Alice Fell-William Wordsworth
Written in 1802
Based on a story that Dorothy tells in her journal in 1802: “Mr. Graham said
he wished Ww had been with him the other day-he was riding in a post-chaise
and he heard a strange cry that he could not understand, the sound continued
and he called to the chaise driver to stop It was a little girl that was crying as if
her heart would burst She had got up behind the chaise and her cloak had been
caught by the wheel and was jammed in and it hung there. She was crying
after it. Poor thing. Mr Graham took her into the chaise and the cloak was
released from the wheel but the child’s misery did not cease for her cloak had
been torn to rags; it had been a miserable cloak before, but she had no other
and it was the greatest sorrow that could befall her. Her name was Alice Fell.
She had no parents, and belonged to the next Town. At the next Town, Mr. G.
left money with some respectable people in the town to buy her a new cloak”.
Link to Romanticism – emotions, feelings, goodness of man
Lyrical Narration- emotionally musical (emotions expressed beautifully)
Easy, simple to understand
Message: Role of Humanity, State of the poor
Agony highlighted – lines 21-24, 37-40
Rhyme scheme-abab
Alice Fell, Or Poverty
The post-boy drove with fierce career,
For threatening clouds the moon had drowned;
When, as we hurried on, my ear
Was smitten with a startling sound.
As if the wind blew many ways,
I heard the sound, and more and more;
It seemed to follow with the chaise,
And still I heard it as before.
At length I to the boy called out;
He stopped his horses at the word,
But neither cry, nor voice, nor shout,
Nor aught else like it, could be heard.
The boy then smacked his whip, and fast
The horses scampered through the rain;
But, hearing soon upon the blast
The cry, I bade him halt again.
Forthwith alighting on the ground,
"Whence comes," said I, "this piteous moan?"
And there a little Girl I found,
Sitting behind the chaise, alone.
"My cloak!" no other word she spake,
But loud and bitterly she wept,
As if her innocent heart would break;
And down from off her seat she leapt.
"What ails you, child?"—she sobbed "Look here!"
I saw it in the wheel entangled,
A weather-beaten rag as e'er
From any garden scare-crow dangled.
There, twisted between nave and spoke,
It hung, nor could at once be freed;
But our joint pains unloosed the cloak,
A miserable rag indeed!
"And whither are you going, child,
To-night alone these lonesome ways?"
"To Durham," answered she, half wild
"Then come with me into the chaise."
Insensible to all relief
Sat the poor girl, and forth did send
Sob after sob, as if her grief
Could never, never have an end.
"My child, in Durham do you dwell?"
She checked herself in her distress,
And said, "My name is Alice Fell;
I'm fatherless and motherless.
"And I to Durham, Sir, belong."
Again, as if the thought would choke
Her very heart, her grief grew strong;
And all was for her tattered cloak!
The chaise drove on; our journey's end
Was nigh; and, sitting by my side,
As if she had lost her only friend
She wept, nor would be pacified.
Up to the tavern-door we post;
Of Alice and her grief I told;
And I gave money to the host,
To buy a new cloak for the old.
"And let it be of duffil grey,
As warm a cloak as man can sell!"
Proud creature was she the next day,
The little orphan, Alice Fell!
William Wordsworth
The Post-boy (carriage driver) drove with fierce career, (drove very fast)
For threat'ning clouds the moon had drown'd; (personification)
When suddenly I seem'd to hear (alliteration – flow of thoughts)
A moan, a lamentable sound. (sad sound)
As if the wind blew many ways (wind carried sound no matter what)
I heard the sound, and more and more: (persistent; persistent sounds)
It seem'd to follow with the Chaise,
And still I heard it as before.
At length I to the Boy call'd out,
He stopp'd his horses at the word; (alliteration; word-command)
But neither cry, nor voice, nor shout, (repetition of the negative-draws focus to the
sounds)
Nor aught else like it could be heard. (couldn’t hear the sound any longer)
The Boy then smack'd his whip, and fast (smacked-onomatopoeia, hit hard)
The horses scamper'd through the rain;
And soon I heard upon the blast (blast-thunder; onomatopoeia)
The voice, and bade him halt again.
Said I, alighting on the ground,
"What can it be, this piteous moan?" (onomatopoeia)
And there a little Girl I found,
Sitting behind the Chaise, alone. (the use of capital letters-puts focus on the ideas;
also in previous line)
"My Cloak!" the word was last and first, (capital letter – emphasizes importance;
cloak-important)
And loud and bitterly she wept,
As if her very heart would burst; (idiom)
And down from off the Chaise she leapt.
"What ails you, Child?" she sobb'd, "Look here!"
I saw it in the wheel entangled,
A weather beaten Rag as e'er (torn, beaten up rag)
From any garden scare-crow dangled. (metaphor – as if a garment put over a
scarecrow)
'Twas twisted betwixt nave and spoke; (alliteration; nave-central part of wheel;
spoke-radiating rods)
Her help she lent, and with good heed (heed - concentration)
Together we released the Cloak;
A wretched, wretched rag indeed! (repetition-emphasizing how ragged and torn the
cloak was)
"And whither are you going, Child,
To night along these lonesome ways?" (lonesome ways – pathetic fallacy. The
attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature;
for example, angry clouds)
"To Durham" answer'd she half wild—(mad)
"Then come with me into the chaise."
She sate like one past all relief; (hyperbole-no relief would come to her)
Sob after sob she forth did send (repetition-emphasizing her sadness, how she was
continuing the cry)
In wretchedness, as if her grief (unhappy, pitiable state)
Could never, never, have an end. (hyperbole, also repetition adds to the feeling of
forever, the extent of her sadness)
"My Child, in Durham do you dwell?"
She check'd herself in her distress, (gathered her wits about herself)
And said, "My name is Alice Fell;
I'm fatherless and motherless." (compassion, empathy aroused)
"And I to Durham, Sir, belong."
And then, as if the thought would choke (hyperbole)
Her very heart (idiom), her grief grew strong;
And all was for her tatter'd Cloak.
The chaise drove on; our journey's end
Was nigh; and, sitting by my side, (nigh-near)
As if she'd lost her only friend (simile)
She wept, nor would be pacified. (couldn’t be calmed)
Up to the Tavern-door we post; (post-stationed, tavern-inn)
Of Alice and her grief I told;
And I gave money to the Host, (host-innkeeper; shows goodness of man,
compassion and kindness-all romanticism)
To buy a new Cloak for the old.
"And let it be of duffil grey, (duffel-woollen and thick)
As warm a cloak as man can sell!"
Proud Creature was she the next day, (capital proud-emphasizes her pride)
The little Orphan, Alice Fell! (capital orphan-highlights being an orphan; the
stanza shows humanity at work – all romantic elements)
-THE END-
William Wordsworth's poem: Alice Fell
