The Symbolism of Daffodils in I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

The true meaning of life has and continues to be one of the most intriguing mysteries. With numerous having disputed to why nature performs the way it is towards humans and how one experiences a different perspective. In William Wordsworth's 'I wandered lonely as a cloud,' he demonstrates that love and triumph can be nearby and in various forms. It becomes evident that happiness is firmly motivated through the love of nature. As Wordsworth conclusively exhibits his aspect of nature and life regarding a romantic audience, the poem unveils that nature can be the origin of paradise and peace for humans through various forms.

In 'I wandered lonely as a cloud,' at first glance, it may imply the poem is concerning a man who is very isolated and sorrowful, but it is ideally symbolizing nature. Woodsworth conclusively reveals that nature is a powerful force bridging joy to humans, but people might not consider it sufficiently. The speaker illustrates that he is persisting in portraying himself within the elegance of nature. The speaker's voice is sincere and reflective, which is assumed to be from the author, affirming that 'a poet could not be gay'. When the author notes, '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', the speaker lies on his couch reflecting of a scene flashing into his head and filling him with delight. The poem is accustomed to educating people about romance and recognizing how to discover love. In the opening stanza of the poem, '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', the poet introduces a person strolling unattended, sighting the hills, valleys, trees, and daffodils beside the lake's breeze. From the line, a simile and personification can be identified from the man being compared to the cloud and the daffodils being accustomed human qualities of dancing. When Wordsworth wrote, 'Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way', this line emerged from the rest of the poem as a source of imagery because the universe is magnificent but has no end in view. The plot progresses with the man daydreaming of this fascinating place forever developing his perspective of life, 'I gazed- and gazed- but little thought What wealth the shew to me had brought'. In the end, the poem allowed for the reader to ponder of at least one memory that has the same result for him/her as the daffodils did for Wordsworth.

The author convincingly manifests his idea through a formal structure with elements of nature illustrated in the poem grouped in pairs. Each stanza has six lines, and in each one, the lines rhyme in alternating patterns with every other one sharing the same rhythm (1-3, 2-4, 5-6). The speaker develops his statements by including 'I,' dramatizing the voice. He introduces the writing in alienation and sorrow but ends with an enjoyable perspective. Wordsworth language is direct and clear as nature is appointed a social, gleeful quality when it is exemplified, 'Tossing their heads in sprightly dance'. The vast amount of the daffodils is stressed to contrast their solidarity with the speaker's isolation, 'Ten thousand'. As the poem pursues onward, the speaker's language indicates that he begins to visualize being with the flowers instead of observing them from afar, 'I gazed'. The man is compared to a cloud in the poem, a natural subject, and flowers are personified as human beings, a unity between man and nature is created, 'Fluttering and dancing in the breeze'/'I wandered lonely as a cloud'. When Wordsworth presented the word 'Wandered,' he did not have a destination in mind, he was roaming around. Also, the word 'host' could occupy various meanings, but it represents his welcoming into nature.

A distinctive lyrical quality to 'I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud', appears evident that someone is singing in the background, dancing in a field of daffodils. The rhythm to the poem causes the words to flow together as if it is a song. While the poem does not have a defined rhyme scheme, it does seem to follow ABABCC ('Cloud- Crowd,' 'Hills- Daffodils'). The end words of each stanza contain the importance of composing one to believe how essential nature is regarding Wordsworth and how it was his safe area when he was hesitant about the world around him. The sound of this poem is mostly euphonic with soft consonants that flow together, emphasizing the daffodils gentle beauty. The alliteration in the poem offers lyrical qualities of creating a dreamlike image. Wordsworth utilization of vowels rejects the harsh sound with a softer tone. The poem appears very comprehensive, describing the beauty of the scene that he is beholding; however, the entire poem is a metaphor describing Wordsworth's separation from society and how he finds solace in nature. The iambic tetrameter style poem allows the reader to feel and apprehend the honor the poet has for what he is writing, 'the waves beside them danced'.

William Wordsworth wrote this poem to celebrate his deep appreciation for nature, and highlighted its beauty, especially in comparison to humanity. He put a considerable amount of emotion into this poem and concentrated on the understanding of the daffodils when compared to actual human feelings. In a way, the Daffodils could be symbolic for modern medicine and therapy with mental issues such as depression. With the author able to effectively show his view of nature, in the end, the lesson of one not allowing time to pass on without experiencing life's beautiful wonders became transparent.