“I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud”
TPCASTT
Stephen Cossa
TPCASTT: Poem Analysis Method: title, paraphrase, connotation, diction, attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited
and theme
T
P
I think the Title of poem means:
A man wanders through a natural area in solitude
Paraphrase parts of the Poem
I walked around by myself
Like a floating cloud
Until I saw a field of flowers
Which were next to a lake in the shade
And they were blowing in the wind.
There were a lot of them
No seriously, a lot of them
They covered my view as far as I could see
Along the cliffs next to a bay
There were 10,000 at first look
And they were still moving in the breeze.
The waves also moved, but
The flowers moved better, in my opinion
It made me happy
Being with the flowers, and all
I stared at them a while
But I didn’t understand their importance at that moment.
Sometimes, when I’m on my couch
And I’m bored
I daydream of the daffodils
Which is what you do when you’re alone
And it makes me happy
Thinking of the daffodils, and all
Connotation of some of the words—changing literal meaning to implied or associated values
C
“Danced” – shook in the breeze
“Continuous as the stars…on the milky way” – There were a lot of them
“Wealth” – value other than money, as in sentimental or emotional value
“Flash upon that inward eye” – appear, as in a dream (with closed eyes)
Attitude—What is the attitude of the author, characters, or yourself?
A
The speaker seems reflective and in a state of levity as he thinks back on his time with the
flowers. He tries to pass this feeling on to the audience through vivid descriptions, but
ultimately to me he just seems to repeat himself redundantly.
Shift—At first we think or feel one way—then there is a shift: identify the shifts and explain them
S
The shifts are from solitude to jocundity back to solitude to bliss.
He starts out lonely, but then becomes jocund when he sees the company of flowers.
Back on his couch, he is alone again.
But then he simply dreams of the flowers, and he doesn’t feel alone anymore.
Title revisited—any new insights on meaning or significance of title.
I am even more certain that the title refers to a man walking through nature by himself.
T
Theme or Author’s Purpose
T
The theme is the appreciation of nature for its intrinsic value, rather than what it provides
for humankind. We should appreciate it because it is there and abundant, and it can
provide serenity in times of great personal duress.