I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
William Wordsworth
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
Outdid 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:
line 18
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
line 21
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Making Meanings
First Thoughts
1. Read or listen to the poem first, then on a piece of paper, draw something from the poem like a daffodil or the sky with clouds. Describe what you drew.
Shaping Interpretations
2. What simile helps you imagine the number of daffodils the speaker saw?
3. Which words in the poem personify the daffodils—make them seem like people, even friends and companions, to the lonely speaker?
4. In your own words, how would you explain the “inward eye” in line 21?
5. The word wealth can mean several things. What kind of wealth is the speaker referring to in line 18? How do people accumulate this kind of wealth?
Extending the Text
6. When could people use an “inward eye” to get through difficult
times?
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