Public Domain Poem 20 - I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth 1770 - 1850

How to read a poem.

Use this suggested framework to read a poem in a calm, repeatable way. You do not need to "get it right". Your goal is to notice what the poem is doing, then test a few possible meanings. (View exercise in a new tab.)

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth
1770 - 1850
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.

If you like, read my analysis.

Starting: Read slowly.
  • Read the poem once, straight through. Now, read it a second time, slower.
  • Circle or list any words or lines that feel important.
Surface: What's on the Surface?
  • Who is speaking, to whom?
  • What is the scene?
  • What happens in the poem?
Sound: What do you hear?
  • What words or sounds repeat?
  • Is the movement fast, slow, smooth, edgy?
  • What can you detect about a rhythm or beat?
  • What parts make you pause?
Structure: How is the poem built?
  • How many lines and stanzas are there?Are the lines short or long? Is there a pattern?
  • Where are the turning points (a shift in mood, thought, or direction)?
  • What does the ending do (close, open, surprise, repeat, resolve)?
Suggestion: What might the poem suggest?
  • What images stand out? What do they suggest?
  • Are there comparisons (like/as, or one thing described as another)?
  • Are there symbols (an object that may stand for an idea)?
  • Does anything feel ambiguous (more than one possible meaning)?
Significance: What is the message?
  • What feeling, conflict, or human experience is at the center?
  • What question does the poem raise?
  • What might the poem be asking the reader to notice, remember, or reconsider?
  • What stays with you after reading?

Your Notes: