In William Wordsworth's "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden
Ways," the imagery used describes Lucy as one who is cut off from the
world.
Lucy lives among the untrodden ways (where few
walk), and there are few there to praise or to love her. Lucy is lonely. This sense of
"oneness" is continued with observations of nature: there is one violet by a stone that
is half-hidden from view (perhaps easily missed); and the description of the star points
out that it is most beautiful when no other stars are visible: perhaps because it gets
lost in a crowded sky, perhaps as Lucy might be lost in a room full of people, and no
one would be able to fully appreciate her.
Living alone, it
was as if no one even noticed when she died, except the
poet.
The poem creates, with its imagery, a sense of
sadness, of being alone.
The meter consists of one line of
eight beats, followed by a second line of six beats. As the poem is read, there is
stress placed on the second of each pair of syllables. So in lines one and three, there
are four stressed syllables, and in lines two and four, there are three stressed
syllables. This pattern is repeated throughout the
poem.
The rhyme scheme is also simple: ABAB in each stanza.
This lends itself to the simple motion created by the
meter.
If one were to look deeply, it might sound—with this
meter—as if there is a rocking motion. With the knowledge that Lucy has died, the
swaying movement created with this structure might be like a casket being carried,
especially if there weren't enough pallbearers.
If Lucy has
lived alone and unnoticed, it is quite possible that when it comes time to lay her to
her rest, few men might have been available to help move the box, and the swaying would
have been pronounced. It seems a logical interpretation in light of the picture of
loneliness that has been presented in the poem.
(Note:
"Proof" is hard to come by in a poem. A poem speak differently to each individual who
reads it. This is my perception of the poem and the effect of the imagery and
meter.)
No comments:
Post a Comment