I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

Literature

What do you remember about
Romanticism (de Romantiek)?

Theme 1: nature

• Nature = life-giving force
• both in man but also the world around him

Theme 2: the simple man

• man closest to nature (like farmers) should be idealized

Theme 3: idealization of the past

• many Romantic poets were disappointed with the present situation they lived in

Theme 4: children

• children were seen as 'pure'
• surpreme example as they were uncorrupted by the world
• closer to God and eternity due to purity

Let's read the text together

What is this poem about?

Let's continue

By answering the questions

1. Describe in your own words where the I-person is and what happens in stanzas 1-3

Answer:

The man is floating above a field of daffodils. He watches them move in the wind, which makes him happy.

2. What happens in stanza 4?

Answer:

He describes how he sometimes thinks back at the daffodils.

3. What's the difference between stanzas 1-3 and stanza 4?

In terms of time and place.

Class discussion.

Answer to question 3

Time:

• Stanzas 1 - 3 are in the past
• Stanza 4 is in the present

Place:

• Stanzas 1 - 3 are outside
• Stanza 4 is inside

4. Much imagery is used in this poem.

In pairs / small groups, find them.

Which metaphors did you find?

Which similes did you find?

Which personifications did you find?

Answer to question 4

metaphor:

• inward eye (mind's eye > in gedachten voor je zien)

simile:

• lonely as a cloud
  
  

personifications (you don't have to add these to your reader!)

• a crowd of daffodils fluttering and dancing in the wind
• tossing their heads in sprightly dance
• the waves beside them danced
• my heart dances with the daffodils

5. What is the effect of the imagery used?

First discuss in pairs or small groups.

After that: class discussion.

Answer to question 5

The speaker is like a cloud and the daffodils are like humans.

This shows / stresses the bond between man and nature.

6. What is the theme of this poem?
Do not use the 'standard' theme

Answer to question 6

Nature's beauty is uplifting.
Nature's beauty makes people happy.

7. What makes this a Romantic poem?

First discuss in pairs or small groups.

After that: class discussion.

Answer to question 7

It shows the beauty / divinity of nature and describes the feeling of the speaker about nature.

8. What is the rhyme scheme?

Correct answer:

ABABCC DEDEFF EGEGHH IJIJBB

I think I understand this poem well enough for the test.

Yes

No

Continue

If you have answered yes, focus on your week task.

If you have answered no, please let me know what you do not understand (yet).