The Connection between the Natural Scene and the Speaker's State of Mind in William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" Sharon Marom

William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is a lyric poem, which deals with the speaker's state of mind. The description of the process, which the speaker goes through, is represented by a natural scene where the speaker, plants and the surroundings become united. The poem is written in a figurative language, combining images, similes and words that denote mood, atmosphere and colors to reflect the changes in the speaker's position. These changes are physical, psychological and emotional. In this essay I will discuss the connection between the natural scene and the speaker's state of mind by analyzing the imagery and figurative language of the poem.

The poem begins with a simile, which the speaker uses to describe his process of wondering or thinking as the aimless, free, metaphysical wandering of a cloud in its celestial route above earth: "I wandered lonely as a cloud"(l.1). The speaker has no intention or purpose in his actions; he lets the muse, or the wind, carry him off to where it might lead him. Just like the cloud, earthly rules or occurrences do not bound him. However, despite the freedom and the absence of some kinds of attachments or obligations, the speaker finds himself...