'Daffodils' by William Wordsworth : An Analysis

To dance without a care in the world is to dance with the daffodils

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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.

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Summary

This poem is about the powerful effects of the beauty of nature on a person. The persona is walking and wandering aimlessly, all alone, in a vast expanse, when suddenly he is greeted by a large field of daffodils. These daffodils are everywhere, as described by the persona of being by the lake and beneath the trees. The persona begins to describe the daffodils in the second stanza, giving them human-like qualities, as if they were all people just dancing gleefully. In the third stanza, the persona tells us how happy he is to be with the daffodils, and this joy he felt is everlasting. He had no words nor thought as his eyes were transfixed by the beauty of the daffodils. In the fourth stanza, when the persona has returned to his abode, his memory does not fail him as he remembers the happiness he felt by watching the daffodils, and finally ends on a lovely light-hearted note where he is figuratively dancing with the daffodils. This poem celebrates nature and its beauty, as well as showcases the relationship people have with nature, and how it continues to surprise us is so many ways.

Subject Matter

The daffodils are the subject matter, as they have been described in extremely great detail by the persona, as well as how the sight of these daffodils evoke a sense of joy inside.

Theme

The prominent themes in this poem are the celebration and appreciation of nature, as well as the powerful recollection of memory, and they go hand-in-hand with one another. Nature is celebrated through the reverence of the daffodils, as they are given human-like qualities and feelings, as well as being placed upon a pedestal. The very sight of the daffodils was enough for the persona to drop everything and just stare at it, as the persona stated “I gazed—and gazed”. The power of one’s memory is truly remarkable, for after a beautiful experience such as this, the persona continues to feel joy as he remembers the sight and beauty of the daffodils, and how it made him feel. The recollection of the daffodils is noteworthy as the persona will continue to remember these daffodils due to the present tense of “dances” at the very last line

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Literary Devices

Personification

This literary device is the most used in this poem, as the daffodils are continuously being awarded with human-like qualities. For instance, when the persona states, “a crowd” and “A host” to describe the daffodils. The daffodils are seen as people, by describing them as a group of people, giving them importance. This also relates to the theme of the appreciation and celebration of nature. “Fluttering and dancing in the breeze” and “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.” also helps the readers visualize the daffodils swaying in the wind, exuding happiness.

Imagery

The use of visual imagery in this poem is strong. Through the diction used by the persona, we can instantly tell how yellow the daffodils are through the description of “golden daffodils”. Besides, the colour Yellow represents happiness and hope. Yellow is the colour of the sun and sunflowers, that just exudes youth and joy. The daffodils are also compared to the stars in the sky through the diction “stars that shine” and “twinkle on the milky way”, granting them an ethereal out-worldly quality.

Hyperbole

The use of hyperbole is to grab attention of the reader, and in this case, to showcase just how many daffodils there were. The persona went from a “crowd” and “host” to “Ten thousand”, “Continuous as the stars that shine”, and “stretched in never-ending line”, as if the daffodils were multiplying before hie very eyes. Perhaps this was another way of showing us reader how Nature surrounds us in ways we do not notice, until we really open our eyes. Besides, the sheer joy and happiness the persona feels may be the reason why hyperbole is used in this poem, to further enhance the status of these golden flowers.

Rhyme

The poem follows the rhyming scheme of ABABCC, which grants it a very melodious quality, almost like a song and an ode to daffodils.