Romantic Poetry (late 18th Century and early 19th Century)

William uses “cloud” to mimic the loneliness that he has. From the start to the end, William uses the image of “cloud” to depict a romantic and natural environment. In the first stanza, the image of daffodils was personified as “fluttering and dancing in the breeze”. It gives people a feeling of pleasure. Although the clouds are alone by themselves, they have companions “daffodils’ to “fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” It appears the clouds to be lonely; however, they are not alone. They enjoy their so-called loneliness.
In the second stanza, there comes the image of stars. The poet exaggerates the width of the shine of stars stretches. This exaggeration widens the horizon and vision. It expand our views. The clouds dance more “sprightly”.
In the third stanza, personification has been used in the previous line. Here the waves even start to dance with the clouds. It makes a connection with the poet. The delight of the stars, clouds, waves lead him to not to be sad but to be happy. This dances of clouds put out the thoughts of the poet.
The last stanza gives out the reason why he feels gay is because of dance with daffodils. Instead of the often pensive minds, his mind is filled with joy right now. The daffodils share the sorrow and joy with him. It’s like the poet’s dependence.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
By William Wordsworth


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: 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,
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, 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.