and analysis by William Wordsworth 

Daffodils Poem theme

The theme of “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth revolves around the beauty of nature and how it uplifts the human spirit. The poet describes the way a simple, serene experience of a field of daffodils by a lake can make one happy and calm in one’s mind. The poem illustrates the power of nature as a means of comfort and inspiration that allows people to escape into the realm of tranquility.

Daffodils Poem Summary

William Wordsworth’s “Daffodil” a poem also known as “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” can be described as a reflection of the beautiful nature and the way it influences the poet’s mind. Wordsworth starts his poem with describing how his inner world contrasts with the real world. He takes his walk in the countryside, being lonely and depressed. The poet compares himself to a cloud, implying that he was floating above the real world rather than being a part of it. It was a gloomy time when nature cheered the poet up. Though endless, daffodils are still described in details: the flowers were fluttering in the wind and dancing. They could be compared to the stars due to the same number and the way they filled the whole landscape.

Daffodils had just outdone the lake, and it could be stated that the waves of the river were not able to compete with the joyful dance of such beautiful flowers. The sight of daffodils improved the poet’s mood and caused happiness. The description was vivid, and the sight was bright and instantaneous. The poet perceived the sight as an extremely beautiful one, and his heart felt very proud just watching the flowers. The sight was magnificent, but the poet did not understand at that time how powerful the memory of it could be.

The last stanza of the poem reveals that one should never underestimate the power of nature as it can change everything. Truly, “a poet could not be but gay”. Wordsworth explains that even when the daffodils are absent, he can always recall the dance of the flowers and be happy. Florence Wong also adds that the poet’s “inward eye” means that he will always remember the sight. However he described the sight, his heart would always feel gay. The heart makes the poet feel as though he were dancing with the daffodils again.

Daffodils poem conclusion

In his poem “Daffodils,” William Wordsworth expresses the meaning of the harmony between nature and the human soul. The daffodils have been the source of happiness and mental comfort for the speaker, and the image of them has always been alive in his mind. The poetry piece conveys the message that any short moment in nature can have a strong influence on people’s emotions and play important part in lives, as the memory of the dancing daffodils filled the speaker with joy and peace.

Daffodils Poem Literary devices

Stanza -1

*Wordsworth ses a simile “as a crowd” to describe how the poet was wandering. It gives us an impression of a free and careless move when we are not concentrated on something. You may also imagine that the poet was somewhere in the sky above the Earth while wandering.

The author creates the images of “golden daffodils” that “flutter and dance.” Imagery is very important in this stanza, as it helps to depict the vivid picture of the flowers. You can almost see a great number of nice, bright daffodils swinging swiftly and inviting to join them.*

Stanza-2

Hyperbole: Wordsworth exaggerates the number of daffodils. He says “continuous as the stars that shine.” In the following part of the sentence, the third line of the first stanza, this is emphasized by the simile “crowd.” In this way, the author discovered the feeling of infinity and amazing at the same time. Its innumerable nature suggests that the number of dancing daffodils was vast beyond imagination.

Simile: The ethereal beauty and the endless, dazzling nature of the daffodils are thus enhanced in the eyes of the poet, as it is likened to stars.

Alliteration: The repeated consonant sounds *,* as in “ten thousand saw I at a glance”, provide a rhythmic scheme to the poem enhancing its music.

Stanza – 3

Metaphor: “a poet could not but be gay” acts as a metaphor for the power of nature to elevate one’s spirits. It is implied that even a person who would be sad cannot be very sad when something so beautiful awakens within them a spirit of happiness.

Personification: The daffodils are described as “dancing”, with this phenomenon deepening their association with the feelings of the speaker, as if they are dancing to his mood.

Stanza 4:

Metaphor: “The inward eye” is used as a metaphor to connote the memory of the poet, an indicator of how much of an impact the daffodils had had on his imagination.

Personification: Gods describe the heart as “dancing with the daffodils”, enhancing the personal connection between the poet and nature.

Imagery: Through words, the reader can picture in their mind the calm and joyful scene of the daffodils, therefore, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud mean” brings about a sense of peace to the reader’s mind.

 

Build up english literature knowledage our amazing analysis Read More

Leave a Comment