I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD - ANALYSIS Flashcards
(28 cards)
What does the poet compare himself to in the first line?
A lonely cloud drifting above hills and valleys.
What suddenly captures the poet’s attention?
A host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
What rhetorical device does Wordsworth use to describe the daffodils as if they were people?
Personification
What do the daffodils do in the poem?
They flutter, dance, toss their heads, and stretch endlessly.
What celestial image does Wordsworth compare the daffodils to?
Stars shining in the Milky Way.
What does the phrase “ten thousand saw I at a glance” represent?
A hyperbole to emphasize the overwhelming number of flowers.
How do the daffodils affect the poet’s emotions?
They fill him with joy and later bring peace when remembered.
What is meant by the phrase “inward eye”?
The imagination or mind’s eye – a place of memory and reflection.
How does the poet’s mood change from the start to the end?
From loneliness to joyful connection with nature.
Where is the poet in the final stanza?
On his couch, reflecting quietly on the memory of the daffodils.
What effect does the memory of the daffodils have on the poet in solitude?
It fills his heart with pleasure and makes it “dance” again.
What does Wordsworth suggest unites man and nature?
Imagination, joy, and emotional harmony.
What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza?
ABABCC
What poetic ideal does this poem reflect?
That poetry is “emotion recollected in tranquillity.”
What does Wordsworth criticize about his society through the poem?
The loss of emotional depth and connection to nature due to industrialization.
What kind of language does Wordsworth use in the poem?
Simple, ordinary language describing everyday experiences.
What literary theory of Wordsworth does the poem illustrate?
That poetry is “emotion recollected in tranquillity.”
What is the poet doing in the poem’s original experience?
He is walking alone, “lonely as a cloud,” when he sees a group of daffodils.
What triggers the poetic creation, according to Wordsworth’s theory?
The recollection of a past emotional experience in a tranquil state.
What is the poet’s initial reaction to the sight of the daffodils?
He feels joy, but doesn’t fully understand the deeper significance at the time.
When does the poet understand the full meaning of the experience?
Later, during a moment of peaceful reflection.
How does imagination help transform the memory into poetry?
It elevates a simple moment into something extraordinary and meaningful.
How are the daffodils described to enhance their effect?
They are personified, shown dancing joyfully, and compared to stars in the Milky Way.
What does Wordsworth believe the poet’s task is?
To transform the commonplace into the extraordinary through poetic imagination.
