Imaginative Representation on "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"

Wordsworth’s poem “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is a reflective poem in which he expresses the joy after taking pleasure of the beauty of the daffodils. He starts off as talking about the loneliness he faces and vows to remember the scene of daffodils again whenever he falls into sadness because they induce the feeling of happiness and rejoice in him. This poem was composed in the early 19th century.  It is highly influenced by the Romanticism. This poem raises the imaginative issues such as human-nature relation, elevation of natural objects, reflective approach and sublimity/eternity.

Man and nature are shown to be in harmony in the poem. Through the use of reverse personification, the poet transcends into feeling like a wandering cloud. In further description, we find the personification of daffodils as if they are humans who “dance” in the breeze. The concept of unity among the people and the terrestrial objects are found in the theory put forth by Von Schelgel. He says “Nature and human beings are the proper and immediate subjects of poetry.” In Romantic poetry, we find the praise of admiration of nature because it brings joy to the onlookers and bliss during the “solitude” to think upon them.

The poem glorifies, elevates, and raises the common-place things. “Daffodils” are compared to the stars that shine and occupy the cosmos, evoking the scene of the heavenly realm. Just like Von Schelgel’s theoretical concept, the common place things are written in such a way that it illuminates the brilliance of the poem. By elevating common things with a much significant and marvelous object, it makes us understand the “deeper purpose” and the “higher signification” of the theme that is trying to be conveyed.

Wordsworth wit fully weaves the issue of reflective approach in the poem. He recollects his feelings, emotions, passion and sentiments of witnessing the magical dance of daffodils in a cool breeze. He doesn’t immediately jot down the scene and details into a poem, rather he thinks about the scene for a long time, and decides to reflect and write about what feelings it evoked on him. In his recollection of the memory of daffodils, he scribbles the poem after much thoughts and time that has passed. This is related to Von Schelgel’s idea that “what’s written in near and present” becomes “unpoetical and common” but when there is a gap between the scene and composition, it brings greatness to the poem.

Sublimity and eternity are also the concepts found in the poem. Here, sublimity is the communion of natural soul and individual soul. It brings out the magnificence of the poem and deeply moves the observer. The poet in the poem feels amusement at observing the nature. The final line of the poem tells that his “heart fills with pleasure” and “it dances with the daffodils”. It shows the never-ending pleasure that he will forever extract thinking upon the lovely sight of the daffodils.  Von Schelgel’s notion of a truly sensible representation lies on the poem that is able to embrace, the past, the present and the future, and that’s what brings the eternity in it.

Thus, “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is a meditative, reflective, and thoughtful poem written during the Romantic Era. It has close relation with the ideas, and notions of Von Schelgel who sought out to form a theory of his own that helps to read poetry in a best way, for no such effective theory has been made before. This poem reflects the theory of Von Schelgel, for whom, the poetry is representation of the actual life, and it should be entwine the future and the present, and lay before us, the mysteries of the internal man.

-Sris

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