Solitary Reaper—William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850)

The Solitary Reaper

By William Wordsworth
 

Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?—

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;—

I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

                                                                                                                                                       

  a)     What did the poet see? What request would he have placed before a passer-by?

The poet saw a lonely girl harvesting corn in a Highland field. She was singing and working alone. Her song against the backdrop of Scottish countryside enchanted the poet so much that he exhorted travellers or anyone not to disturb the girl.

b)    How was the song like? What was the poet’s immediate impression?

The Reaper’s song was melancholy and her loneliness enforced its effect on the poet. He felt as if the valley were overflowing with her solemn voice. The poet brings to us the picture of a river in spate.

c)     How did the poet compare the Reaper’s song to that of a Nightingale?

The poet felt in his enchantment that the Reaper’s song can soothe weary travellers in Arabia, as they approach an oasis after a long and tiring journey, just as a nightingale might do. However according to the poet the reaper’s song would be more appealing as it could revive travellers exhausted in desert heat.

d)    In what way was the Reaper’s song thrilling than that of a Cuckoo?

Generally, barren and cold, the islands of Hebrides would have a more melodious summer if the reaper’s song reached there. Her song had the power to override a cuckoo that usually sings prelude to a pleasant summer that is full of life and happiness. The reaper’s song could reach there, breaking the silence of the cold grey sea.

e)     Why did the poet make such unusual comparison?

Man has always been held captive by birds’ song, even no one ever understand their language. Similarly the reaper’s language, which was Gaelic, was incomprehensible to the poet though it did not mar the beauty and enchantment of her song. Also, the poet is of the view that the reaper’s song was as pure and natural as that of the birds. Thus, the poet made such comparisons.

f)      What according to the poet was the theme of the song?

Getting nowhere with the meaning, the poet was compelled to believe that the sad song spoke of some old, unhappy things that took place far off or about medieval battles. Given its poignancy, the song could also have been about the reaper’s present life, her day-to-day sorrow, loss or pain with which their life was made of recurring again and again.

g)     What was the poet’s ultimate impression in regard to the song?   

Wordsworth failed to make out the meaning of the song, however, he realised that the song couldn’t have an end. He felt the beauty of the song in its painful rendition as it spoke about loss and sorrow of rustic life of poor farmers.

h)    How was the poet influenced at the end and how did he react? 

The beauty of Scottish Highland and the flow of a sad song by a lone reaper were enough to hold the poet spell-bound for quite a long time. However, he broke free of the enchantment and took his way up the hill with the immortal music in his heart. Sadly, he never heard it again anywhere.  

i)       Why did the poet use two extreme climatic conditions?    

Wordsworth brought into focus two extreme climatic conditions of Arabian Sands and that of Hebrides to emphasise the natural soothing power of the reaper’s song, which according to him, even the nightingale and the cuckoo seem to possess but not as much as the reaper. In other words, the reaper’s song had the capacity far greater than these two birds are known to have.