The poet doesn’t want to disturb her solitude so requests the passer by’s go without disturbing her. O listen! So he started making guesses. Answer: “Plaintive number” suggests it is a sad and melancholy song. For example, “Reaping and singing by herself”, “I saw her singing at her work” and “More welcome notes to weary bands” gives a pictorial description of the young woman at work. It was first published in 1807. Its rhyme scheme alternates between abcbdde and ababccdd. FIRST STANZA: The poet,… Though the poet left that place, the song remained in his heart, long after he heard that song. The poet has not a clue of what this song is about or if it has a theme. The poet makes a symbolic comparison of the young woman’s song with Nightingale and Cuckoo bird for the melodious nature of her song. Once again Wordsworth reflected his belief in the importance of the natural world. The solitary reaper was a highland (Scottish) girl. He eventually resigns himself to the fact that he may never find out the theme of her never-ending song. Please log in again. The Solitary Reaper By: William Wordsworth Stanza-Wise Explanation Behold her, single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass! For old, unhappy, far-off things, She had no one to help her out in the field. The sun shone brilliantly down on a solitary island off the coast of Massachusetts, home port of whalers who had sailed away over uncharted seas, guided only by the stars. The Solitary Reaper - Behold her, single in the field - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. ‘The Solitary Reaper’ by William Wordsworth uses a straightforward language and meter as well as natural theme and imagery. He comes to the conclusion that whatever may be the theme of her poem, it is not going to end. He tells us that no nightingale has sung a welcoming song to wanderers in the deserts more beautiful than the girl's strain. Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow Its an analzis of a poem by William Wordsworth - Jennifer Lasky Ms. Grant English 10 per 6 April 7, 1997 The Solitary Reaper By William Wordsworth (1770-1850). " She was singing without knowing that someone was listening to her song. Is overflowing with the sound. During one of his journeys in the countryside of Scotland, he saw a Highland girl working in the field all alone. Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain, Each stanza follows the rhyme scheme: ABABCCDD. Rather, the language of . Jyotishka 21 December 2017. solitary reaper is one of the best poems in my best poems column. Or is it some more humble lay, The poet listened motionlessly until he left the place, but the song never left him. Will no one tell me what she sings?– See restaurant for details. It is a widely read poem, published in the collection Poems, in Two Volumes.This poem is unique for it is not based on the poet’s experience but of his friend and author, Thomas Wilkinson’s. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. In “Tintern Abbey” Wordsworth said thathe was able to look on nature and hear “human music”; in this poem,he writes specifically about real human music encountered in a beloved,rustic setting. Breaking the silence of the seas According to the Wikipedia entry, the poem was inspired by Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy’s stay at the village of Strathyre in the parish of Balquhidder in Scotland in September 1803. Among Arabian sands: He goes on to say that a cuckoo bird, at its best, during springtime cannot hum a tune better. In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird, Even when he left and mounted up the hill he could still hear her voice coming amongst the produce, she was cutting and binding. Will no one tell me what she sings?— Reaping and singing by herself; Stop here, … The poem functions to "praise the beauty of music and its fluid expressive beauty", the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility" that Wordsworth identified at the heart of poetry. The rhetorical question helps to make the point clear. The Solitary Reaper, a poem which he judges to have the degree of complexity necessary for full illustration of Wordsworth's theory. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. In the second stanza of “The Solitary Reaper,” the poet compares the young woman’s song with ‘Nightingale’ and ‘Cuckoo’ – the most celebrated birds by the writers and poets for the sweetness of voice. The poet couldn’t understand the local Scottish dialect in which the reaper was singing. The speaker asks us to stop and listen to her tune or "gently pass". And battles long ago: It is a widely read poem, published in the collection Poems, in Two Volumes. Alone she cuts and binds the grain, And sings a melancholy strain; O listen! We here at the Daily Stormer are opposed to violence. Yon solitary Highland Lass! We seek revolution through the education of the masses. And sings a melancholy strain; The poem “The Solitary Reaper” begins with an Apostrophe “Behold” where the poet addresses the unknown passersby. He is utterly enchanted that he says that her voice is so thrilling and penetrable like that of the Cuckoo Bird, which sings to break the silence in the ‘Hebrides’ Islands. He says that no nightingale has sung the song so soothing like that for the weary travelers. [1] The poet orders or requests his listeners to behold a young maiden reaping and singing to herself. Subscribe to our mailing list and get new poetry analysis updates straight to your inbox. 'The Solitary Reaper' was written by Wordsworth on November 5, 1805, and published in 1807. And o’er the sickle bending;– “The Solitary Reaper” by William Wordsworth is written as a recollection of an overwhelming emotional experience. [1] The words of the reaper's song are incomprehensible to the speaker, so his attention is free to focus on the tone, expressive beauty and the blissful mood it creates in him. The Solitary Reaper. Alone she cuts and binds the grain, "The Solitary Reaper" by William Wordsworth. Below is the picture of that place. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. Given that it is a  ‘plaintive number’ and a ‘melancholy strain’ (as given in line 6) he speculates that her song might be about some past sorrow, pain or loss ‘of old, unhappy things‘ or battles fought long ago. The beautiful experience left a deep impact and gave him a long-lasting pleasure. Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang Poem analysis. He symbolically puts forth that her voice is so melodious and more than that of the two birds, known for their voice. "The Solitary Reaper" is one of Wordsworth's most famous post-Lyrical Ballads lyrics. But it turns out to be hyperbole for he exaggerates that her song is better than theirs. Miz Alb received her MA in English Literature. Join the conversation by. (b) What is the meaning of the phrase “plaintive number”? 3 5 Reply. More welcome notes to weary bands That has been, and may be again? Even after a long time, he has come away from that place, he says, he could still listen. The Solitary Reaper Summary "The Solitary Reaper" opens with the speaker directing our attention to a solitary reaper (someone who cuts down crops—like corn or rye—by hand). about the image of the poet as a halted traveller and about "the poetry of surmise" in which Wordsworth seems to have excelled. Familiar matter of to-day? She's singing in a field somewhere. The Solitary Reaper ", is a poem divided in four different stanzas, and each stanza has eight lines. ‘The Solitary Reaper’ was singing and doing her work without minding about anyone. In terms of the poem’s form, it is modelled on a Tuscan verse form which has been … The Solitary Reaper is a poem published in 1807 by the English poet William Wordsworth, a master of Romanticism in poetry. So she was singing to herself. The Solitary Reaper has four stanzas that are arranged into eight lines each, bringing the total number of lines to thirty-two. The imagery used in a literary work enables the readers to perceive things involving their five senses. “The Solitary Reaper” is a poem by the English poet William Wordsworth. The Solitary Reaper (1807) William Wordsworth. This poem is unique for it is not based on the poet’s experience but of his friend and author, Thomas Wilkinson’s. In the First stanza of “The Solitary Reaper,” Wordsworth describes how the Reaper was singing all alone. Or is it some more humble lay, Her thirst for literature makes her explore through the nuances of it. As she is harvesting her crops, she is singing a sad tune which echoes in the deep valley. Download books for free. Alone she cuts and binds the grain, Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow Solitary Reaper. "The Solitary Reaper" is a lyric by English Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and one of his best-known works. He stays there motionless and listened to her song quite some times. Together with “I wandered lonely as a cloud”, “The Solitary Reaper” is one of Wordsworth’s most famous poem. When the information is available to the people, systemic change will be … William Wordsworth's poem "The Solitary Reaper" has a mixed rhyme scheme, with the first and last stanzas following an abcbddee pattern and the middle stanzas following an … Stop here, or gently pass! Stop here, or gently pass! For the poet, he is so struck by the sad beauty of her song that the whole valley seems to overflow with its sound. A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard Of travellers in some shady haunt, Reaping and singing by herself; In 1815-1820 it was included among the “Poems of Imagination.” The song the girl sings is a sad song, and everyone passing by, the speaker says, should either … Long after it was heard no more. She loves reading and writing poetry. , Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Solitary_Reaper&oldid=1003320752, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, , This page was last edited on 28 January 2021, at 12:34.