Saturday, August 17, 2013

In "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," how does Wordsworth challenge owning things?

In "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," it is spring, and Wordsworth is walking around the Lake District of England when he comes across thousands of daffodils by a lake. They are all waving in the wind. They seem to be doing a joyous dance, and the poet's heart lifts with happiness as he watches them sway in front of the rippling water. Later, lying on his couch at home, he can bring himself back into a joyful state by remembering the dance of the daffodils.


Wordsworth doesn't explicitly challenge owning things in this poem. He never says it is wrong to own things, but he implicitly challenges ownership by writing a poem that communicates that the highest joy comes from the experience of what money can't buy. He writes



I gazed—and gazed—but little thought


What wealth the show [the blowing daffodils] to me had brought



Wealth, he implies, comes from the experience of nature, which is free to anybody who has the eyes to see it and the heart to experience it. He is wealthy not from owning consumer goods bought with money but from the "bliss" and "pleasure" of remembering the flowers' "sprightly dance."

No comments:

Post a Comment

How does the choice of details set the tone of the sermon?

Edwards is remembered for his choice of details, particularly in this classic sermon. His goal was not to tell people about his beliefs; he ...