Daffodils

Question: Examine the poetic devices used by Wordsworth to

express his emotions and sentiments in “Daffodils”?
 I wandered lonely as a cloud(simile, visual and kinaesthetic
imagery, synesthesia
That oats on high o'er vales and hills,( kinaesthetic and
visual
When all at once I saw a crowd, ( personi cation
A host, of golden daffodils; (chromatic imagery
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,( alliteration, visual
imagery
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.( personi cation and
kinaesthetic imagery

Continuous as the stars that shine(simile, hyperbole

And twinkle on the milky way,(visual imagery
They stretched in never-ending line ( hyperbole
Along the margin of a bay:( visual imagery
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,( hyperbole
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.( personi cation,
kinaesthetic imagery, anthropomorphism

The waves beside them danced; but they( personi cation,

kinaesthetic imagery
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: ( personi cation, visual
imagery
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company: ( personi cation
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought(kinaesthetic
imagery,anaphora
What wealth the show to me had brought:( consonance
fl
)

fi
)

fi
)

fi
fi
)

fi
)

fi
)

 For oft, when on my couch I lie(kinaesthetic imagery

In vacant or in pensive mood
They ash upon that inward eye(visual imagery
Which is the bliss of solitude;(metaphor
And then my heart with pleasure lls
And dances with the daffodils.(alliteration

The poetic voice takes on a note of being absolutely amazed

at the company of the beautiful Daffodils even when he is not
near the marvellous golden owers

William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet in the 18th and 19th century . In his poem-
" Daffodils ” , he creates a positive atmosphere by using several literary devices . The poem has
a cheerful tone . The poem consists of four sestets in which Wordsworth describes the joy he
feels looking at the daffodils and conveys a sense
of serenity and peacefulness to the reader . The poem revolves around escaping the monotony
of loneliness to nd comfort in the tranquility of nature . Wordsworth's
re ection of the beauty in the natural world is one that envelops us , but one that can easily
be forgotten.
In this piece of poetry , Wordsworth portrays a scenic beauty into words which hold emotion in
a way of ecstasy . The poem obscurely shows that he feels comfortable and in peace in the
haven which he had created in his imagination . It reveals the sense of longing of the life '
after ' from the poet . The phrase " I wandered as lonely as a cloud " signi es that it seems
as if he is grasping for a sliver of a vision , in this case , an opportunity to experience what is
after
the earthly life . His emotions play around with sadness stating that he is clearly disappointed
with the life he is currently living Wordsworth , being an English dramatic poet , uses a handful
of words to give the poem a more powerful effect to lure the reader into his poem . One of
the phrases he uses is " continuous as the stars that shine " which is a hyperbole that is used
to give the poem an effect of scrutiny which is brought to the reader . This phrase embraces
the feeling of utopia , a world put together and made solely from imagination , which is shown
as another
form of signi cance towards the afterlife that the poet shows . " waves behind them danced ”
is a personi cation given to the waves , it gives a calming feeling to the readers .
The writer used a number of gurative language and imagery to effectively describe the mood
of the poem in a joyful tone . The poet uses a number of gurative language and imagery to
effectively describe the mood of the poem in a jubilant tone . The poet use gurative language
of a hyperbole in the phrase , " they stretched in a never ending line " . Which exaggerates
the stretch of daffodils beside the lake .this effectively conveys the enormous joy and
happiness that the poet get when he is surrounded by daffodils . The phrases “ i wondered
lonely as a cloud " and "continues like a star that shines " is where the poet makes a direct
fl

fl

fi
fi

fi
fi
fl
,

fi
.

fi
)

fi
fi
)

 comparison between him and the cloud in 1st and comparison between daffodils and stars in
7th line . " When all at once I saw a crowd , " in this sentence there's exaggeration and
overstatement . The poet has used ' crowd ' to describe a lot of daffodils But he he might have
not counted them there at a glance . " Twinkle on the Milky Way " is a visual imagery used by
the poet to set the joyous tone of poem , it is also a visual imagery used by the poet to
describe the playful and positive atmosphere . The phrase in the 3rd stanza " the waves beside
them danced ” is a personi cation where the poet talks about the waves in the lake which
were dancing while the sun rays fell on them but Wordsworth says that the beauty of the
daffodils exceeded the delightful dance of the waves . Hence with the use of gurative
language , the write conveys a glee and jubilant atmosphere of all the nature's surroundings
and also conveys a gleeful and jubilant atmosphere of the exotic ora and fauna and the
gentle waves
The poet has effectively used multiple gurative speeches to convey the emotions of tranquility
in this poem . This poem represents joy , playfulness and survival . “ the waves decide them
danced ” is a personi cation which has been used by the poet . The word dance is a human
character that has been used to portray the sense of freedom . " But they out did the
sparkling waves in glee " is also a personi cation . Glee is a human emotion that has been given
to the daffodils . The phrase " jocund company " is a powerful adjective to explain the
cheerfulness that the poet gets through being in company of daffodils . The word "gay" is an
adjective that is used to describe the happy state of the poem when he is in the daffodils
company . The word " wealth " refers to the sense of peace and joy . It also gives the idea
that some things are better than money like joy and peace .

The poetic voice takes on a note of being absolutely delighted and amazed by the company of
the wonderful Daffodils even when he is not near the golden owers . The poet conveys that
while he is sitting on the couch and is in a vacant or pensive mood , the memories of the
daffodils ash upon his eyes . The poet tells this to the readers by using visual imagery , "
they ash upon that inward eye . " This memory of Wordsworth then becomes the source of
joy in his solitude . The poet expresses this feeling using a metaphor " which is the bliss of
solitude . " Wordsworth also portrays his happiness using the phrase , and then my heart with
pleasure lls , and dances with the daffodils . "
The poet effectively conveys his emotions and feelings of loneliness and boredom , gradually
developing into happiness and tranquillity through his only company , the daffodils .
Wordsworth's gurative language vividly expresses his speculation about the
daffodils through waves and wind . He expresses the wonders of nature and how it has a
calming effect on him , using well - placed descriptions , visual imagery , personi cations , etc ,
to convey his perspective of the natural world . Williams Wordsworth , who is often denoted as
a nature - lover , gives an insight to the reader of how beautiful and harmonious nature can
be . He signi es the serenity and peacefulness of nature , by giving life to simple things like
waves and daffodils , constructively using gurative language to imply how nature can be
therapeutic and bring happiness
fl
fi
fl
fi
.

fi
fi
fi
.

fi
fi
fi

fl
fl

fi
fi