Page 169 - DENG203_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_IV

Elective English—IV

Notes The poem is divided into four stanzas.

Stanza wise Summary of ‘The Daffodils’

Summary of the First Stanza
William Wordsworth being an avid observer of nature, describes the impression a cluster of
daffodil flowers created in his mind when he saw them while taking a stroll beside a lake
hemmed by some trees. The poet has compared himself to a floating cloud passing over hills
and valleys. He was on a stroll through the countryside when he suddenly came across countless
yellow daffodils. These daffodils were beside a lake under trees. The flowing breeze made the
daffodils flutter and it seemed as if they were dancing.

Summary of the Second Stanza
To William Wordsworth, the daffodils appeared to be as continuous as the twinkling stars on
the Milky Way galaxy. They were arrayed in a seemingly unending line along the bank of the
adjacent bay. To the poet, it seemed as if ten thousand daffodils were bobbing in the gentle
breeze and he imagined them to be engaged in a lively dance. Clearly, the poet has been
profoundly enchanted by the daffodils’ beauty, accentuated by their alternating swaying
movements. The flowers, appearing full of life and beauty, have un-fettered the poetic imagination
of Wordsworth.
Summary of the Third Stanza
There were waves on the surface of the lake, but these waves of water were no match for the
waves of daffodils rippling in the breeze. Wordsworth has remarked that a poet can feel nothing
but happiness in that kind of cheerful company. Although he beheld the beautiful sight for a
long time, he did not understand the true value of that beautiful experience just then. He began
to wonder what a great bounty of nature he had stumbled upon.

Summary of the Fourth and Last Stanza
(This stanza has been written in the present tense by the poet and so it has been summarized by
using the present tense)

This pleasant encounter with the daffodils by the lake remained dormant in the poet’s sub-
conscious mind. Whenever the poet is in low spirits, the sight of the daffodils flashes in his
mind. His heart fills with joy and happiness and it seems to him as if his heart is dancing with the
daffodils. Thus, the scene remained as a priceless treasure and an in-exhaustible source of joy for
the poet.

Task Why do you think the speaker felt so lonely at the beginning of the poem? (Invent
your own back-story.)

9.5.2 Analysis

Form

The four six-line stanzas of this poem follow a quatrain-couplet rhyme scheme: ABABCC. Each
line is metered in iambic tetrameter which is very regular. Each stanza has a cross rhyme in the
first 4 lines and then ends with a rhyming couplet. The rhyme comes at the end of lines, it is exact
and masculine.

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