The Solitary Reaper- an Analysis.
THE SOLITARY REAPER –William Wordsworth
A general outline of the poem:
Wordsworth, as a romantic nature poet gives his deep impression as he hears the song of the reaper in the highlands. The emphasis is on a single girl singing while she is reaping the corn-alone with nature. The poem highlights the emotional intensity of the girl’s song-it is sad, melancholic and overwhelming. The impression that the song makes on the poet is conveyed through the images of weary travelers lost in the desert reacting to the sudden sound of the nightingale’s song. The next picture is of the cuckoo in the remote northern islands with its long severe winter over and the cuckoos call signaling the arrival of spring. The song’s mysterious meaning is suggested by the poet’s speculation about as to the meaning. It strikes the poet as suggestive of many possibilities. Perhaps the song suggests stories of unfortunate battles of the past, or it may refer to familiar everyday matter such as death, suffering, loss which is recurrent in a person’s life. It appears that the song was eternal. The impression of the girl working and singing while harvesting the grain remains indelibly marked on the poet’s thought and emotion. This is conveyed in the last two lines when he mentions the eternal impression of the song on the poet’s thought and feel.
TYPE:
The poem is of a romantic nature with deep impressions on the feeling of humans and Mother Nature. Nature has a strong impact on poet’s like Wordsworth and we do see the heavy and important effect that Nature portrays. The name –‘The Solitary Reaper’ makes us think of a single person alone on empty fields. No one is there to accompany him except for Dame Nature.
VOICE:
The voice of the poet conveys the powerful impression that the reaper’s song makes on him. He is overwhelmed by the sadness and the echo her voice creates which resonates through the valley.
FORM AND STRUCTURE:
The poem is broken into four stanzas each comprising of
A general outline of the poem:
Wordsworth, as a romantic nature poet gives his deep impression as he hears the song of the reaper in the highlands. The emphasis is on a single girl singing while she is reaping the corn-alone with nature. The poem highlights the emotional intensity of the girl’s song-it is sad, melancholic and overwhelming. The impression that the song makes on the poet is conveyed through the images of weary travelers lost in the desert reacting to the sudden sound of the nightingale’s song. The next picture is of the cuckoo in the remote northern islands with its long severe winter over and the cuckoos call signaling the arrival of spring. The song’s mysterious meaning is suggested by the poet’s speculation about as to the meaning. It strikes the poet as suggestive of many possibilities. Perhaps the song suggests stories of unfortunate battles of the past, or it may refer to familiar everyday matter such as death, suffering, loss which is recurrent in a person’s life. It appears that the song was eternal. The impression of the girl working and singing while harvesting the grain remains indelibly marked on the poet’s thought and emotion. This is conveyed in the last two lines when he mentions the eternal impression of the song on the poet’s thought and feel.
TYPE:
The poem is of a romantic nature with deep impressions on the feeling of humans and Mother Nature. Nature has a strong impact on poet’s like Wordsworth and we do see the heavy and important effect that Nature portrays. The name –‘The Solitary Reaper’ makes us think of a single person alone on empty fields. No one is there to accompany him except for Dame Nature.
VOICE:
The voice of the poet conveys the powerful impression that the reaper’s song makes on him. He is overwhelmed by the sadness and the echo her voice creates which resonates through the valley.
FORM AND STRUCTURE:
The poem is broken into four stanzas each comprising of