Dance and Daffodils Essay Example for Free

Dance and Daffodils Essay I wandered lonely as a cloud William Wordsworth I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high oer vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees,5 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:10 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,15 In such a jocund company: I gazedand gazedbut little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood,20 They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. [pic] Summary The speaker says that, wandering like a cloud floating above hills and valleys, he encountered a field of daffodils beside a lake. The dancing, fluttering flowers stretched endlessly along the shore, and though the waves of the lake danced beside the flowers, the daffodils outdid the water in glee. The speaker says that a poet could not help but be happy in such a joyful company of flowers. He says that he stared and stared, but did not realize what wealth the scene would bring him. For now, whenever he feels vacant or pensive, the memory flashes upon that inward eye / That is the bliss of solitude, and his heart fills with pleasure, and dances with the daffodils. Questions 1.What figure of is found in lines 1 and 7? Which two things are being compared in each case? 2.Quote TWO VERBS from stanza 1 which describe the movement of the daffodils. 3.What mood is created by the words mentioned in questions 2? 4.What is the poet saying about the daffodils when comparing them to the stars in the Milky Way? 5.Which figure of speech is evident in line 12 – â€Å"Tossing their heads in sprightly dance†? 6.What effect do the waves and daffodils have on the poet in stanza 3? 7.Comment on the repetition of the word â€Å"gazed† in line 17. 8.Does the poet use the word â€Å"wealth† literally of figuratively in line 18? Give a reason for your answer. 9.What is the â€Å"inward eye† mentioned in line 21? 10.What effect does the memory of the daffodils have on the poet? Across 2. perfect happiness (stanza 4) 4. valleys (stanza 1) 6. a contraction of the word â€Å"over† (stanza 1) 7. riches (stanza 3) 8. jovial, merry, lighthearted (stanza 3) 9. in a lively and vigorous way (stanza 2) 10. the edge (stanza 2) 12. a brilliant yellow flower (stanza 1) Down 1. to look briefly (stanza 2) 3. state of being alone (stanza 4) 4. not occupied, empty (stanza 4) 5. looking thoughtful (stanza 4) 10. the galaxy in which the earth is located (stanza 2) 11. a large number of items (stanza1)