New Criticism applied to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth’s famous work “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” paints a picture of

profound happiness when the lyrical self is exposed to nature’s beauty. Moreover, it describes
how happiness can be brought about even when we find ourselves in complete solitude, by
simply using our imagination.

The poem starts off depicting the lyrical self in an observer’s position, characterized as a “cloud”
that “floats on high o’er vales and hills,”. The idea of “cloud” can also be used to represent a
state of dreaming or light-headedness, and helps to place the lyrical self in a certain state of
mind. The second verse depicts the swift movement of the lyrical self and the large amount of
ground it covers. Afterwards, it comes across “A host, of golden daffodils;”. Here, the daffodils
are extensively personified, being organised into a “crowd”, and then a “host”, both words being
used to add weight to the flowers and clearly define them with respect to the rest of the world.
The use of “host” could hint at the strongly independent nature of the daffodils, who are then
further personified by dancing in the breeze. These last verses of the first stanza are used to
define the object of the lyrical self’s observation. The daffodils become the main characters of
the poem, and they are outlined in a manner that makes them passable for actual living
characters. Their apparent fluttering and dancing shows their inherent happiness, which they
proudly display for everyone to see.

The second stanza resumes the daffodils’ description by giving a size to their “host”, which is
“Continuous as the stars that shine”. The daffodils are so numerous that they cover the entire
ground near the bay, but this time the lyrical self also provides a specific number: Ten thousand.
The dance is also mentioned once more, reinforcing the happy nature that the flowers possess.

The third stanza begins with the introduction of the waves, who also begin to dance beside the
daffodils, however the flowers, possessed as they are of a sprightly, fluttering and continuous
dance, gracefully dodge them. Then, a third element is introduced: the poet, also in the position
of an observer. The lyrical self then begins to morph into the poet and marvel at the display of

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innocent joy that the daffodils bring, gazing upon them for a long time, but not realising how
valuable it actually is.

The fourth stanza presents the reader with an entirely different setting; the lyrical self sitting on a
couch, presumably in his home, describes his experiences whenever he often finds himself in a
meditative mood. He tells of how the daffodils re-appear “upon that inward eye”, which refers to
imagination – the eye of the mind – and how they bring upon him a feeling of intense pleasure.
Furthermore, he describes the “inward eye” to be the “bliss of solitude”, further expanding his
idea of happiness as a state which can be self-induced through the use of imagination, whenever
one finds themselves alone or in a deep thoughtful mood, imagination is used to produce a state
of happiness – itself a product of the vivid imagery and feelings that imagination can convey.

The poem, as a whole, is rich in both vocabulary and meaning, whilst maintaining a simplistic
selection of metaphors. It is easy to understand and relatable, as it deals with a natural process of
the human mind – its ability to convey happiness through past emotions and experiences, by
reliving them through the “inward eye”.