The Daffodils by William Wordsworth summary | question answers of the poem daffodils Class 11 Alt English for SEBA Board:

                     

        

The Daffodils:

 William  Wordsworth to  the Romantic  Age. is  one  of  gem of  English  Literature His  poetry was  mostly about the  wild  and raw who belonged nature which  is why he was entitled as “A  nature’s  poet”.  After  the death  of  his  mother Anne he was  sent away to  Grammer School by  his father where  he  was exposed to  nature.  During his midlife  after graduation he tried to  write  poetry  with  political views  influence French  Revolution d by but failed  to  get  any recognition. Later he shifted his  attention towards nature  and went on to  become one the decorated poet  of  his era.His  poem Daffodils is  inspired with  a sc ene described by his  sister Dorothy,when  she  came  across  a long belt  of  Daffodils. In this  poem ,  Wordsworth  had  described the  beauty  and happiness  he found by being amidst the daffodils. T in the lake District of  Northern  E he  scene in the  poem takes  place ngland which  is  famous for its hundreds  of  lake and gorgeous expanses of  spring time  daffodils. 

Stanza-1 

The  daffodi ls, a  poem which  starts  with  Wordsworth’s fantasies  where compares  himself  to  a ‘lonely cloud’  wandering  among the hills and valleys  (vales) district to  find  the source  of  happiness and gaity around the lake where  he  encounters  with  the blooming daffodils.  Th e  poet personified the  daffodils to  be a crowd of  people  which  are shining like gold  as  he termed  it as golden  daffodils. It  was  situated beside the lake beneath  the trees and were  dancing and  fluttering  in the breeze happily which  indicated that the wind must  have  given them some  sense of  happiness. The  way they were  dancing and  fluttering  with  the breeze that blew  over them as if  it  have  made them very happy.

Stanza-2 

Here the  poet compares the  daffodils to  the  of  the stars which  shines bright in the  our galaxy the milky way. The  falling  of  sun rays in the yellow  daffodils  made it  shine like the twinkling stars  of  the night sky. Like the milky way they  are spread  in a neverending line.  Wordsworth  describes the  daffodils to  be ten  thousand in number  who were  tossing their  heads  in  full  spirited dance. 

Stanza-3

 Poet says that the  waves  of  the  lake  beside the daffodils were  also dancing  but  it was  incomparable  to  that of  the dance of  the daffodils. Even the  waves  of  the lake could not  reach the  height of  happiness which  is  created  by the waves  made  by the dancing  daffodils  with  the breeze. The waves  of  the  daffodils  means lots  of  flowers packed together and  danced whuch  looked  like the waves  of  the lake. water  of  the The  poet  could not be  more than happy  in the cheerful company  of the daffodils. Later he realises that  he gained  a lot  of  joyful experience by  just  watching the  dancing and  happy daffodils. happy  to  find himself  amidst  these daff He  felt odils  which  were regarded as the jocund company by the  poet  himself. 

 Stanza-4

 This gleeful experience has left a lasting impression in  the mind  of Wordsworth which  would  give  him a  sense  of  happiness  even if  he  is in pensive  mood. They flash  upon  his  min d and  he could remember and  see the daffodils with  his  inward  eye.  Thus they give  him the company when  he was  in solitude.  This memory  which  is infused with  joy is like bliss of solitude  and fills  his  heart with  pleasure and  it  began to  dance with  the  daff odils.

Conclusion:

He was  unable to  understand  what he  gained by  such  an  heart warming experience  of  gazing those  flowers,  although  the  joy  had  brought  upon him  a permanent  impression  from which  he  could  even  remember those merry making moments with  the  fl owers very easily.  Those moments will serve  him as  a  company  during  his  melancholy  and this experience with  the  daffodils  filled his  heart a  joy  and pleasure  and he  felt like dancing  with  the  daffodils

Critical appreciation:

The  scene in the  poem takes  place in  the lake  district  of  Northern England.  The  area  is famous  for its  hundreds  of  lake,  gorgeous expanses of  spring  time daffodils, and for being love to  the ‘’lakeland poets’’,  William  Wordsworth,  Samuel  Colderidge and  Rob ert  Southey. In this  poem,  the  poet  Wordsworth  had  described the  beauty and happiness,  he  found amidst the  daffodils. He  wandered as  a lonely cloud to  find the source  of  happiness  and gaiety around  the lake district  where the  daffodils were  tossing their  h eads  over the valleys. They were  dancing  and  fluttering  with  the  breeze that  blew over them and had  made them blissfully  happy.  Even the  waves of  the lake  could not reach  the height of  happiness which  is created by the waves made by the dancing  daffodils  w ith  the  breeze. The waves  of  the daffodils were  floating  in a  n stars twinkle. ever ending line like the milkyway  in which  the Wordsworth  felt  happy to  find himself  amidst  these daffodils which  were regarded  as the jocund company  by the  poet himself. He can't xactly notify what he gained by gazing these flowers but the joy has brought upon him  a  permanent  impression  from which  he could  remember those  merry making  moments with  the daffodils very  easily. Those moments  came to  him  as a  memory to  give him com pany even  when  he was  in solitude and in  a pensive mood and thus  he considered it as a blissful solitude.  The  experience felt  his heart with  joy  and  pleasure and he  felt like dancing with the daffodils.

 Now I am going to discuss with you all the questions and answers -

Extract I

I wander’d lonely…….in the breeze.

1.    Who has been referred to as ‘I’ in the first line of the extract? Where do you think was he wandering?

Ans-    The Poet William Wordsworth. The poet was wandering near a lake at Grasmere, in England.

2.    What does the poet encounter while wandering? Where does he encounter  them?

Ans-    He encountered a large number of golden daffodils, besides a lake and beneath the trees.

3.    Why do you think the poet refers to the daffodils as golden?

Ans-  To symbolise the magical effect it creates in his heart and mind.

4.    Discuss the importance of the following lines with reference to the poem:

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Ans- These lines personify the beautiful daffodils. The poet sees the daffodils growing  along the margin of a bay, and they appear to be dancing and fluttering in the breeze. These lines are important as it was the daffodils’ lively appearance that captivated the poet. 

5.    Which figure of speech is used in the following lines? How many daffodils do you think the poet saw? Give reason for you answer.

Ans- When al at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils,

Hyperbole. The poet saw a huge group of daffodils along the riverside which can be deduced from the words, ‘crowd’ and ‘host’. Moreover, in a hyperbolic expression, he said, “Ten thousand saw I at a glance.”

Extract II

Continuous as the stars….in sprightly dance.

1.    How are the daffodils compared to the stars?

Ans- Continuous as the stars that shine. This simile is used to describe the daffodils spread continuously like the shining stars that twinkle in the night sky.

2.    What is the milky way? Why is it referred to in the extract?

Ans- Is the galaxy that contains our Solar System and from the earth it appears as a band of light in the night sky. It  is draw our attention between a crowd of beautiful  daffodils indistinguishable from  each other  and a continuous  band of twinkling  stars in the night sky.

3.    What is meant by the margin of the bay?

Ans- The margin means the line where land and water meet. The daffodils  in the poem, line the shore of the lake.

4.    State how the technique of using exaggeration heightens the poetic effect in the extract?

Ans- Exaggeration is used to emphasise the large number of daffodils that he saw during his walk along the river. The exaggeration of daffodils stretched endlessly in a ‘never ending line” along the margin of  a bay is beautiful.  The use of such exaggeration thus heightens the poetic effect.

5.    Briefly describe the musical quality of the extract.

Ans- Daffodils is a lyric poem. The word ‘lyric’ is derived from ‘lyre’, and it implies that the poem is meant to be sung to the accompaniment of the lyre.

The rhyming pattern followed in this poem is that in each stanza the first line rhymes with the third; the second with the fourth; and the fifth with sixth. Each stanza ends with a rhyming couplet.

Extract III

The  waves beside…….show to me had brought.

1.    How did the daffodils outdo the waves?

Ans- The water in the lake had ripples looking like waves dancing. The daffodils tossing and dancing like human beings seemed to be competing against these waves. According to the poet, the daffodils  defeated the waves in glee.

2.    What is meant by jocund company?  Which  jocund company is the poet referring to? Why does the poet find it jocund?

Ans- It means a happy and gleeful company. The poet is referring to the jocund company of thousands of daffodils.

The beautiful daffodils dancing before the poet captivated him. It made him happy  and refreshed. It made him feel one with nature. That is why he finds  their  company jocund.

3.    Which wealth referred  to by  the poet? Explain how the wealth was brought to the poet?

Ans- Wealth refers to the peace and happiness that the show of daffodils fluttering  and dancing before him brought to him, something  he could be  not acknowledge at that very movement.

The wealth was brought to the poet  when he encountered the golden  daffodils surpassing  the beauty of dancing waves.

4.    What is the mood of the poet in the above extract? Which lines tell you so? Why is he in such a mood?

Ans- The poet is in a happy and cheerful mood. He himself reflects his happiness in the following lines:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company

The feeling of ones with nature that the poet has experienced  on seeing lively and dancing daffodils is the reason for his happy mood.

5.    With reference to the above extract, state why Wordsworth can be called nature poet.

Ans- The poet in the beginning  wanders lonely as a cloud but the vast  belt of daffodils tossing their heads in sprightly dance  captivates him.  The daffodils even outdo the waves and this golden company makes the poet feel happy and one with nature. Thus, Wordsworth can be called a nature poet.

Extract IV

For oft, when on my couch……… with daffodils.

1.    What happens to the poet when the he lies on his couch in a pensive mood?

Ans-  The  image of the golden daffodils flash before him and change his mood into happy one.

2.    What is the ‘bliss of solitude’ referred to in the extract? How does the bliss of solitude take place?

Ans- The bliss of solitude is referred to the paradise the poet finds himself in  as soon as the image of golden daffodils flashes before his eyes. His loneliness is overtaken by the image of daffodils which make him feel as if he were dancing along with the daffodils.

3.    Explain the transition from poet’s pensive mood to his heart filled with joy.

Ans- When he is in a pensive mood,  the image of golden daffodils flashes before him and changes his mood. The poet, who was lonely in the beginning of the poem, experiences ‘the bliss of solitude’ by the end. He then feels calm and refreshed. The memory of the daffodils fills his heart with joy and he feels  as if his heart were dancing with the daffodils.

4.    With reference to the last two lines of the extract, state the influence that nature can have over an individual’s mind.

Ans- Nature becomes positive force for the poet. When the poet lies on his couch in a contemplative mood, the image of dancing daffodils flashes before him, he is filled with happiness. Thus, the very thought of being in the lap of nature uplifts the spirit.

5.    Wordsworth says that poetry is “ the overflow of feelings arising from emotions recollected in tranquillity.’ In this context, state how the poem shows the truth of his statement.

Ans- Poetry for Wordsworth does not depend upon rhetorical and literary devices, but is the free expression of the poet’s  thoughts and feelings. When he was away from noisy and polluted cities, he relied  on his memory and reconstructed  his experience of his feelings. Thus collecting his emotions with the help of his memory of encountering daffodils, he composed this poem.

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