Summary: “The Daffodils” is a celebrated Romantic poem by the English poet William Wordsworth, included as Lesson 5 (Poem) in the Class 7 ASSEB English textbook, Sunbeam English Reader II (SCERT Assam). In the poem, the speaker describes a moment from the past when he wandered alone through the countryside, feeling as aimless and solitary as a cloud drifting high above valleys and hills. Suddenly, he came upon a vast field of golden daffodils growing beside a lake and beneath some trees. The daffodils were so numerous that they resembled the stars of the Milky Way stretched across the night sky. They were swaying and fluttering in the breeze — dancing with life and energy. Even the waves of the lake danced beside them, but the daffodils surpassed the waves in joy and delight. The poet stood and gazed at the magnificent sight for a long time, but at that moment he did not fully realise how precious and enriching that experience would turn out to be. Later, when the poet is back at home, lying on his couch in a pensive or sad mood, the image of the dancing daffodils flashes across his mind. His heart is instantly filled with pleasure, and in his imagination, he too dances joyfully with the daffodils. The poem beautifully conveys the healing power of nature and the lasting joy that a beautiful natural sight can bring to the human heart through the treasure of memory.
About the Poet
William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was one of the greatest English Romantic poets. He was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland (now Cumbria), England, and spent much of his life in the Lake District, whose natural beauty deeply influenced his poetry. Together with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he launched the Romantic Age in English literature with the joint publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798. Wordsworth believed that poetry should use simple, everyday language and draw inspiration from nature and ordinary life. He served as England’s Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850. His best-known works include The Prelude, “Tintern Abbey,” “Ode: Intimations of Immortality,” and “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (The Daffodils).
The Poem
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.
Word Notes / Glossary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wandered | walked without a fixed direction; roamed |
| Lonely as a cloud | as solitary and aimless as a cloud drifting in the sky |
| O’er | over (poetic contraction) |
| Vales | valleys |
| Host | a very large number; a crowd |
| Daffodils | bright yellow spring flowers (Narcissus species) |
| Fluttering | moving lightly and rapidly; waving |
| Continuous | going on without stopping; unbroken |
| Milky Way | the galaxy visible as a band of stars across the night sky |
| Never-ending line | a row that seemed to go on forever |
| Margin of a bay | the edge / shore of a bay (inlet of water) |
| Sprightly | lively; energetic; cheerful |
| Out-did | surpassed; did better than |
| Glee | great delight; joy |
| Gay | happy; cheerful (archaic meaning) |
| Jocund | merry; cheerful; light-hearted |
| Gazed | looked steadily for a long time |
| Wealth | here, richness of experience; treasure |
| Oft | often (poetic form) |
| Couch | a sofa; a place to lie down and rest |
| Vacant | empty-minded; not thinking of anything in particular |
| Pensive | deeply thoughtful, often with a touch of sadness |
| Inward eye | the mind’s eye; imagination; memory |
| Bliss of solitude | the happiness found in being alone and reflective |
সাৰাংশ (Summary in Assamese)
“The Daffodils” কবিতাটো বিখ্যাত ইংৰাজী ৰোমান্টিক কবি উইলিয়াম ওৱৰ্ডছৱৰ্থৰ এক অমৰ ৰচনা। কবিতাটোত কবিয়ে এটা পুৰণি স্মৃতিৰ বৰ্ণনা দিছে। এদিন তেওঁ ডল আৰু উদ্দেশ্যহীনভাৱে ঘূৰি ফুৰিছিল, ঠিক এখন মেঘৰ দৰে যি উপত্যকা আৰু পাহাৰৰ ওপৰেৰে ভাঁহি ফুৰে। হঠাতে তেওঁ দেখিলে এক বিশাল পথাৰত অসংখ্য সোণালী ডেফ’ডিল ফুল ফুলি আছে — এটা হ্ৰদৰ কাষত, গছৰ তলত। ফুলবোৰ এনে বহুত আছিল যে সেইবোৰ আকাশৰ আকাশগংগাৰ তৰাৰ দৰে সীমাহীন শাৰীত বিস্তৃত আছিল। বতাহত সেইবোৰ নাচি নাচি দুলি আছিল। হ্ৰদৰ ঢৌবোৰো নাচিছিল, কিন্তু ডেফ’ডিলবোৰ সেইবোৰতকৈও বেছি আনন্দেৰে নাচিছিল। কবিয়ে বহুক্ষণ মুগ্ধ হৈ চাই আছিল, কিন্তু সেই মুহূৰ্তত তেওঁ বুজা নাছিল যে সেই দৃশ্যই তেওঁৰ বাবে কিমান মূল্যৱান সম্পদ হৈ থাকিব। পাছলৈ যেতিয়া কবি ঘৰত শুই থাকে বা মনমৰা হৈ পৰে, তেতিয়া সেই ডেফ’ডিলবোৰৰ স্মৃতি তেওঁৰ মনত জিলিকি উঠে আৰু তেওঁৰ হৃদয় আনন্দেৰে ভৰি পৰে। কবিতাটোৱে প্ৰকৃতিৰ নিৰাময় শক্তি আৰু স্মৃতিৰ মাজেৰে আনন্দৰ অমৰতাৰ বিষয়ে গভীৰ বাৰ্তা দিয়ে।
Summary (in English)
“The Daffodils” by William Wordsworth is one of the most celebrated poems in the English Romantic tradition. The speaker recalls a time when he wandered aimlessly through the countryside, as free and solitary as a drifting cloud. He suddenly came upon a vast, beautiful field of golden daffodils growing beside a lake and under trees. The flowers stretched in a seemingly endless line, like the stars of the Milky Way across the sky. They danced and fluttered in the breeze with great energy and joy. Even the waves of the lake danced, but the daffodils surpassed them in delight. The poet stood and gazed for a long time, not fully appreciating in that moment how precious the sight would prove to be. Later, during lonely or sad moments when he lay on his couch, the memory of the daffodils would flash across his mind, filling his heart with joy and making him dance with them in imagination. The poem celebrates the beauty of nature, the power of memory, and the lasting happiness that a single beautiful experience can bring to the human soul.
Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1
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.
Explanation: The poet begins by comparing himself to a lonely cloud floating aimlessly high above valleys and hills. He had no particular destination and was drifting by himself. Then, all of a sudden, he came across a large number (“a crowd,” “a host”) of golden daffodils. These flowers were growing beside a lake and under some trees. They were not still — they were moving gently in the breeze, fluttering and dancing. The contrast between the poet’s solitary, aimless wandering and the lively, joyful dancing of the daffodils is established right from the start.
Stanza 2
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.
Explanation: To convey the sheer number and beauty of the daffodils, Wordsworth compares them to the stars of the Milky Way — countless, shining, and stretching endlessly across the sky. Just as stars twinkle in an unbroken band across the heavens, the daffodils stretched in a “never-ending line” along the shore of a bay. The poet uses hyperbole (exaggeration) when he says he saw “ten thousand” daffodils at a glance. They were all “tossing their heads” — a human action attributed to flowers — in a lively, energetic (“sprightly”) dance. This personification brings the flowers to life.
Stanza 3
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:
Explanation: The waves of the lake also danced alongside the daffodils, but the flowers surpassed (“out-did”) even the sparkling waves in their joy and delight. Being a poet surrounded by such cheerful (“jocund”) company — both the daffodils and the waves — the speaker could not help but feel happy (“gay”). He gazed and gazed at the sight, captivated. Yet, crucially, he “little thought” — he did not realise at that moment — how great a treasure (“wealth”) this experience was giving him. The word “wealth” is used metaphorically to mean the richness of memory and emotional experience that this sight would provide him in the future.
Stanza 4
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.
Explanation: This final stanza reveals the deeper meaning and lasting value of the experience. The poet tells us that often (“oft”), when he is lying on his couch feeling either empty (“vacant”) or thoughtful and sad (“pensive”), the memory of the daffodils suddenly appears in his mind — they “flash upon that inward eye.” The “inward eye” refers to the imagination or memory — the ability to see and relive experiences within one’s mind. Wordsworth calls this inward vision “the bliss of solitude” — the special joy that comes from being alone with one’s thoughts and memories. Whenever this vision comes to him, his heart fills with pleasure, and in his imagination, he dances joyfully along with the daffodils. The poem ends on a note of deep contentment and gratitude for the gift of nature’s beauty and the power of memory.
Central Theme / Message of the Poem
The central theme of “The Daffodils” is the healing and lasting power of nature and memory. Wordsworth shows that a single beautiful experience in nature can create a lasting “wealth” of memory that brings joy to the heart long after the moment has passed. The poem also reflects the Romantic belief that nature has a deep spiritual and emotional connection with human beings. When the poet feels lonely or sad, it is not another person but the memory of a natural scene — the dancing daffodils — that restores his happiness. The poem thus celebrates nature as a source of comfort, joy, and inner peace.
Poetic Devices Used in the Poem
| Device | Example from the Poem | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | “I wandered lonely as a cloud” | The poet compares himself to a lonely, drifting cloud using “as” |
| Simile | “Continuous as the stars that shine / And twinkle on the milky way” | The daffodils are compared to the stars of the Milky Way |
| Personification | “Fluttering and dancing in the breeze”; “Tossing their heads in sprightly dance” | Human actions (dancing, tossing heads) are attributed to flowers |
| Personification | “The waves beside them danced” | Waves are given the human action of dancing |
| Hyperbole | “Ten thousand saw I at a glance” | Exaggeration to emphasise the enormous number of daffodils |
| Metaphor | “What wealth the show to me had brought” | The experience is called “wealth” — a metaphor for emotional richness |
| Metaphor | “That inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude” | “Inward eye” is a metaphor for memory/imagination |
| Alliteration | “floats… far”; “fluttering… flowers” (implied throughout) | Repetition of initial consonant sounds for musicality |
| Imagery | The whole poem — daffodils beside a lake, stars in the Milky Way, dancing waves | Vivid visual images that bring the scene to life |
Question Answers
Comprehension Questions
1. How does the poet describe himself at the beginning of the poem?
উত্তৰঃ At the beginning of the poem, the poet describes himself as wandering “lonely as a cloud.” He compares himself to a cloud that floats high above valleys and hills, drifting without any particular direction or purpose. This simile effectively conveys the poet’s sense of solitude and aimlessness before he encounters the daffodils.
2. Where did the poet see the daffodils?
উত্তৰঃ The poet saw the daffodils beside a lake and beneath some trees. They were growing along the margin (edge) of a bay. The daffodils were golden in colour and were fluttering and dancing in the breeze when the poet came across them.
3. To what does the poet compare the daffodils in Stanza 2?
উত্তৰঃ In Stanza 2, the poet compares the daffodils to the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way. Just as the stars in the Milky Way appear countless and stretch in an unbroken, seemingly endless line across the sky, the daffodils too stretched in a “never-ending line” along the shore of the bay. This comparison highlights both the enormous number of the daffodils and their shining, brilliant appearance.
4. How did the sight of the daffodils affect the poet at the time he saw them?
উত্তৰঃ At the time he saw the daffodils, the poet was deeply moved and delighted. He felt happy (“gay”) in the “jocund company” of the daffodils. He stood and gazed at the sight for a long time, captivated by their beauty. However, at that very moment, he did not fully realise the true “wealth” — the lasting emotional and imaginative richness — that the experience was giving him. He was absorbed in the immediate pleasure of the sight without thinking deeply about its future impact.
5. What happens when the poet lies on his couch in a “pensive mood”?
উত্তৰঃ When the poet lies on his couch in a vacant or pensive (thoughtful, somewhat sad) mood, the memory of the daffodils suddenly “flashes upon that inward eye” — that is, the image of the dancing daffodils appears vividly in his imagination. This memory instantly lifts his spirits, fills his heart with pleasure, and makes him feel as if he too is dancing joyfully with the daffodils. The memory thus acts as a source of comfort and happiness during lonely or melancholy moments.
6. What does the poet mean by “inward eye”?
উত্তৰঃ The “inward eye” refers to the poet’s imagination or memory — the ability of the mind to see and relive experiences that are not physically present. It is the mental faculty through which one can visualise past events or scenes within one’s mind. Wordsworth calls the use of this “inward eye” in solitude “bliss” (great happiness), because it allows the poet to re-experience the beauty of the daffodils even when he is alone and far from the scene, bringing him joy and comfort.
7. What is the “wealth” the poet refers to in Stanza 3?
উত্তৰঃ The “wealth” that the poet refers to in Stanza 3 is not material or monetary wealth, but rather the richness of emotional and imaginative experience. The sight of the dancing daffodils gave the poet a precious memory — a treasury of joy that he could draw upon whenever he felt sad or empty. This memory, which later brings him pleasure and comfort during lonely or pensive moments, is the true “wealth” that the experience of seeing the daffodils brought him.
8. What does the poem suggest about the relationship between nature and human happiness?
উত্তৰঃ The poem suggests that nature has a deep and lasting connection with human happiness. A single beautiful experience in nature — such as seeing a field of dancing daffodils — can create a lasting memory that serves as a source of comfort and joy long after the experience itself. Wordsworth shows that nature is not merely a physical surrounding but a spiritual and emotional companion. When human beings open their hearts to nature’s beauty, they gain a treasure of joyful memories that can heal loneliness and sadness. The poem thus presents nature as a powerful restorative force for the human spirit.
Short Answer Questions (2–3 sentences)
1. Why does the poet compare himself to a cloud at the beginning of the poem?
উত্তৰঃ The poet compares himself to a cloud because, like a cloud, he was drifting aimlessly and alone, with no fixed direction or purpose. A cloud floating “on high o’er vales and hills” is a perfect image of solitude and freedom from any fixed goal. This simile sets the mood of lonely wandering that contrasts with the joyful energy of the daffodils he soon encounters.
2. What does “jocund company” mean in the poem?
উত্তৰঃ “Jocund company” means cheerful, merry, and lively companions. In the poem, the phrase refers to the daffodils (and the dancing waves) that surrounded the poet, making him feel happy and uplifted with their energetic, joyful dancing. The word “jocund” means cheerful or merry, and “company” suggests that the flowers were like companions keeping the poet’s spirits high.
3. How does the last stanza differ from the rest of the poem?
উত্তৰঃ The first three stanzas describe the poet’s actual experience of seeing the daffodils in the past — the physical scene, the flowers, the lake, and his immediate joy. The last stanza, however, shifts to the present and reflects on the lasting emotional impact of that experience. It shows the poet in a different setting (lying on his couch) and in a different mood (pensive or vacant), and explains how the memory of the daffodils continues to bring him joy. The last stanza thus reveals the deeper, philosophical message of the poem about memory and nature.
4. What is the significance of the daffodils “tossing their heads” in the poem?
উত্তৰঃ “Tossing their heads” is an example of personification — the poet attributes a human action (tossing one’s head, as people do when dancing or in a carefree mood) to the daffodils. This gives the flowers a lively, human-like quality, making them seem full of energy, joy, and personality. It reinforces the central image of the daffodils as cheerful, dancing companions, and helps the reader visualise the scene vividly.
Fill in the Blanks
- The poet wandered lonely as a ________. (cloud)
- The daffodils were growing beside the ________ and beneath the trees. (lake)
- The daffodils are compared to ________ on the Milky Way. (stars)
- The poet saw ________ thousand daffodils at a glance. (ten)
- The “inward eye” refers to the poet’s ________. (imagination / memory)
- The daffodils “flash upon” the poet’s mind when he is in a ________ mood. (vacant or pensive)
- The poet’s heart “fills with ________” when he remembers the daffodils. (pleasure)
- The word “jocund” means ________. (cheerful / merry)
True or False
- The poet was walking with a friend when he saw the daffodils. — False (He was wandering alone, “lonely as a cloud.”)
- The daffodils were growing beside a river. — False (They were growing beside a lake.)
- The poet compares the daffodils to stars in the Milky Way. — True
- The waves of the lake out-danced the daffodils. — False (The daffodils out-did the sparkling waves in glee.)
- The poet fully appreciated the value of the experience while watching the daffodils. — False (He “little thought” of the wealth at that moment; he appreciated it later.)
- The memory of the daffodils brings the poet sadness. — False (It fills his heart with pleasure.)
- “The Daffodils” is written by William Wordsworth. — True
Match the Following
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| Lonely as a cloud | Simile describing the poet’s solitude |
| Ten thousand daffodils | Hyperbole for the large number of flowers |
| Tossing their heads | Personification of the daffodils |
| Inward eye | Metaphor for imagination / memory |
| Jocund | Cheerful / merry |
| Wealth | Richness of emotional experience / memory |
| Pensive mood | A thoughtful, slightly sad state of mind |
Reference to Context
“I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o’er vales and hills”
উত্তৰঃ (a) Who is “I” here? “I” refers to the poet William Wordsworth, who is the speaker of the poem.
(b) What figure of speech is used? This is a simile — the poet compares himself to a cloud using the word “as.”
(c) What does this line tell us about the poet’s state of mind? It tells us that the poet was alone and without any fixed purpose or direction, drifting aimlessly just like a cloud floating over valleys and hills. He was in a solitary, somewhat aimless mood before he encountered the daffodils.
“They flash upon that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude”
উত্তৰঃ (a) What do “they” refer to? “They” refers to the daffodils — their image and memory.
(b) What is the “inward eye”? The “inward eye” is a metaphor for the imagination or memory — the mental faculty by which the poet can see and relive past experiences within his mind.
(c) What is “the bliss of solitude”? “The bliss of solitude” refers to the special happiness that can be found in being alone with one’s thoughts and memories. Wordsworth suggests that solitude, which may seem lonely, can actually be a source of deep joy when the mind is enriched with beautiful memories from nature.
Essay / Long Answer Questions
1. Describe the poet’s experience of seeing the daffodils. What effect did this experience have on him, both immediately and later?
উত্তৰঃ The poet William Wordsworth describes his experience of encountering the daffodils as a sudden and joyful surprise. He was wandering alone and without purpose through the countryside, feeling as solitary and aimless as a cloud drifting over valleys and hills. Then, all at once, he saw a vast and beautiful sight — a large crowd (“a host”) of golden daffodils growing beside a lake and beneath some trees. The sheer number and beauty of the daffodils was overwhelming; they stretched in what seemed a never-ending line along the shore of a bay, like the countless stars of the Milky Way spread across the night sky. The flowers were full of life and energy, tossing their heads and dancing joyfully in the breeze. Even the waves of the lake danced, but the daffodils surpassed the waves in their cheerfulness and delight. The poet stood gazing at the scene for a long time, feeling genuinely happy (“gay”) in the company of these joyful flowers. However, at that moment, he did not fully realise how deeply the experience had enriched him — he “little thought” of the “wealth” (the lasting emotional treasure) that the sight had given him.
The lasting effect of the experience became clear much later. When the poet was at home, lying on his couch in a vacant or pensive (thoughtful and somewhat sad) mood, the image of the dancing daffodils would suddenly flash across his mind — appearing vividly in his “inward eye,” that is, his imagination or memory. Instantly, this mental image transformed his mood: his heart filled with pleasure, and in his imagination he too danced joyfully with the daffodils. Thus, what might have seemed like just a pleasant walk in the countryside turned out to be a gift of lasting happiness. The poem beautifully illustrates how a single, beautiful encounter with nature can create an enduring treasury of joy that can be drawn upon whenever the human spirit needs comfort and restoration.
2. “The Daffodils” is a poem about the healing power of nature and memory. Discuss.
উত্তৰঃ William Wordsworth’s “The Daffodils” is indeed a profound celebration of the healing power of both nature and memory. The poem works on two levels: the immediate experience of beauty in nature, and the long-term, transformative power of that experience stored in memory.
On the first level, the poem shows how an encounter with natural beauty can instantly lift the human spirit. When the poet, wandering alone and without purpose, suddenly comes across the golden daffodils dancing beside a lake, his solitary and aimless mood is immediately transformed into joy. The sheer beauty of the scene — the innumerable flowers dancing like the stars of the Milky Way, the sparkling waves of the lake, the cheerful, jocund atmosphere — fills the poet with happiness. Nature, here, acts as an immediate healer: it dissolves the poet’s loneliness and replaces it with delight and wonder.
On the second level, the poem demonstrates the even more powerful long-term healing role of memory. The final stanza reveals that the true value of the experience was not just the immediate pleasure it gave, but the lasting “wealth” — the rich memory — it stored in the poet’s mind. When he is back home, lying on his couch in a pensive or sad mood, the memory of the daffodils “flashes upon that inward eye” — his imagination — and instantly fills his heart with pleasure. In this way, nature, once experienced deeply, becomes a permanent internal resource. Its healing power does not end when the walk does; rather, it is carried within the poet, ready to restore his happiness whenever he is sad or lonely.
Wordsworth thus presents a deeply optimistic view of nature’s relationship with the human mind. He suggests that when we genuinely open our hearts to the beauty of the natural world, we gain not just a moment of pleasure, but a lasting spiritual treasure. The poem encourages readers to value their own experiences of natural beauty, knowing that these moments, stored as memories, can be a source of comfort and joy throughout life. In this sense, “The Daffodils” is not just a description of flowers — it is a meditation on the gift that nature gives to the human soul.