The Daffodils

By William Wordsworth
A lesson in English with inter-disciplinary approach
 What is Interdisciplinary Learning?
• It enables Teachers and Learners to make connections across
disciplines (subjects) through exploring clear and relevant links
across the curriculum.
• It supports the use and application of what has been taught and
learnt in new and different ways.
• It provides opportunities for deepening of learning. e.g. Through
exploring an issue, solving problems or completing a final
project.
 William
Wordsworth

Wordsworth was born in

Cumbria, in 1770.
His poetry is synonymous
with the unique landscape
of England. He celebrated
our relationship with nature
and the importance of
taking time to appreciate
the wonder and beauty of
the natural world.
The legend of Narcissus…

The daffodil Narcissus Poeticus, acquires its name from the Greek legend
of a young hunter named Narcissus.

No flower has received more poetic description except the rose and the
lily, with poems by authors from Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth,
Shelley and Keats.
 Daffodils
(Narcissus poeticus)

• 50 species
• Known as an intoxicant
• Causes Daffodil itch

Uses
• Relieves whooping cough & bronchitis
• Heals burns & wounds
• Being researched for its use in treating
Alzeihmer & Depression
 I wandered lonely as a cloud
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:
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 be but 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,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
 Stanza 1

I wandered lonely as a cloud

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.
 Daffodil Number
An n-digit number that is the sum of the nth powers of its digits is called a
Daffodil/Narcissistic number.

• Why do you think its called the ‘Narcissistic Number’?

• Like Narcissus, the sum of the cubes of the digits mirrors the number itself
• Finding all the "daffodil numbers" between 0 and 999 is a popular coding challenge.
• Have you heard of the Fibonacci series and its link with flowers?
Daffodils- The harbinger of Spring
• In Kashmir- the importance of the Nargis. Popular Kashmiri folk song- Bombur ta
Yemberzal, is illustrative of the love story of the Narcissus (Yemberzal) and the
Bumble Bee (Bombur).

• National flower of Wales

• The Narcissus is also a national flower symbolising the new year or Newroz in
the Iranian culture.

• Associated with Chinese New Year, signifying good fortune, prosperity and good
luck

• Switzerland celebrates the annual Narcissi Festival

 Stanza 2

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
 Milky Way…

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way

The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our

Solar System, with the name describing the
galaxy's appearance from Earth.
It is estimated to contain 100–400 billion stars
and at least that number of planets.
From Earth, the Milky Way appears as a band of
stars.
Why do Milky Way and Daffodils have in
Common?
 Along the margin of a bay…
A bay refers to the coastal body of
water that is depressed, connecting
to another main water body such as a
lake, ocean, or another bay.
A gulf is a large bay and can also be
referred to as a bight, sound, or sea.
A small bay that has a circular inlet is
called a cove.
Can you name a bay in India?
What is a parking bay?
 Stanza 3 & 4
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not be but 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,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.