Analysis of "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways" by Wordsworth
"She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways" by Wordsworth is a three-stanza poem that combines elegy and ballad elements to lament the death of Lucy, a character portrayed as isolated and pure. The poem describes Lucy's solitude, uniqueness, and the poet's deep affection for her, ultimately portraying her as a gift of nature. The ambiguity surrounding Lucy's nature adds to the poem's mystique and poetic depth.
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She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways W . Wordsworth Type : it is a three-stanza poem rhyming abab .It has the characteristics of an elegy ( the poet laments Lucy s death) and a ballad (the poem tells a bit of story).
Analysis The poem is a short piece from Wordsworth s Lucy Poems . It deals with a girl named Lucy. The first stanza presents Lucy as lonely , isolated girl unnoticed by others except the poet himself. We are told that Lucy dwelt among the untrodden ways\ beside the springs of Dove . Literally , it refers to where she lived. The phrase beside the springs of Dove gives us an image of a fairly remote area , away from the city and closer to nature . It also tells us that she lived in isolation and solitude. The reason is not clear . We are not told for sure whether Lucy chose to live alone or she was forced by some circumstances to do so.
The First Stanza She is an exceptional character and has few associations with people. Her purity is shown through the words maid and springs of Dove .The word springs indicates the mouth of a river , so it can add the idea of remoteness too.
The Second Stanza The poet uses simple , ordinary images to describe Lucy as a maid. Through metaphor , the poet sees the girl as a violet covered with mossy stone . Normally , a violet blooms within a bed of leaves so it is hard to recognize by people . Then , it adds more to her isolation and loneliness. The poet also uses simile to enhance the girl s loneliness. The girl is compared to a single star shining in the sky. As it is mentioned, the star appears to highlight the girl s brightness. In brief, we can see her as a violet among cluster of green leaves, and the only star which shines brightly. So , her uniqueness and simplicity are evident.
The Third Stanza We are again told that she lived unknown so much that almost no one knew when she died. But , the surprising and heartfelt conclusion of the poem shows that Lucy did not live unnoticed . The poet noticed her beauty and obviously loved her and will mourn greatly for her death . The expression oh is an emotional reaction at the girl s untimely death. Throughout the poem , Lucy is seen as a gift , a product of nature. The loss of the girl is evident at the end of the poem as she ceased to be .The poet then has been left him sad and depressed but still the rest are unaffected by her death.
About the poem The poet provides a typical romantic setting for a child of nature , pure , simple and beautiful as Nature itself. who is Lucy ? It is in vain to find if Lucy was a real country girl Wordsworth was in love with or she was an imaginary character embodying Wordsworth s ideal of simple country girl . But , it is mostly agreed that Lucy stands for Nature which is appreciated , loved by very few.
