Wordsworth, William - Works (3)

William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud (Daffodils)

The poet and daffodils are the characters. He speaks the natural language. Daffodils make slow movement; they were dancing, the typical movement of nature.

They are described in their position but with words that are not common to describe flowers. This way is full of lights given by daffodils, and the poet contemplates them. He considers nature as a spirit; he is lost in nature. Life in the countryside is better than in an industrial city.

A very strong happiness of the poet. Real vision is not a dream, and the poet is the protagonist. He has a spiritual side and special eyes that only he has. He experiences something greater, the complete pleasure that daffodils gave to him.

Composed upon Westminster Bridge

Life in the countryside opposes life in town. The poet describes the beauty of London early in the morning; he is able to see reality as a child. The ideal state of nature, nothing is imposed by nature. Everybody can experience happiness.

It’s impossible not to observe such a great majesty. The city as a vivid force of God. This city is silent; this perfection could be contemplated early in the morning. There’s the same silence of the country, but he is alone on Westminster Bridge. He uses auditory images to explain London early in the morning. London loses this beauty. The poet describes it as a brilliant city when there’s silence, and he wants this splendour again.

Otherwise, London is a city where people suffer, and it is impossible to experience silence in other moments of the day. London as the countryside, where peace can be experienced only during the silence. The poet describes a life completely different from the one imposed by the industrial revolution.