I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud - Wordsworth

Success Criteria: 

• I can explain key features of Romanticism 

• I can analyse techniques in Wordsworth’s poem. 

• I can research and present information on another Romantic poet and their work. 

Context: 

Activity: Answer the context questions in your workbook: 

1. What historical events inspired Romanticism? 

2. What were the core principles of the Age of Enlightenment that the Romantics were reacting against? 

3. What did the Romantics advocate for in their work? 

4. What are the key elements of Romantic literature? 

5. Are there aspects of Romanticism that you can relate to today? Do any of their ideals resonate with you? Why or why not? 

6. Research the following key terms and explain their relevance to the Romantic Movement. 

   • Individualism 

   • Idealism 

   • Imagination 

   • Pantheism 

   • The Sublime 

William Wordsworth wrote "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (also known as "Daffodils") in 1804, inspired by a real walk he took with his sister, Dorothy, in April 1802 near Ullswater in England’s Lake District. Dorothy’s diary entry from that day describes a “long belt” of daffodils along the lakeshore, which clearly influenced the imagery in the poem. 

Activity: 

1. Read "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" as a class. 

2. Identify any words you do not understand and define them. 

3. Annotate the poem as a class. 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

By William Wordsworth

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.

Activity 

Find another influential poet of the Romantic period and complete the following:  

1. Locate a picture of them and provide a brief biography of their life.  

2. Identify the work(s) for which they are most notable.  

3. Select one of their poems and complete an analysis that identifies what the poem is about, what idea was the poet intended to convey, and how this poem fits within the aesthetics of the movement. You must provide two pieces of evidence from the poem to support each of these responses.  

4. Write a paragraph outlining the impact they had on the period, and why.