Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Host of Daffodils

Today was a sparkling spring day with real warmth in the sun and clear blue sky. Mum and I went to an open day at a local daffodil growers property and we enjoyed the scent, sight and show of masses of daffodils. I love the shapes and colours of daffodils, but I think I love them that little bit more because they signify the end of winter and the welcome arrival of spring.

Funnily enough as we were wandering around we both thought of the poem by William Wordsworth. Mum could remember 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' and I remembered 'A host of golden daffodils' but that's all we could remember. Google made it easy to find the whole poem simply by searching the first line. So here is the poem along with a few photos I took of the daffodils.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er
vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.






2 comments:

Dave said...

Nice Carolyn. Like you I only knew a part of that poem, so thanks for repeating it. It was a pleasure to read it again - Dave

A Prunepicker's Posting said...

"A Host of Daffodils" bring to mind such happy memories. It's the last of a bright summer day here and reading the poem is a beautiful close.

Thanks Carolyn,

Diana