Here’s an engaging summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth in four versions – easy, standard 1, standard 2, and extended – along with paraphrasing, figures of speech, comprehension (SAQs), themes, and translation into Urdu.
Content Breakdown: Summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth
Here’s the content breakdown of the summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth. You can find different sections in the same sequence.
- Introduction to the Poet
- Introduction to the Poem
- Paraphrase of the Poem
- Summary of the Poem: 4 Versions
- Musical Appeal of the Poem
- Figures of Speech and Imagery Used in the Poem
- Themes of the Poem
- Comprehension (Short Answers to Questions)
- Translation from English into Urdu
1. Introduction to the Poet – William Wordsworth
A brief introduction to the poet’s life, career, poetic philosophies, and conception about nature will help you understand the meaning and message conveyed by the poem, Daffodils.
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is one of the greatest figures in the history of English literature. He is also credited with pioneering the Romantic Movement in English literature in the early 19th century. His passion for nature is well known. That is why Wordsworth is also known as the poet of nature.
According to the literary critics, he is the true worshipper and ardent lover of nature. It was a creed for him. According to him, nature is a teacher, soother, and preacher. In this poem, the poet has presented before us the healthy, ennobling, purifying, and enduring impact of nature on human beings.
Some of the famous poems of William Wordsworth include ‘We are Seven’, ‘The Solitary Reaper’, ‘Lucy Grey’, ‘To the Cuckoo’, ‘The World is too Much with Us’, and ‘The Two April Mornings’.
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2. Introduction to the Poem “Daffodils”
Written in 1804 – and published in 1807 – Daffodils is one of the masterpieces of Wordsworth’s nature poetry and one of the most famous poems of England. It is replete with natural imagery, simplicity, spiritual elements, and musical components.
There are four stanzas, each consisting of six lines and having ABABCC rhyme scheme. And there are roughly eight syllables in each line.
It is in easy language, so any layperson can fully understand and enjoy it.
Though a short, simple poem, Daffodils leaves an aesthetically appealing and lasting impression on the mind of the reader through its simple yet vivid and figurative language.
The use of the figures of speech like simile, metaphor, imagery, personification, alliteration, assonance, consonance, heightens the effect of the poem.
A critical summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth will highlight various technical aspects of the poem.
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3. Paraphrase of Daffodils 9th Class
Paraphrasing means explaining the given poetic lines in prose form, i.e., in the form of complete, grammatically correct sentences. After going through paraphrasing, you will be able to write a summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth.
Stanza 1: Text
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.
Stanza 1: Paraphrase Daffodils Poem 9th Class
In these lines, the poet says that once he was walking alone in the countryside like a cloud that floats high in the sky over the valleys and hills. Suddenly, he was a huge crowd of blooming daffodils. They had a beautiful golden appearance. The daffodils were growing under the trees along the bank of a lake. They were flapping their leaves and petals like birds and appeared to be dancing in the breeze.
Stanza 2: Text
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.
Stanza 2: Paraphrase Daffodils Poem Class 9
In this stanza, the poet says the daffodils were continuous like stars that shine and twinkle in the Milky Way galaxy. They were growing in an endless line along the bank of a lake. At a glance, the poet estimated them to be ten thousand. They were swaying their heads in such a way that they appeared to be dancing with joy.
Stanza 3: Text
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:
Stanza 3: Paraphrase Daffodils 9th Class
In this stanza, the poet says that the waves in the lake were also dancing beside the daffodils. But the dance of the excited daffodils was more beautiful than those of the shining waves. In such a pleasant company, the poet could not help being happy. He was so spellbound by the beauty of the daffodils that he kept looking at them for a long time. He was unable to make a true evaluation of the wealth that the scene had brought to him. The value of the scene seemed to be measureless.
Stanza 4: Text
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.
Stanza 4: Paraphrase Daffodils Class 9
In these lines, William Wordsworth says that whenever he lies in his bed in a free or thoughtful mood, this sight comes before the eyes of his mind. It has become a source of happiness and a companion of solitude for him. On recalling the scene, his heart gets filled with joy. He feels himself in the company of daffodils and his heart begins to dance with the flowers.
4. Summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth
Below are the four versions of the summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth. They are: easy, standard 1, standard 2, and extended.
V 1: Short and Easy Version
“Daffodils” is one of the greatest poems of William Wordsworth. Once, the poet saw some daffodils growing on the bank of a lake. They were large in number. They were tossing their heads in the breeze. They were shining like stars. The poet was very happy to see that sight. Whenever he is alone in his room, this sight comes before his eyes. He is delighted and excited. His heart begins to dance with joy. It has become a permanent source of happiness for him.
The poet portrays the picture gallery of the poem like a skilled artisan. The language of the poem is simple, easy, clear, and convincing.
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V 2: Standard Version 1 of the Summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a famous English poet. He started the Romantic Movement in English literature. “Daffodils” is one of his greatest artistic creations.
In this poem, the poet uses figurative language to share his pleasant experience with nature. Once, the poet saw golden daffodils growing under the trees on the bank of a lake. There were thousands of daffodils growing in an endless line. They were continuous like stars and tossing their heads in the breeze. The waves were also dancing but the dance of the daffodils was more pleasant than that of the waves. The poet was very happy to see this sight. Whenever he is alone in his room, this sight comes before his eyes. His heart begins to dance with joy. It has become a permanent source of joy for him.
The poet portrays the picture gallery of the poem like a skilled artisan. The language of the poem is simple, clear, and convincing. The poem highlights the beauty of nature and its soothing effect on the human sense.
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
V 3: Standard Version 2 of the Summary of Daffodils Poem by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth is known as the poet of nature. He is one of the originators of the Romantic Movement in English literature in the early 19th century. “Daffodils” is one of his greatest poems.
Once, William Wordsworth was enjoying a countryside trip. He saw some daffodils growing in clusters on the bank of a lake under the trees. They were thick and large in number. They were moving to and fro and tossing their heads in the breeze. They were dancing and shining like stars in the sky. He was delighted to see that charming sight. It left a lasting and deep impression on his mind. Whenever he is in a pensive and reflective mood, he recalls the sight and is overjoyed. His heart begins to dance in delight. His cares and worries are suspended for the time being. It has become a permanent source of happiness for him. When he recalls the sight, he is spellbound and is transported to that golden moment.
The poet portrays the picture gallery of the poem like a skilled artisan. The language of the poem is simple, easy, clear, and convincing. Figurative language heightens the effect of the poem on the mind of the reader.
V 4: Extended Version of Daffodils Poem Summary and Critical Evaluation for Extraordinary Students
William Wordsworth was a poet and lover of nature. He says that nature has healing power and daily communion with nature can make us noble and wise. Nature can suspend our cares and worries for the time being. Most of Wordsworth’s poems describe the sights and beauty of nature.
On April 15, 1802, Wordsworth and his sister went to Eusermere to visit their relations. On his way back to Grasmere, he caught sight of a large number of golden daffodils growing on the bank of a lake in the Lake District. He was tongue-tied to see the magical beauty of the daffodils that were fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Inspired by that miraculous spectacle, he composed this poem in 1804, which was published in 1807.
This poem is a pleasant experience of the poet’s life. He is walking in the countryside in the valleys and among the mountains. He happens to come across a large number of daffodils along the bank of a lake under the trees. They are fluttering and dancing in the breeze and shining like stars in the Milky Way. In the nearby lake, the waves are dancing and sparkling because of the sun rays falling upon them. But the beauty of daffodils is so magical that it surpasses the beauty of dancing and sparkling ways, as he says:
“The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee.”
He is spellbound and keeps gazing at the daffodils for a long time. He is unaware of the spell that the flowers have cast upon him. He leaves the place filled with great happiness. In later life, when he is dejected and forlorn, he recalls the same scene before the eyes of his imagination. The fever and fret of life are suspended for the time being and he is lost in the world of mesmerizing images and thoughts.
At the start, the mood of the poet shows loneliness and sadness. He shows his feelings by comparing himself with a single cloud as:
“I wandered lonely as a cloud”.
As the poem progresses, this mood changes into happiness. He mentions the joy and the wealth that daffodils have brought him thus:
“And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
The poem has a set rhyme scheme and a constant structure. It consists of four stanzas of six lines each with roughly eight syllables in each line.
5. Musical Appeal of the Poem
Short verses, easy language, and the rhyming words like the cloud, crowd, hills, daffodils, trees, breeze, shine, line, way, bay, glance, dance, they, gay, glee, company, thought, brought, lie, eye, mood, solitude, fills, and daffodils impart musical quality to the poem. Similarly, the rhyme scheme and stress patterns are also conducive to the musicality of the poem.
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6. Literary Devices/Figures of Speech Used in the Poem Daffodils
The poet makes use of various literary devices/figures of speech in the poem:
i. Personification
Personification is a figure of speech used to ascribe human characteristics to something non-living, non-human, or lifeless. An example of personification can be found in the third line of the poem. The poet personified the daffodils when he says, “When at once I saw a crowd”. Also, you can find another example of personification in the last line of the second stanza, i.e., “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance”. Here the poet attributes the human characteristic of tossing head to a non-human thing – daffodils.
ii. Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which something is used as a representative or symbolic of something else. The third line of the last stanza of the poem contains an example of metaphor, i.e., “They flash upon that inward eye”. Here the noun phrase ‘inward eye’ is symbolic of the sweet memory of the daffodils in the mind of the poet.
iii. Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that makes use of the words ‘like’ and ‘as’ to compare one object with another to help the readers understand a concept. William Wordsworth makes use of simile in the first lines of the first and second stanzas, i.e. “I wandered lonely as a cloud” and “Continuous as the starts that shine”.
iii. Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds in the same line is called assonance. The repletion of the sound /e/ in “They stretched in never-ending” and /a/ in “Ten thousand I saw at a glance” are the two examples of assonance in the poem “Daffodils”.
iii. Visual Imagery
Imagery is a figure of speech that creates an image of something in our minds. It can be visual, auditory, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste). The examples of visual imagery in the poem include “a crowd”, “never-ending line”, “jocund company” and “milky way”.
iv. Consonance
The repetition of consonant sounds in a line is termed as consonance. There are multiple instances of the use of consonance in the poem. For example, in the line “in vacant or in pensive”, there is the repetition of /n/ sound. Similarly, the sound /t/ repeats itself in the line “what wealth the show to me had brought”.
v. Alliteration
Alliteration is a figure of speech that, like consonance, represents the repetition of consonant sounds. But the difference is that in the case of alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds occurs at the beginning of the words in the line.
The examples of alliteration in the poem include the use of /g/ in “I gazed and gazed”, and the use of /w/ in the line “What wealth the show to me had brought”.
7. Themes of the Poem Daffodils by Wordsworth
The major themes of the poem include:
i. Beauty of Nature
In the poem, Daffodils, the poet depicts a charming scene of daffodils, waves, valleys, and hills to highlight the beauty of nature.
ii. Soothing Effect of Nature on Human Mind and Soul
When the poet says that he feels overjoyed and his heart starts dancing in the company of the daffodils, he is highlighting the soothing effect of nature on the human mind, body, and soul.
8. Comprehension: Short Answers to Questions
Question 1: How do you compare the daffodils with the stars?
Answer: Daffodils bear a close resemblance to stars in the sky as they are continuous and shining.
Question 2: How does the poet feel in the company of daffodils?
Answer: The poet feels extremely happy and excited in the company of daffodils. He is so overjoyed that he cannot think about any other thing.
Question 3: What is the central idea of the poem? (A Short Summary of Daffodils by William Wordsworth)
Answer: The poem “Daffodils” is a tribute to nature and its manifestations. It presents before us the attractive and exciting beauty of nature that has a soothing effect on the human mind, body, and soul. Nature is like a mother, and it nourishes human beings. Also, it has healing power and its company has a lasting impression on the human mind.
Question 4: What do daffodils represent in the poem?
Answer: Daffodils represent the beauty of nature and its soothing effect on the human mind, body, and soul. They are a source of joy and relief from the stress and strain of life. They also symbolize the beginning of spring.
Question 5: What ‘wealth’ do memories of the scene give to the poet?
Answer: The memories of the scene give to the poet a wealth of happiness. When he recalls the scene, he feels pleasure and his heart begins to dance with joy.
Question 6: List the words that height the sound effect of the poem.
Answer: The words that heighten the sound effect of the poem include cloud, crowd, hills, daffodils, trees, breeze, shine, line, way, bay, glance, dance, they, gay, glee, company, thought, brought, lie, eye, mood, solitude.
Question 7: How has the poet heighten the impact of the poem by using figurative language?
Answer: The poet has used various figures of speech that heighten the impact of the poem. The figures of speech used in the poem include simile, metaphor, imagery, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, consonance, personification, metaphor, anaphora, oxymoron, aphaeresis, and imagery (visual and auditory).
9. Daffodils Poem Translation from English to Urdu
I wandered lonely as a cloud
میں اس بادل کی طرح تنہا آوارہ گردی کر رہا تھا
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
جو وادیوں اور پہاڑیوں کے اوپر بلندی پر تیرتا ہے
When all at once I saw a crowd,
جبکہ اچانک میر نگاہ ایک جھرمٹ پر پڑی
A host, of golden daffodils;
یہ جھرمٹ سنہری آبی نرگس کے پھولوں کا تھا
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
جو جھیل کے پاس درختوں کےنیچے اگے ہوئے تھے
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
اور ٹھنڈی ہوا میں جھوم رہے تھے اور رقص کر رہے تھے
Stanza 2:
Continuous as the stars that shine
وہ ان ستارون کی طرح لاتعداد اور لگاتار تھے
And twinkle on the milky way,
جو “مِلکی وے” کہکشاں پر چمکتے اور ٹمٹماتے ہیں
They stretched in never-ending line
وہ ایک کبھی نہ ختم ہونے والی قطار میں اگے ہوئے تھے
Along the margin of a bay:
جھیل کے کنارے کے ساتھ
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
میں نے ایک ہی نگاہ میں دس ہزار پھول دیکھے
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
جو خوشی کے رقص میں اپنے سر ہلا رہے تھے
Stanza 3
The waves beside them danced; but they
ان کے ساتھ لہریں بھی رقص کر رہی تھیں، لیکن وہ
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
خوشی سے چمکتی ہوئی لہروں سے بازی لے گئے
A poet could not but be gay,
ایک شاعر خوش ہوئے بغیر نہ رہ سکا
In such a jocund company:
ایسی خوش باش صحبت میں
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
میں بغیر سوچے ان کی طرف دیکھتا رہا
What wealth the show to me had brought:
کہ اس منظرنے مجھے کیا دولت عطا کی تھی
Stanza 4
For oft, when on my couch I lie
اب اکثرجب میں اپنے بستر پر لیٹتا ہوں
In vacant or in pensive mood,
خالی الذہن یا غمزدہ طبیعت کے ساتھ
They flash upon that inward eye
تو اچانک وہ میرے تصور میں آجاتے ہیں
Which is the bliss of solitude;
جو میر تنہائی میں خوشی کا سبب بنتے ہیں
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
اور پھر میرا دل خوشی سے بھر جاتا ہے
And dances with the daffodils.
اور آبی نرگس کے پھولوں کے ساتھ جھومنے لگتا ہے
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