The Daffodils
Theme:
The overall theme of this poem is to enjoy nature in its element. Filling your senses with the beauty and wonder of nature is not a waste of time but the normality of life. Nature is spiritual, uplifting, vital and a soul-cleansing for the whole person. However, people sometimes fail to appreciate nature's wonders as they go about their daily routines. Therefore, the poet is trying to convey the message that if human being took time to refresh by taking a walk and enjoy simple things like daffodils dancing in the breeze, we would have a leisurely mental status and a good quality of life. Also, in his eyes, nature can not only refresh oneself and fill one with happiness, but it can also be reduced into a beautiful memory which will comfort one’s heart when in solitude.
Diction:
“crowd”
The poet used to word crowd to compare the amount of daffodils with a crowd of people. The word crowd brings to mind an image of the daffodils chattering amongst one another, leaning their heads near each other in the wind which brings out the personification.
“golden”.
Denotative: Having a bright, rich, yellow colour, like golden.
Connotative: Glaring, splendid and breath-taking image.
The poet chose the word golden instead of yellow to show the visual impact at first sight. Golden gives the reader a splendid image and a feeling of rapture which the word “yellow” doesn’t obtain. In addition, the word “Star” in the second stanza looks back to “golden” to enhance the image.
“Fluttering”.
The fluttering has the meaning of to move gently in air. It combines the word “dancing” and “breeze” to impress the reader with an active and brioso imagery which obeys the overall tone of this poem. Besides this, the word “twinkle” in the second stanza also looks back to reinforce the joyful feeling.
“breeze”.
Denotative: A gentle wind.
Connotative: Create the atmosphere of daffodils dancing like women’s hair flowing in the wind....