‘Daffodils’
by William Wordsworth
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Daffodils
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.
William Wordsworth (17701850)
• The poem 'Daffodils’ written by William Wordsworth in
1804.
• William Wordsworth is a well-known romantic poet who
believed in showing simple and creative expressions
through his poems.
• Daffodils is one of the most popular poems of the
Romantic Age, unfolding the poet's excitement, love and
praise for a field blossoming with daffodils.
•
‘Daffodils’
• William Wordsworth wrote Daffodils on
a stormy day in spring, while walking
Ullswater Lake, in England.
• He imagined that the daffodils were
dancing and calling him to join and enjoy
the breezy nature of the fields.
• The poem contains six lines in four
stanzas, as an appreciation of daffodils.
Title: ‘Daffodils’
• The title, ‘Daffodils' is
a simple word that
reminds us about the
arrival of the spring
season, when the field
is full of daffodils.
• A bunch of daffodils
symbolise the joys and
happiness of life.
Theme
• The theme of the poem ‘Daffodils' is a
collection of human emotions inspired by
nature that we may have neglected due
to our busy lives.
• The daffodils suggest rebirth, a new
beginning for human beings, blessed
with the grace of nature.
• The arrival of daffodils in the month of
March is welcome and an enjoyable time
to appreciate them!
Poetic Techniques Used in
Daffodils
• I wander’d lonely as a cloud - The first line
makes nice use of personification and simile.
• The poet believes himself to be a cloud
(simile) floating in the sky.
• When Wordsworth says in the second line 'I'
(poet as a cloud) look down at the valleys and
mountains and appreciate the daffodils; it is
personification, where an inanimate object
(the cloud) possesses the quality of a human
enabling it to see the daffodils.
Poetic Techniques Used in
Daffodils
• The line "Ten thousand saw I at a
glance" is an exaggeration and is
hyperbole, describing the scene of ten
thousand daffodils, all together.
• Alliteration (the repetition of similar
sounds) can be seen with the letter 'h',
in the words - high and hills.
Imagery in ‘Daffodils’
• The poem paints images of lakes, fields, trees
and stars.
• Wordsworth continuously praises the
daffodils, comparing them to the Milky Way
galaxy (in the second stanza), their dance (in
the third stanza) and dreams to join the
daffodils in their dance (in the last stanza).
• The poem uses descriptive language
throughout the stanzas. The poet cannot
resist himself from participating in the dance
of the daffodils. The wording is simple and
musical. Can you think of any examples?