DAFFODILS

(POEM)
BY
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
1. William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850) was an English poet.
2. He is also known as poet of nature.
3. His poem center on the theme of natural beauty and natural scenes.
4. The imagery used in the poems is visual- reader can recreate the scene in his
mind as he reads the poem.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
2022 2023
When all at once I saw a crowd, Model
(Q3(a-i)) (Q3(b-i))
A host, of golden daffodils; paper 3
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, (Q3(b-i)) Local Hard area
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine Model 2022 2023

And twinkle on the milky way, paper 2 (Q3(a-i)) (Q3(a-ii))
They stretched in never-ending line (Q3(b-i)) Hard area local
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: 2023
2022
A poet could not but be gay, (Q3(b-i))
(Q3(b-i))
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought Hard area local
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood, Model 2022
They flash upon that inward eye paper 1 (Q3(b-i))
Which is the bliss of solitude; (Q3(b-ii))
And then my heart with pleasure fills, Local
And dances with the daffodils.

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 STANZA # 1 Meanings

Wander: walk aimlessly or walk without any

I wandered lonely as a cloud reason

Lonely: alone
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
Floats: to stay on the surface of a liquid and
When all at once I saw a crowd, not sink

A host of golden daffodils; Vales: valleys

o’er: over
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Crowd: a large number of people in
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. disorganized way

A host of: a large number of something

Fluttering: a quick wavering/ flapping

movement

Breeze: a gentle wind

Paraphrase Stanza # 1

The poet says that once he was walking aimlessly all alone just like a cloud that floats
over the valleys and hills. At once he saw countless golden daffodils growing beside a
lake under a tree fluttering and dancing happily in the breeze.
Questions:

Q: Which two things have been compared in first two lines of the stanza?

Ans: Cloud and the poet have been compared in first two lines

Rhyming Scheme: ABABCC

Rhyming Words: Cloud and Crowd / Hills and Daffodils / Trees and Breeze

Poetic Devices: Simile (The poet has compared himself to a cloud)

Alliteration (high and hills, besides and beneath)

Metaphor (yellow daffodils are compare to golden daffodils)

Personification (dancing and Crowd are for humans)

2
 STANZA # 2 Meanings

Continuous as the stars that shine Continuous: without interruption / Un-

ending
And twinkle on the Milky Way, Twinkle: Shine / glitter

They stretched in never-ending line Milky Way: Galaxy (that contains stars,
planets)
Along the margin of a bay: Stretched: extend or spread over an area

Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Margin: Edge/ Bank/ Border

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. Glance: to take a quick/hurried look

Tossing: to move about from side to

side
/ Twisting
Sprightly: Energetic/ Active/ Full of life
Paraphrase Stanza # 2

The poet says that the daffodils were countless as stars which shine on the Milky Way and
they were growing along the lake in an endless line. The poet further says that he nearly saw
ten thousand daffodils moving their heads in a energetic dance.

Questions

Q1: How does the poet enjoy the company of daffodils in this stanza?

Ans: The golden daffodils twinkled and stretched in an endless line like the stars in the
galaxy. This made the poet very happy as he has never seen so many dancing daffodils at
one sight. He enjoyed the company of flowers.

Q2: What is the effect of the beauty of nature on human life?

Ans: Beauty of nature has a positive effect on life. It provides an escape from the worries of
material world and a man feels fresh. It has healing and soothing effects on troubled minds.

Q3: Explain what is stated clearly and what is the implied message of the stanza?

Ans: The poet describes a beautiful scene of nature besides the lake where a large number
of daffodils move in the breeze as if they are dancing.
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The implied message of the stanza is that we should enjoy such beautiful scenes of nature to
live a stress free life.

Q4: Why does poet compare daffodils to stars?

Ans: The poet compares daffodils to stars because daffodils seem to grow in never ending
line like stars in the galaxy. Also yellow daffodils seem to shine and glow like the stars
twinkling in the sky.

Rhyming Scheme : ABABCC

Rhyming Words : Shine and line / way and bay / glance and dance

Poetic Devices : Simile (daffodils compared with stars)

Hyperbole (stretched in never ending line, ten thousand saw in a

glance)

Personification (tossing their head and sprightly dance)

Assonance (stretched and never-ending)

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 STANZA # 3 Meanings

The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did: Superior/ Best in performance

Sparkling: Shining brightly with flashes of

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: light

Glee: Happiness/ Joy /great delight

A poet could not be but gay,
Gay: Free from worries /carefree

In such a jocund company: Jocund: Happy / cheerful and light-

hearted

Company: Companionship / Fellowship

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
Gazed: look steadily and intently / look
for a long time
What wealth the show to me had brought:
Wealth: Valuable (sight)

Paraphrase Stanza # 3

The poet says that the waves of the lake were also dancing happily but the dance of the
daffodils was far more superior to the dance of the waves. The poet feels happy in joyous
company of daffodils and keep on seeing the golden flowers. This sight as brought him a
great wealth.
Questions
Q: Describe the feeling of the poet.

Ans: Seeing the dancing daffodils makes him feeling happy and enjoy the joyful company
of daffodils.

Q: What does jocund company means?

Ans: Jocund company means joy full company of daffodils which was the source of
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pleasure and happiness for the poet.

Q: Why was poet just gazing the daffodils and not thinking anything?

Ans: He kept on staring at that panoramic natural beauty scene but did not realize at that
moment the joy and peace. This view was the greatest gift of nature to him.

Q: What is the wealth the poet gained?

Ans: The poet gained the wealth of happiness that fills his heart when he thinks of daffodils.
This sight left a lasting impression on his memory.

Rhyming Scheme: ABABCC

Rhyming Words: they and gay / glee and company / thought and brought

Poetic Devices: Alliteration: (What and wealth)

Personification: (Waves are personified with dance;

Flowers are personified with out-did, glee and
Jocund)
Repetition: (gazed and gazed)

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 STANZA # 4 Meanings

Oft: Often
For oft, when on my couch I lie
Couch: a type of sofa

In vacant or in pensive mood, Vacant: free/ free from activity

Pensive: Thoughtful / Thinking about

They flash upon that inward eye something

Mood: State of mind

Which is the bliss of solitude;
Flash: to communicate something
quickly
And then my heart with pleasure fills, inward eye: eye of his imagination

Bliss: perfect happiness / great joy

And dances with the daffodils.
Solitude: loneliness/ isolation/ alone

Pleasure: a feeling of happy satisfaction

Paraphrase Stanza # 4

The poet says that often he lies on his couch in a free time or in a thoughtful mood, the
reflection of the beautiful daffodils comes to his mind and give perfect happiness while
being alone. His heart feels happy and dances with the daffodils.

Questions
Q How does the poet enjoy the company of daffodils? OR What effect does the
memory of golden daffodils has on the mood of the poet?

Ans: Whenever the poet is in thoughtful mood or is sitting all alone he recalls the beautiful
scene of the dancing daffodils and enjoys their pleasing company

Q What do you understand by the term inward eye?

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Ans: The inward eye refers to the eye of his imagination, which can provide him the sight of
the daffodils in his memory.

Q What do you understand by “bliss of solitude”?

Ans: “bliss of solitude” means perfect happiness while being alone. He poet feels happiness
and joy when he is alone and thinks of those daffodils.

Rhyming Scheme: ABABCC

Rhyming Words: lie and eye / mood and solitude / fills and daffodils

Poetic Devices: Alliteration: (they and that / dances and daffodils)

Assonance: (which and bliss)

Personification: (Poet heart dance with daffodils)