Kubla_Khan

William Wordsworth was a Romantic poet and a major influence in bringing about the 18th centuries’ Romantic Age of Literature. He revolutionized an era full of emotions, imagination and creativity which contradicted with the previous Enlightment period. The major characteristics of the Romantic period are love of nature, imagination, creativity, transcendentalism, simplicity, emotions, freedom of expression, solitude and loneliness. A lyrical poem written by Wordsworth in 1804 and published in 1815 in 'Collected Poems' with four stanzas is the Daffodils. The Daffodils reflects most of the era's characteristics which assures Wordsworths' ideas and beliefs. William Wordsworth starts his poem with " I wandered lonely as a cloud". From the very first line, 3 aspects of the Romantic period is mentioned which are subjectivity, loneliness and love of nature. The Romantic era stressed on the freedom of expression where the poet states his own experience mainly with nature. Here, The field of daffodils is evidently the subject of this poem, making nature the most apparent feature throughout. In the first stanza, Wordsworth mentions some natural aspects like vales, hills, and daffodils. He says : "A host, of golden daffodils/ Beside the lake, beneath the trees/ Fluttering and dancing in the breeze". These lines reflect how nature has harmony within itself. However, the daffodils by itself is not the main subject of the poem. Wordsworth, as previously mentioned, had revolutionized a new era full of feelings, emotions and freedom of expression. He stresses here that it's a give and take process. The man takes beauty and gives imagination and poetry. He says: "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". These lines also stress on his definition of poetry which is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. The poet shouldn't write poetry during his experience or else it would be narration. He should write poetry in peace and remember his feelings in that experience to write. Wordsworth here wants to affirm man's creativity and abilities through the second imagination Another Romantic aspect that is clear throughout the poem is transcendentalism. Inspiration takes the poet to the ideal world of imagination where nature is what provokes him. The poet can see what an ordinary man can't see and can hear what an ordinary man can't hear. He says :" A poet couldn’t but be gay", which reflects the poets harmony with nature where he finds refuge and peace in it. The poem moves from loneliness to solitude where it's considered a moment of transcendentalism. Another characteristic that is clear in this poem is reflected by using the present simple tense throughout the poem. The Romantics were interested in permanents to show that nature is permanent and continuous: "And dances with the daffodils." Symbolism, on the other hand, is another characteristic of the Romantic period that is clear in the Daffodils. The daffodils become much more than mere flowers.  They are a symbol of natural beauty and, more importantly, symbolize living a life as rich in experience and sensation as would make a life worth living.  They represent, in their light-hearted dance, the joy and happiness of living an adoring and fulfilling life, embracing it for every drop of nectar it could so bring. The atmosphere established in this poem is very peaceful and the use of nature creates a tranquil yet joyful setting. The imagery of nature and the peacefulness that is created is accomplished through the many metaphors, similes and descriptive language that he uses. For example when he compares the stars to the daffodils " Continuous as the stars that shine/ And twinkle on the milky way". Here, Wordsworth connects the earthy with the divine. The language is so simple where Wordsworth intends to write to every common man, not only the aristocrats. To sum it all up, the Daffodils by William Wordsworth is considered one that reflects its era's characteristics, and mainly Wordsworths' idea and beliefs. Its full of elements of nature, symbolism, subjectivity, transcendentalism, loneliness and solitude. Wordsworth has stressed on man's creativity and ability to write poetry during the second imagination where nature is his provoker. Various peaceful images of nature, including a field of daffodils, possess human qualities in the poem. These natural images express Wordsworth's self-reflections, whether it be tranquil solitude at the beginning of the poem or excitement about being in the company of daffodils at the end. I think that it's a poem full of emotions and aspects of nature that gives the reader a feeling of transcendentalism. It's a well-written poem which I myself enjoyed a lot and found it very provoking and interesting.