Solitary Reaper

Solitary Reaper

By William Wordsworth

Analysis :

·      The poem ‘Solitary Reaper’ is composed by William Wordsworth who is a prominent poet of Romantic Era, 18^th century. He is also known as ‘worshipper of nature’. He said, “Let nature by thy teacher”.

·      The poem is about a girl from the highlands of Scotland.

·      This poem is about a day when the poet saw a beautiful woman working in the fields, harvesting the grain and singing a sad song which had a great impact on the poet.

·      The tone of the poem is admiring.

·      The theme of the song is overpowering impact of music and peaceful joy of solitude and beauty of nature.

Line by line Explanation :

Stanza 1

Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.

Explanation

The poet is telling the readers to look at a girl who is working alone in the field. The girl who the poet can see in front of himself, is from the Scottish Highlands and she is working all by herself. She is involved in all sort of works in the process of harvesting such as cutting crops and binding the grain. The work is tedious and time taking so she prefers to sing at the same time, completely alone. The words related to loneliness highlight the fact that the girl is there alone. The poet tells the passersby to either stop and listen carefully, or walk quietly so they don’t disturb her. She is harvesting the crop and tying it into bundles all by herself, there is no one to help her. While being at work, she is singing a sad song about the battles. The poet asks the passersby to listen carefully and feel the impact of the song. The song is resonating the entire valley which appears to be overflowing with the overpowering sound.

 

Stanza 2

No nightingale did ever chant

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard

In spring-time from the cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

Explanation :

Here, the poet is comparing the solitary reaper’s song with two most melodious birds, nightingale and Cuckoo who are known for sweet singing) But, the poet says that even nightingale must have never sung so melodiously to the tired travellers, walking in the desert sand of Arabia and resting in a shady place, as this girl is singing. The poet makes this comparison to emphasise that the reaper’s song is even more refreshing. He further says that such a captivating and powerful voice has never been heard. Even the cuckoo who sings in spring time is not so pleasing and melodious as the solitary reaper who is singing to break the silence of quiet surroundings in Hebrides, the distant Scottish islands. According to the poet, her song is more beautiful than nature’s best sounds.

 

Stanza 3

Will no one tell me what she sings?

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again!

Explanation :

The poet wonders what the girl is singing about or what could be the subject matter of her song. The poet is unable to understand the words and their meaning as the girl is singing in regional language which the poet is unfamiliar with. He makes a guess that her sad song may be about some past unhappy event or some mishappening in her past. He also thinks for the possibility that she may be singing a song on the theme of ancient wars and violent struggles. There is also a possibility that she is singing a simple, ordinary song on simple theme or it can be a song about everyday life which may be expressing sadness, loss, or pain happening normally in human life and such things must have happened in past and, can happen in future, too.

 

Stanza 4

What’er the theme, the maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o’er the sickle bending –

I listen’d motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore

Long after it was heard no more.

Explanation :

The poet feels that she is singing so meditatively that it appears as if she is singing fo ever and it will never end. The poet closely observes her while she works, bending over her sickle to cut the crops. As he listens the song, he stands completely still, gets immersed in the song. Even when he walks up the hill and moves away, he feels the vibrations of the song. He feels that even after sound is left behind and the song is no more heard, its effect stays with him. He feels that he is carrying the sweet memory of her song in his heart which will remain intact for ever.

 

Summary

One day, the poet William Wordsworth saw a young woman from the Highlands region of Scotland working alone in a field and harvesting grain with a sickle. Words referring to solitary, loneliness. She was attractive. She was singing a luring song, whose melody sounded sad and melancholy. Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale’s and could be heard echoing throughout the valley. It was a pleasant voice that was suitable for welcoming some travellers to the deserts of Arabia. It was a voice which was more thrilling than that of a cuckoo bird, which was powerful enough to break the silence in the most remote group of islands that lie to the north-west of Scotland. The poet could not know the real reason or story behind the sad song, so he thinks of several possible backstories behind the song. He even questions if no one would tell him the reason behind her sad song. He says that the song may have been just a plaintive flow about old, unhappy battles and wars. Next, he says that the song may have been an ordinary song about the hardships of ordinary life, a collection of what happens every day and will continue to happen every day. Also, it could be due to a loss of a loved one or a family member. The poet observed that, regardless of the theme, the sad song of the lonely reaper seemed endless, just like her work. The poet was so affected by the melody that he stopped moving altogether. He climbed the hills, his heart full with the melody. The song was still playing inside him although he could not hear it any longer which shows the effectiveness of the melodious voice. He went back to the same fields where the young woman was working but the woman was no longer there and he could no longer hear the melodious voice or know the real backstory behind her sad song. The poet never saw the woman again, but the song remained in his mind forever.

 

Difficult Words

Behold - look

Solitary - lonely

Lass - girl

single - lonely

Yon (yonder) – in front of

melancholy strain - sad saong

reaping - cutting the crop

vale profound - deep valley

weary bands - tired group of travellers

shady haunt - cool shady place

farthest - very far

Hebrides – Scottish islands

Plaintive numbers– sad song

far off - past

Humble lay – ordinary song

Sickle – tool to cut grass

Bore (bear) - carried

 

Rhyme scheme (irregular) – abcbddee / ababccdd

Poetic devices

Behold her, single in the field, - Assonance, Imagery

Yon solitary Highland Lass! – Poetic license, Assonance, Imagery

Reaping and singing by herself; - Assonance, Imagery

Stop here, or gently pass! - Assonance

Alone she cuts and binds the grain, - Imagery

And sings a melancholy strain; - Alliteration

O listen! for the vale profound – Poetic License, Assonance, Imagery, Metaphor, Enjambment

Is overflowing with the sound. – Assonance, Imagery

No nightingale did ever chant – Alliteration, Imagery, Hyperbole, Onomatopoeia, Enjambment

More welcome notes to weary bands – Assonance, Alliteration, Hyperbole, Enjambment

Of travellers in some shady haunt, - Imagery, Hyperbole, Enjambment

Among Arabian sands: - Imagery, Enjambment

A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard - Hyperbole, Enjambment

In spring-time from the cuckoo-bird, - Imagery

Breaking the silence of the seas – Alliteration, Repetition, Personification

Will no one tell me what she sings? - Assonance

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow - Alliteration

For old, unhappy, far-off things, - Assonance

And battles long ago: - Assonance

Or is it some more humble lay, - Assonance

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain, - Assonance

That has been, and may be again! - Assonance

What’er the theme, the maiden sang - Repetition

As if her song could have no ending; - Alliteration

I saw her singing at her work, - Repetition, Imagery

And o’er the sickle bending – Imagery

I listen’d motionless and still; - Poetic Repetition

And, as I mounted up the hill, - Assonance, Imagery

The music in my heart I bore - Alliteration

Long after it was heard no more. - Assonance