Question

What features of Romantic poetry do you see in the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’?

Answer 1

Wordsworth came across a lovely maiden at work in the fields all alone during his tour of Scotland. Her song and presence in a foreign language of some local dialect had a deep impression and moved the poet . The poem expresses emotion that is aroused by girl’s song. This sweet and melodious song is full of romantic passion and the poet appears to maintain his reflective mood till the end. This shows Wordsworth’s love for nature and the natural objects.Her song captivated the poet’s ears as well as the imagination. The poet felt from the tone that the song was melancholy. The song was more charming than the song of nightingale or a cuckoo bird. The poet wished that he might know the contents of the songs to intensify its impact. The poem does not give a definite meaning to the song of the girl.  The poet describes feelings of beauty, charm and mystery in the poem. An imaginative reader enjoys the same intoxication as was experienced by the poet. It seems that ‘Nature’ impresses the poet not only where he is in direct contact with that but also in moments when he recollects its beauties. The song of the girl leaves no unloosing impression on his mind. He listens to it “motionless” and “still” when the girl is singing but its effect does not end there and the song echoes when he says, “The music in my heart bore,/Long after it was heard no more” making the poem romantic in nature and a thing of beauty to enjoy for ever.