The Imagery of the Daffodils, Thesis Paper Example

William Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ opens up to the recognition of everything nature has to offer around him is beautiful. What part of nature that stood out to Wordsworth and in this poem is glorification of the daffodils. It is clear that when Wordsworth felt lonely or depressed, the sight and thought of the daffodils changed his entire emotion and perspective. From the first line, it is clear that the poem is written in first person. This observance is necessary to convey the emotions, and words reflected throughout the poem belonging solely to the Wordsworth himself. The beauty of the landscape surrounded him deeply affected Wordsworth’s imagination and gave him a love of nature that spilled out into his poetry. Throughout the poem Wordsworth’s uses literary devices in pinpointing the main theme of the poem which is the beauty of nature, in particular the daffodils that Wordsworth encounters on his lonely walk.

The usage of the literary device simile is used to describe his lonely walk. ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ (line 1) is the first of several literary devices used by Wordsworth in the poem. The opening simile that he uses puts the reader in the poet’s state of mind. He describes himself as a floating cloud, perhaps to draw emphasizes to his state of mind that he was off on another space, not in the reality of the world he was walking in. In the line, he describes himself as the cloud that is floating and free to move in the sky. This simile is used to stress on the peacefulness that can be achieved by a man which wandered in nature lonely when he enjoyed the tranquility that he feels. Wordsworth goes on to use the device of personification to describe the main idea of the poem. Personification is giving human like characteristics to things that are not human. Greatly personifies the golden daffodils. As he describes them fluttering and dancing in the breeze (line 4 – 6) like a crowd that suddenly caught his eye. The Wordsworth imagines that the daffodils were shined and twinkled like the Milky Way, the scene around him brought him much tranquility of solitude. Wordsworth uses poetic devices to give the readers a deep meaning of the daffodils by continuing to glorify them.

Arguably the critical phrase that justifies this is following: “A poet could not be gay; in such a jocund company.” What Wordsworth is describing is a transition in mental attitude within the poet. The poet cannot but become contented by this scene, precisely because the poet himself lacks such joy in his life. As he detailed later that he spent much time on his couch vacant without emotions. It is in other words, the exceptional nature of the scene that captures Wordsworth’s poetic spirit. The jocund company of the flowers is an anomaly in his own life, and this is why the nature before him becomes to enthralling. The simplistic beauty of the daffodil and is imagined personality brought the poet an immense amount of joy where he could find no reason for.

On his lonely walk, realization of the full beauty of nature and the daffodils did not strike him at first. Yet as, he became more lonely and sad he realized the provided him with an emotional escape he at could not find. The pre-condition for understanding the joy of this scenery and the shock of encountering this his natural phenomenon therefore is general testament to the author’s state of emotions that controls and steers the poet’s life. The scene of the dancing daffodils has somehow forced Wordsworth into another time and space. A time and space where nature is personified. As much gaiety reigns in the scene described it imposes itself upon the poet, we can understand that this gaiety itself was receded with the realization of how much nature can breed happiness. The thought of daffodils remain with the poet as he continually describes them in an awe nature as compared to when he is alone he does not experience this unique pleasure, “And then my heart with pleasure fills.” (Line 23) The poet wrote that he does not interact with nature as he is trapped in this house “pensive mood.”

What is intriguing is that Wordsworth suddenly experiences the pleasures of viewing nature without any interruptions, watching as it plays in the winds and dancing in the breeze. The nature around him is jocund and care-free that it serves as entertainment for the poet. It fills a void that could somehow bring him back to his childhood, where he was surrounded by nature every day. When he sees the scene walking by, it stirs a warm recollection that is bliss of solitude. (Line 22)

Towards the end, he questions why he was struck by the imagery of the daffodils. Wordsworth questions what compels a poet to write about a particular theme that he saw before him. Unlike other poems Wordsworth clearly states his ideas and emotions by using poetic symmetry in describing the simplest of pictures but with many characteristics of being alive, that it causes Wordsworth to have an overflow of emotions. Wordsworth can thus be said to give the reader in this poem a clear and unique perspective in the depths of his emotions and his enjoyment of watching nature unfold. The beauty of nature in Wordsworth text is certainly overwhelming and striking to the poet in a profound matter. Yet the way in Wordsworth uses literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and personifications to enhance his poetry and describe the scene is not the sole purpose in creating the poem. Rather a play on a memory of a past event that brought him much happiness and joy that he overtook him with pleasure and content. Whatever the reason may be in the creation of this poetry it still exists that he showed his true emotions in the most beautiful form of imagery and description.

Work Cited

Wordsworth, Williams. I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud. Poems in Two Volumes: Moods of my Mind 7. (1807). Web. 4 Mar. 2013 http://www.bartleby.com/145/ww260.html