'"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (The Daffodils)"

"The Daffodils" is an 1804 poem by William Wordsworth. It was inspired by an April 15, 1802 event in which Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy came across a "long belt" of daffodils. It was first published in 1807, and a revised version was released in 1815. In anthologies the poem is sometimes titled "I wandered lonely as a cloud."

Original Poem

'"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (The Daffodils)" by William Wordsworth

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.

Summary

Like the maiden's song in "The Solitary Reaper," the memory of the daffodils is etched in the poet's mind and soul to be cherished forever. When he's feeling lonely, dull or depressed, he thinks of the daffodils, and cheers up. The full impact of the daffodils' beauty (symbolizing the beauty of nature) did not strike him at the moment of seeing them, when he stared blankly at them but much later when he sat alone, sad and lonely and remembered them.

The inspiration for the poem may have been a walk he took with his sister Dorothy around Lake Ullswater. Dorothy later wrote in reference to this walk:

I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about and about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the lake, they looked so gay ever dancing ever changing. (Dorothy Wordsworth, The Grasmere Journal)

Rhyme Scheme

I wandered lonely as a cloud A
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, B
When all at once I saw a crowd, A
A host, of golden daffodils; B
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, C
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. C

Continuous as the stars that shine D
And twinkle on the milky way, E
They stretched in never-ending line D
Along the margin of a bay: E
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, F
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. F

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

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

A. Cloud, crowd
B. Hills, daffodils, fills, daffodils
C. Trees, breeze
D. Shine, line
E. Way, bay, they, gay
F. Glance, dance
G. Glee, company
H. Thought, brought
I. Lie, eye
J. Mood, solitude