Daffodils by William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Stanza I
Paraphrase
I went here and there like a cloud that moves over valleys and hills. Just there I suddenly saw a
large number of golden daffodils. They were close to a lake under trees. They were moving this
way and that, and were dancing in the gentle wind.
Q. 1. What was Wordsworth doing when he saw the daffodils?
Ans: Wordsworth was walking here and there in open fields when he saw the daffodils. He saw
them in his careless mood.
Q . 2. Where were the daffodils when Wordsworth saw them? How were the flowers in
appearance?
Ans. The daffodils were under trees, close to the lake. They were beautiful flowers of golden
colour.
Q. 3 How many were the daffodils and how were they moving?
Ans: The daffodils were perhaps thousands or millions in number. The poet could never count them
but he estimated them to be ten thousand in number. The flowers were moving in such a way that in
the soft-blowing wind they looked like dancing in joy.
Syed Mujtaba
Stanza II Hashmi
MS Linguistics
Paraphrase
M.Ed
The daffodils were overextended like the stars that shine in the sky and twinkle on the milky way.
They were spread in endless lines along the border of the lake. I saw ten thousand flowers in one
look. The flowers were dancing and moving their heads actively from side to side. They were in a
great joy.
Q. 1. What does the poet mean when he says that the daffodils were “continuous as the stars
that shine and twinkle on the milky way”?
Ans: The poet means that the daffodils were many and uncountable like the stars on the Milky
Way. They were stretched in endless lines beautifully. There were bright and beautiful like the
stars. The poet has used a smile here.
Q. 2. How would you explain the line “They stretched in never-ending line?
Ans: The daffodils were lying in the form of lines. The poet could not see any end to those lines. So
the flower were too many. Rather they were uncountable that’s why the poet called then never-
ending line.
Q. 3. How did the daffodils look when the poet saw them close to the bay? What can you say
about the mood of the poet?
Ans: The daffodils looked like dancing in great joy. Wordsworth himself was in a very happy
mood. So, he felt that the flowers were also dancing joyfully. We fell that the poet’s thoughts were
dancing in joy.
Stanza III
Paraphrase
The waves danced next to the daffodils flowers. But the daffodils danced better in joy than the
dancing waves. A poet (like me) could not avoid his happiness in such joyful company. I looked
and looked constantly ant the flowers. I could not think about the great wealth (of happiness) that
the scene had brought to me.
Q. 1. How did the waves look like when the poet saw them with the daffodils?

Ans: The poet was in a very happy mood. He felt that the waves were dancing in joy with the
daffodils. The daffodils and the waves were in a happy competition of dancing. But the poet
thought that the daffodils danced better.
Q. 2. How could you explain the line “but they outdid the sparkling waves in glee?”
Ans: The poet felt that the waves of the lake and the daffodils were dancing together. He also felt
that the daffodils were dancing better than the waves. Perhaps he like the beauty and movements of
the daffodils more.
Q.3. How did the poet feel when he looked at the happy company of the waves and the
daffodils?
Ans: The poet felt that he was in the happy company of the waves and the daffodils. He looked at
them closely. He took it as a grand presentation or show of the dance by them. It was more than a
common scene in nature to him.
Or
First the daffodils and the waves were extremely beautiful. Then their natural artistic dance was
even more mesmerizing to the great poet.
Stanza IV Syed Mujtaba
Hashmi
Paraphrase MS Linguistics
M.Ed
Often I lie on my sofa in a sad or serious mood. In this mood, the daffodils come suddenly to my
mind or thoughts. This is a great blessing for me in my lonely condition. My heart is filled with
happiness. In this happy mood, my heart also starts dancing with the daffodils.
Q. 1. What does the poet feel when he lies on his couch or sofa in a sorrowful (sad) mood?
Ans: The poet feels that the scene of the daffodil flowers in before him. He begins feeling happy. It
is a strange kind of happiness in his sadness.
Q. 2. What is the “inward eye”? Explain the line “They flash upon the inward eye”.
Ans: The “inward eye” is the poet’s imagination. He feels suddenly in his imagination that the
daffodils are dancing with the waves before him brightly. He begins to feel happy and satisfied.
Q. 3. What do “bliss” and “solitude” mean? What is the bliss of solitude in this stanza?
Ans: “Bliss” means the blessing of God or great joy. “Solitude” means loneliness in his thoughts,
the daffodils provide great joy to the poet when his is in a sad mood. He remembers them and feels
happy and satisfied.