William Wordsworth

The inspiration for the poem came from a walk he took with his sister Dorothy around

Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater , in the Lake District. Wordsworth would draw on this to compose "I

Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" in 1804. It was inspired by Dorothy's journal entry describing the

walk:

When we were in the woods

 beyond Gowbarrow park we

saw a few daffodils close to the

water side, we fancied that the

lake had floated the seed ashore

& that the little colony had so

sprung up  –  But as we went

along there were more & yet

more & at last under the

 boughs of the trees, we saw

that there was a long belt of

them along the shore, about the

 breadth of a country turnpike

road. I never saw daffodils so

 beautiful they grew among the

mossy stones about & about

them, some rested their heads

upon these stones as on a

 pillow for weariness & the rest

tossed and reeled and danced

& seemed as if they verily

laughed with the wind that

 blew upon them over the Lake, they looked so gay ever dancing ever changing. This wind blew

directly over the lake to them. There was here & there a little knot & a few stragglers a few yards

higher up but they were so few as not to disturb the simplicity & unity & life of that one busy

highway –  We rested again & again. The Bays were stormy & we heard the waves at different

distances & in the middle of the water like the Sea.[9] 

 — Dorothy Wordsworth, The Grasmere Journal Thursday, 15 April 1802 

Exercise 1. Read the text and answer the questions

1. 

Who is Dorothy?

2.  What did they see by the water?

3. 

How effective is the description given by Dorothy? Select your favorite 4 words or 2

sentences. Why do you like them?

J. M. W. Turner – Ullswater from Gobarro 1 

 

William Wordsworth

(1770  –  1850)

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

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.

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.

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:

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.

Exercise 2. Underline all the personifications in the poem. Discuss the effectiveness of

personifications. 

 

William Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Glossary:

1.  Wander: to walk slowly around or to a place, often without any particular sense of purpose or

direction: [V, +adv./prep.] She wandered aimlessly around the streets. * We wandered back

towards the car. * [VN] The child was found wandering the streets alone.

2.  Vale: (old use or literary) (also used in modern place names) a valley: a wooded vale * the Vale

of the White Horse 

3.  Daffodils: a tall yellow spring flower shaped like a TRUMPET.

4.  Flutter: to move lightly and quickly; to make sth move in this way: [V] Flags fluttered in the

breeze. * Her eyelids fluttered but did not open. * [VN] He fluttered his hands around wildly. *

She fluttered her eyelashes at him (= tried to attract him in order to persuade him to do sth).  

5.  The Milky way: is the galaxy that contains our Solar System

6.  Margin: [C] (formal) the extreme edge or limit of a place: the eastern margin of the Indian

Ocean 

7.  Sprightly: (also less frequent spry) (especially of older people) full of life and energy: a sprightly

80-year-old * She's very sprightly for her age. 

William Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Glossary:

1.  Wander: to walk slowly around or to a place, often without any particular sense of purpose or

direction: [V, +adv./prep.] She wandered aimlessly around the streets. * We wandered back

towards the car. * [VN] The child was found wandering the streets alone.

2.  Vale: (old use or literary) (also used in modern place names) a valley: a wooded vale * the Vale

of the White Horse 

3.  Daffodils: a tall yellow spring flower shaped like a TRUMPET.

4.  Flutter: to move lightly and quickly; to make sth move in this way: [V] Flags fluttered in the

breeze. * Her eyelids fluttered but did not open. * [VN] He fluttered his hands around wildly. *

She fluttered her eyelashes at him (= tried to attract him in order to persuade him to do sth).  

5.  The Milky way: is the galaxy that contains our Solar System

6.  Margin: [C] (formal) the extreme edge or limit of a place: the eastern margin of the Indian

Ocean 

7.  Sprightly: (also less frequent spry) (especially of older people) full of life and energy: a sprightly

80-year-old * She's very sprightly for her age. 

 

8.  Glee: [U] a feeling of happiness, usually because sth good has happened to you, or sth bad has

happened to sb else: He rubbed his hands in glee as he thought of all the money he would make.

* She couldn't disguise her glee at their embarrassment. 

9.  Gay: (gayer, gayest) (old-fashioned) happy and full of fun: gay laughter * She felt lighthearted

and gay. 

10. Vacant: (written) (of a look, an expression, etc.) showing no sign that the person is thinking of

anything: a vacant look / stare * She had large vacant brown eyes. 

11.  Pensive: thinking deeply about sth, especially because you are sad or worried: a pensive

expression / mood * to look pensive 

12. Bliss: [U] extreme happiness; joy: married / wedded / domestic bliss * My idea of bliss is a month

in the Bahamas. * Swimming on a hot day is sheer bliss. 

13. Solitude: [U] the state of being alone, especially when you find this pleasant: She longed for

 peace and solitude. * I returned to the solitude of my room. * He shut himself away to pray in

solitude.

14. Glee: [U] a feeling of happiness, usually because sth good has happened to you, or sth bad has

happened to sb else: He rubbed his hands in glee as he thought of all the money he would make.

* She couldn't disguise her glee at their embarrassment. 

15. Gay: (gayer, gayest) (old-fashioned) happy and full of fun: gay laughter * She felt lighthearted

and gay. 

16. Vacant: (written) (of a look, an expression, etc.) showing no sign that the person is thinking of

anything: a vacant look / stare * She had large vacant brown eyes. 

17.  Pensive: thinking deeply about sth, especially because you are sad or worried: a pensive

expression / mood * to look pensive 

18. Bliss: [U] extreme happiness; joy: married / wedded / domestic bliss * My idea of bliss is a month

in the Bahamas. * Swimming on a hot day is sheer bliss. 

19. Solitude: [U] the state of being alone, especially when you find this pleasant: She longed for

 peace and solitude. * I returned to the solitude of my room. * He shut himself away to pray in

solitude.