Vishwas Saxena

IX “A”

ENGLISH

William Wordsworth’s

Behold her, single in the field,Yon solitary Highland Lass!Reaping and singing by herself;Stop here, or gently pass!Alone she cuts and binds the grain,And sings a melancholy strain;O listen! For the Vale profoundIs overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chant More welcome notes to weary bands Of travellers in some shady haunt,Among Arabian sands:A voice so thrilling ne'er was heardIn spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,Breaking the silence of the seasAmong the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?Perhaps the plaintive numbers flowFor old, unhappy, far-off things,And battles long ago:Or is it some more humble lay,Familiar matter of to-day?Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,That has been, and may be again?

Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sangAs if her song could have no ending;I saw her singing at her work,And o'er the sickle bending;--I listened, motionless and still;And, as I mounted up the hill,The music in my heart I bore,Long after it was heard no more.

MAJOR THEMEThe Solitary Reaper is a romantic poem written after William Wordsworth’s trip through Scottish highlands. The images of the beautiful scenery of countryside attracted him greatly. The poet narrated an experience of a short encounter with a solitary Scottish rustic girl whose song in Scot took him deeply. Therefore, William Wordsworth watch her singing to herself in a distance so as not to disturb her. Wordsworth is in awe of the girl's voice although the meaning of the song was incomprehensible to him. Further, the tone of this poem is pleasant and it is a poem of praise on the natural beauty of countryside as well as the rusticity of the simple rural people. The theme throughout the whole poem seems to be the beauty of the song, and the lingering effect it leaves upon the poet.

The first stanza is the introduction of the poet’s encountering a solitary Scottish rustic girl who was reaping and singing a fascinating, melancholy song which had a charm for William Wordsworth. In the second stanza, the poet made two sharp comparisons of the melody to the sweet voice of a nightingale and the song sang by a cuckoo-bird in spring. Moreover, he stated that her song was far more beautiful than them. The third stanza is about the poet’s speculation of the content of the song which was sung in Scotland - whether it was about some old, sad matters or some sufferings of present time. The fourth stanza serves as a conclusion in which the poet emphasizes the lingering effect of the music on William Wordsworth.

SUMMARY

•‘The Solitary Reaper’ is William Wordsworth’s rendition of the delight a simple peasant girl derives from nature and how the entire atmosphere reverberates with that happiness. The poet sees a highland girl reaping the harvest and singing. The poet compares her song with the song of a nightingale, soothing his sorrows, easing his weariness, just the same way as the nightingale welcomes the weary travellers in the shady oasis of the Arabian sands. The maiden’s song is also compared to the song of the cuckoo bird which is the harbinger of summer and ushers in happiness. The song of the maiden is as thrilling and convincing as the song of the cuckoo bird which is effective enough to break the silence of the seas.

The poet cannot understand the dialect of the song, he is unable to comprehend its meaning, but is able to gauge from its sad tone that it probably relates to some unhappy memory, some battles fought long ago. The poet also feels that the song may be about the commonplace things like joys or sorrows.The poet feels that the girl’s song would have no end and would continue forever. The poet saw the girl singing as she bent over her sickle. The song of the maiden was so mesmerising and spellbinding that it held the poet motionless and still. When the poet started mounting the hill, the song could not be heard but it left an indelible mark on the poet’s heart. For the poet, it would always remain a fresh evocative memory. The poem also shows how the appeal of music is universal.

1. Solitary: existing alone.2. Yon: young, person or thing.3. Highland lass: A girl who lives in the highlands4. Reaping: harvesting5. Melancholy strain: A sad song6. Vale profound: A deep valley.7. Chant: Say or sing prayers 8. Weary bands: Tired people belonging to the bands.9. Shady haunts: A place which is frequently visited.10. Arabian sands: Deserts of Arabia

11. Hebrides: The group of Islands in the north-west of Scotland.12. Plaintive numbers: Sad music.13. Humble lay: Ordinary song14. Maiden: A young woman usually a virgin15. Sickle: A tool used to cut weeds16. Theme: A subject which a person speaks, writes or thinks about.17. Mounted: Climb up or onto18. Binds: Tie firmly

PARAPHRASELook at that girl, a lone young rustic girl in the field! She is reaping and singing, alone. You should stop here, or just pass silently! She is cutting and binding the wheat and, singing a sorrowful song all for herself. Oh! Listen please, because the bottomless valley is reverberating with the fascinating sound.Never did a nightingale sing out sweeter notes than the lonely girl to the tired, lonely groups of travellers in an oasis-like place amidst the Arabian Desert; nor did a cuckoo-bird sing ever sing such a melodic song in spring time so as to break the calmness of the oceans among the farthest Hebrides.Can anyone tell me what she is singing? Maybe it is about the sentimental lines of old, unpleasant, far-reaching matters and the wars long ago. Or is it about some sadder ballad of today’s familiar feelings, such as some natural sorrowful, sombre or painful ones, which have been experienced, and may be experienced again in the future?No matter what the theme the young girl is singing, her song seems to be endless. I watch her singing to herself when bending and cutting the grain with her sickle. I listened, silently and without a move. Then, when I climbed up the mountain, the melody of the song was still lingering in my mind long after it was not been heard any more.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770 – 1850)

William Wordsworth was an English poet who wrote poems on various topics, though a majority were about nature. Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787, when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine . He was born on 17 April 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland .Today Wordsworth's poetry remains widely read. Its almost universal appeal is perhaps best explained by Wordsworth's own words on the role, for him, of poetry; what he called "the most philosophical of all writing" whose object is truth...carried alive into the heart by passion".

LINGUISTIC PRESENTATION

The first and fourth stanzas strictly follow the rhyme pattern ABABCCDD While the second and third paragraphs follow the pattern ABCBDDEE some poetic or obsolete words have been used, for example, Behold (Look, See), vale (valley) vale profound (word-order); (Stanza 1) chant (sing) (Stanza 2); numbers (lines, verses); lay (ballad, song) (Stanza 3).There are a number of imperative sentences in this poem, especially in Stanza 1, for example, Behold her (Line 1); Stop here, or gently pass! (Line 4); Oh, listen! (Line 7) With these imperatives, the poet actually addressed readers directly.

MY OPINIONWhile reading the poem I got lost in Scotland in my thoughts….I love the way Wordsworth has described this poem…while reading this poem I assumed that I was the solitary reaper, and I was reaping and singing by myself ….but I am curious what was the reason behind the song sung by her and what was she singing???

The Solitary ReaperWILLIAM

WORDSWORTH1770-1850

The Solitary ReaperBehold her, single in the

field,

The Solitary Reaper

Yon solitary

Highland lass!

The Solitary Reaper

Reaping and

singing by

herself;

The Solitary ReaperStop

here, or gently pass!

The Solitary Reaper

Alone she cuts,

and binds the

grain,

The Solitary ReaperAnd sings a melancholy

strain :

The Solitary ReaperO listen! For the vale

profound

The Solitary ReaperIs overflowing with the

sound.

The Solitary Reaper

No nightingale did ever

chant

The Solitary Reaper

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of Travellers….

The Solitary Reaper

…in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands.

The Solitary ReaperHebrides

The Solitary Reaper

A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard

In the Spring time from the cuckoo bird.

The Solitary Reaper

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

The Solitary Reaper

Will no one tell me what

she sings?

The Solitary Reaper

Perhaps the

plaintive numbers

flow

The Solitary Reaper

For old, unhappy,

far-off things ,

And battles

long ago.

The Solitary Reaper

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of today?

The Solitary Reaper

Some natura

l sorrow…

The Solitary Reaper

…Loss or pain,

That has

been and

may be again.

The Solitary Reaper

Whate’er the theme , the maiden sangAs if her song could have no

ending;

The Solitary Reaper

I saw her singing at her work,

And o’er the

sickle bending;

The Solitary Reaper

I listen’d motionless and

still

The Solitary Reaper

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The Solitary Reaper

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

Qustion of this poetry

5. The poet could not understand the words of the song, yet he raised several possibilities about its theme. In the diagram below are some of these possibilities. Read the third stanza again, and find the phrase that matches each. Copy and complete the diagram, writing each phrase in the empty boxes. Work in pairs.

6. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice.

(a) The central idea of the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is__________.(i) well sung songs give us happiness(ii) melodious sounds appeal to all(iii) beautiful experience give us life-long pleasure(iv) reapers can sing like birds

(b) In the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ to whom does the poet say ‘Stop here or gently pass’?(i) to the people cutting corn(ii) to himself(iii) to the people who make noise(iv) to all the passers by

(d) The poet's lament in the poem 'The Solitary Reaper' is that __________(i) he cannot understand the song(ii) he did not know the lass(iii) she stopped singing at once(iv) he had to move away

(c) The Solitary Reaper is a narrative poem set to music. This form of verse is called a__________.(i) ballad(ii) soliloquy(iii) monologue(iv) sonnete) The setting of the poem is__________(i) Arabia(ii) Hebrides(iii) Scotland(iv) England

Place Heard by

Impact on

listenerSolitary Reaper

Scottish Highland

s

The poet Holds him

spellbound

Nightingale

Cuckoo

. (a) Read the second stanza again, in which Wordsworth compares the solitaryreaper's song with the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo. On the basis ofyour reading (and your imagination), copy and complete the table below. (Workin groups of four, then have a brief class discussion.)

(b) Why do you think Wordsworth has chosen the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo for comparison with the solitary reaper’s song?

c) As you read the second stanza, what pictures come to your mind? Be ready to describe them in your own words, to the rest of the class. (Do not be afraid to go beyond what the poet has written.)8. In the sixth line of the first Stanza, we read:“... and sings a melancholy strain...”This “s” sound at the beginning of sings and strain has been repeated. Poets often do this. Do you know why? Do you know what this “poetic repetition” is called? Can you find instances of this in The Solitary Reaper?

9. In the first Stanza, some words or phrases have been used to show that the girl working in the fields is alone. Which are those words and phrases? What effect do they create in the mind of the reader? 

Answer of this

poerty

Answer=5

• Answer=6 =a

(iii) beautiful experience give us life-long pleasure

• Answer =6=b

(iv) to all the passers by• Answer 6=c

(i) ballad

• Answer =6=d

(iii) Scotland

• Answer=6=e 

(i) he cannot understand the song

Place Heard by Impact on listener

Solitary Reaper

Scottish Highlands

The poet Holds him spellbound

Nightingale Arabian sands

Travellers reduces the

tiredness of

travellersCuckoo Hebrides People from

far off landshas far-reaching effect,

heralds thecoming of

spring, end of winter

Answer =7=a

Answer =7=b

The nightingale and the cuckoo are known as song-birds. Many poets have written about their melodious notes and there is a reference to nightingale even in the Bible. So the poet has chosen their songs for comparison with the Solitary Reaper’s song.

Answer=7=cThe second stanza presented the scene of a alone girl standing between the field busy in cutting the grain and binding it.  She is singing the sad song while doing her job and the grief of that song is passing from the deep valley. The sadness of her song is so immense that no nightingale singing their song or even chanting.

Answer=8Poets often repeat such sounds to make the effect more intense and ornamental. This “poetic repetition” is called alliteration.In line 15 we find an instance of alliteration in “silence of the seas.” In line 18 we find alliteration in “perhaps the plaintive numbers flow.” Line 27 also has alliteration in “I saw her singing at her work.”

Answer=9The words and phrases that have been used to show that the girl working in the fields is alone are ‘single in the field’, ‘solitary’, ‘singing by herself’. The words and phrases create in the readers mind an image of a lonely Scottish maiden who is reaping and singing all alone in the field. While she is working, she is singing a sad melancholy song. The song is so intense that the poet asks the passersby to listen but to not disturb her. 

The Solitary Reaper by William

Wordsworth

Presented by Mahender singh Class- IX – C Roll no.- 24