The Rainbow: William Wordsworth
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
Paraphrase: In this poem, 'The Rainbow,' the poet William Wordsworth describes about the
appearance of the rainbow and expresses his desire to pass his days with the great respect for
nature. The poet’s heart becomes full of pleasure when he looks at the rainbow. The
appearance of the rainbow always remains unchanged. When the poet was born, the rainbow
was there. It remains there, when he is young. It will be there, when will grow old or when he
will die. Like the rainbow, our life is connected with our past, present and future. Today's
child will be tomorrow's father. So, he wants goodness every day.
The Rhyme Scheme is a,b,c,c,a,b,c,d,d
Figures of speech:
Ø Personification
My Heart Leaps up
.In reality, Heart cannot leaps but here it expresses a great joy upon the sight of the rainbow
Ø Extended metaphor
:A rainbow in the sky
;So it was when my life began
;So it is not that I am a man
,So be it when I shall grow old
)Or let me die!” (|| 2-6
To express that life is not worth living without a connection to nature
Ø Paradox
The Child is father of the Man
The poet has expressed his opinion about the natural growth of a human being in which a
child always develops into man. A man can never transform into child
Theme
The theme of this poem is about the nature of life