Wordsworth

Imagine

• You are walking through the countryside or park in the Spring.

• Make a list of what you might expect to see.

Context

• On April 15th, 1802 Dorothy Wordsworth went for a walk with her brother, William Wordsworth.

• William Wordsworth was a famous poet.

• Dorothy wrote this journal entry for the day…

Classification

• This piece of writing came from Dorothy’s journal entry.

• However, is there anything poetic about her writing?

• Can you identify phrases or words that seem poetic?

• Does she use any poetic devices?

Did you notice?

• Similes – “rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow”

• Personification – “heads”, “reeled” and “laughed”.

• Metaphor – “There was a long belt of them”

Now read William Wordsworth’s poem.

I wandered lonely as a cloudThat 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 shineAnd twinkle on the milky way,They stretched in never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bay:Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but theyOut-did the sparkling waves in glee:A poet could not but be gay,In such a jocund company:I gazed---and gazed---but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitude;And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils. 

First Impressions

• How is the poem similar to Dorothy’s journal entry?

• How does it differ from Dorothy’s journal entry?

Did you notice?

• Dorothy refers to “we” throughout her journal entry.

• What pronoun does William use?

• Why do you think he made this choice?

Context

• Wordsworth was known as a lake poet as he mainly wrote about the Lake District where he was born and lived most of his life.

• Wordsworth was known as a romantic poet. They favoured intuition over reason and the countryside over cities.

• Wordsworth also believed in using "language near to the language of men“. He believed poetry should use language that everyone understands.

Inspiration

• Here are some images of the lake district that inspired Wordsworth.

Inspiration

Discuss

• “ I wander as lonely as a cloud” should be credited to Dorothy and William Wordsworth not just William?

• It is always wrong to copy someone else’s work and should never be allowed.

Email your view to Michael Walsh.

Parody

• Wordsworth’s poem has been the subject of many parodies like this one.

• Parody is when you copy the style of a poet but exaggerate for comic effect?

• What is it about this poem that makes it the focus of parodies?

Writing Task

• Write a letter from Dorothy to William. Imagine she has read the poem for the first time.

• What might she say to him?