The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth

1. Original Text

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.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
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.

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?

Whate'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 listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

2. Initial Reaction

After first reading this poem, it seems as though the poem is about a man who seems a girl singing alone in the fields. The man is mesmerized by her singing and wishes to know what she is talking about. William Wordsworth writes that no bird could sing more beautifully and be as inviting as this singing. The traveler in the poem wishes to know what the sad song is about and desires to never forget the memory that he had of the singing.

3. Paraphrase

Look at her, alone in the field,

One lonely Highland girl!

Reaping and singing all alone;

Stop and listen or pass by quietly!

She cuts the heads off the grain by herself,

And sings a sad song;

Please listen! for the thoughtful valley

Is enclosed by the sound.

No Nightingale ever sang

More amazing notes to tired groups

Of travelers in some dark trouble

Among the desert;

A voice this astounding has never been heard

In the springtime from the Cuckoo-birds,

Taking away the peace of the seas

All the way to the farthest islands.

Can no one tell me what she is singing about?—

Maybe the mournful lines are

For past, sad, far away things,

And fights a long time ago:

Or is for another small reason,

A familiar feeling to all?

Some normal sadness, loss, or hurt,

That has happened, and may happen again?

Whatever the theme is, the girl sang

As if her song had no ending;

I saw her singing while she was working,

And was bending over a sickle;—

I listened while not moving and being still;

And, as I climbed up the hill,

I bore the music in my heart;

Long after I stopped hearing it.

4. SWIFTT

SW = Syntax/Word Choice

                The poem has 4 stanzas each with 8 lines. The rhyme scheme is ABABCCDD, but the first and fourth stanzas’ “A” rhyme is a little off. Wordsworth uses a lot of punctuation and also uses questions to show curiosity and fascination at the maiden’s song. Wordsworth uses a lot of archaic words to symbolize a sort of ancient and old feeling or event that has occurred numerous times in history. He also uses words such as melancholy, sorrow, and shady to show the tone of the poem. Wordsworth also uses the word Hebrides, which is an archipelago off Scotland, and the word vale, which is a vast river valley.

I = Imagery

                Wordsworth wants the readers to imagine a windy, solitary field with a single girl singing by herself while still laboring because the day is a day like any other. He paints a picture with his vivid use of archaic and profound word choice. Wordsworth makes the reader feel at calm and curious as to how amazing the song is while still lighting a fire under our brains. He writes about deserts and birds at night that call out to travelers and allows the reader to imagine a traveler walking by the field.

F = Figurative Language

                There isn’t much use of figurative language in the poem. Wordsworth may be using a very complex metaphor to equate the song of the girl to the tantalizing call of evil but thrilling experiences that may later make you feel sad. The poem focuses mainly imagery instead.

T = Tone

                The tone of the poem is that of curiosity and praise at the theme of the song that the solitary reaper is singing. The narrator praises the singing and is amazing by how thought-provoking the poem and wishes to ascertain as to why she is singing such a sad song.

T = Theme

                The theme of the poem is that of amazement at the power and of song. Wordsworth is trying to show how that even though someone is sad and disheartened by things that happened in the past, the present is still here and work needs to be done. The narrator is struck by the singing and is forever changed by it. Wordsworth is trying to show that all beauty should be appreciated, even that of a melancholy song.

5. Conclusion

                My initial reaction was correct for the most part. The narrator is curious and amazed at the singing of the single lady. He is amazed at the power of the song and says that the singing is much better than that of any bird that tries to lure travelers to it. The poem is mainly about the sadness of memories past and how something of such beauty can incite people to remember these sorrowful past events. Wordsworth is trying to make readers think about the power of words and how they make people remember sad things that hurt them in the past.