I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud Poem Summary and Line by Line Analysis by William Wordsworth in English

Introduction

William Wordsworth, the author of the poem, gets lost in the mountains and valley when he comes across a stunning field of daffodils. The daffodils along the edge of the lake are fluttering, dancing, and holding the speaker’s attention. Even though the lake’s waves were moving rapidly, the daffodils’ beauty outshone them. The poet is overjoyed and chirpy at this captivating scene. The poet is unbothered by the fact that when he is feeling stressed or confused, this wonderful view of daffodils makes him extremely happy and merry. At the mere sight of the daffodils, his heart breathes fresh life into him and makes him immensely happy.

About The Poet

William Wordsworth, an English Romantic poet who lived from 7 April 1770 to 23 April 1850, is credited with ushering in the Romantic Era in English literature.

Theme Of The Poem

The poem describes a group of dancing golden daffodils along the lake and under the trees. For depicting his thoughtless frame of mind, the poet uses the metaphor of a cloud. He was aimlessly exploring the valley like a cloud. This poem captures the instant inspiration that the daffodils offered to his artistic spirit.

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.

The opening verse of Wordsworth’s poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” describes his aimless wandering. In a metaphorical sense, the poet is referring to himself as the “cloud.” A group of daffodils are seen swirling in the air. The splendour of those golden flowers astounds him. Although daffodils look yellow, the poet chose golden to represent its beauty. Since the daffodils are grouped together, they are referred to as the “host”.

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.

They extended in an endless line along the edge of a bay, continuous like the stars that shine and glimmer on the milky way: He spotted ten thousand daffodils at a glance, they were tossing their heads cheerfully. 

Stanza 3

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did 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:

The waves next to them were dancing, nevertheless they were more joyful than the glistening waves. In such jolly company, a poet could not help becoming happy: He continued to look but didn’t give much thought to the richness the show had provided him with.

Stanza 4

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.

The poet frequently lies on his sofa in an empty or reflective state while thinking about daffodils. When he understands that this is the joy of solitude, his heart is filled with joy, and he begins to dance with the daffodils.