The Daffodils

The Daffodils is a very famous poem written by William Wordsworth, because of how famous the poem is I was initially expecting it to be so much more complex and “over the top”than it actually was. I felt that I would struggle to understand and analyze the poem just as I do Shakespeare and so many other great poets.  However, my initial reaction to the poem was actually the polar opposite. The poem is well written but it is simple and easy to understand, yet somehow it still captivates the reader and instills in them the feeling he describes himself as experiencing. It may sound silly ,but I feel as though I can actually see in front of me a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

I didn’t feel as intimidated or confused by this poem as I am with most poetry. However, I couldn’t stop think about what the meaning of ‘inward eye’ is in the poem. Is it the soul? The heart? or ones mind? I feel as though knowing what the ‘inward eye’ is could be a critical component in fully understanding the poem.  Another poem that I was introduced to in class is A Work of Artifice written by Piercy. This poem was a lot more challenging than the Daffodils for me to comprehend. The author begins the poem talking about a bonsai tree, and I think one of the reasons I misinterpreted the poem is because I had never laid eyes on a bonsai tree. I did a quick search on google for a bonsai tree and after I saw just how small, delicate and beautiful the plant is, I was able to establish that the poem was indeed about a woman. I came to the conclusion that this was definitely a romantic poem as Piercy even describes her ‘hair in curlers.’ I got a much better understanding of the poem and I was able to appreciate it a lot more after we analyzed it in class. I realized that poetry isn’t necessarily difficult or impossible to understand, it is just meant to be read with open eyes and an open mind.