Discuss the song in the poem “The Solitary Reaper”. ✪✪✪
Or, how does the speaker describe the girl’s song? What emotions does it evoke in him?
William Wordsworth’s (1770-1850) poem “The Solitary Reaper” (1807) is one of his most touching and musical works. It describes a simple Highland girl cutting crops alone in a field. She was singing a song. The Song deeply hit the poet’s heart. Her song becomes a symbol of pure beauty and timeless emotion.
The Girl and Her Song: The poet sees a Highland girl cutting crops alone. She is singing while she works. Her voice fills the whole valley. The poet says,
“O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.”
Her song is soft, but full of feeling. It makes the quiet field come alive. The poet asks travellers to stop and listen, or pass quietly. He does not want anyone to disturb her.
The Sweetness of the Song:
>The poet says no nightingale or cuckoo bird ever sang so sweetly. Her song is more relaxing than the nightingale’s tune in the desert. So Wordsworth admires her voice, saying,
“A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird.”
Even the cuckoo’s call in spring is not so lovely. The reaper’s song is beyond all beauty.
The Mystery of the Song: The poet does not understand the language of the song. So he tries to guess its meaning. Perhaps it is about old, unhappy, far-off things, or maybe about simple human sorrow and pain. He feels the sadness in her voice, even without knowing the words.
The Lasting Effect: When the poet leaves, the song still stays in his heart. He says,
“The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.”
The music becomes a sweet memory.
This song teaches that true beauty and emotion never fade. The reaper’s song is simple, but it lives forever in the poet’s heart.
Continue Reading
Subscribe to access the full content
Upgrade to Premium