twinkle twinkle little star

The way William Wordsworth invites us to participate in the experience his poem is about is through whimsical imagery and personification. Wordsworth begins his poem describing himself as a "lonely" cloud that "floats". It is no coincidence that he chose these two words to set the stage of his poem. When he says he is a lonely cloud the scene he is depicting is a cloudless (stereotypically beautiful) sky and clear day. He uses the term "float"; if one is floating it implies a carefree mindset, such that nothing is weighing them down. Then he notices "A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze". A “host” of flowers provides the image of a large area covered in daffodils that are gently moving in the breeze. Saying that they are "fluttering" implies the breeze is light, not a heavy wind, and most likely a pleasant temperature. He goes on to describe how the daffodils look endless like the stars. In non-urban areas there is not a piece of sky without a star in it, so once again, many daffodils, but not too many. He mentions again the movement of the flowers "tossing their heads in sprightly dance". If someone tosses their head it is usually back in laughter, hence another positive image of the flowers laughing and gently moving in the breeze. This is further supported by his use of the word "sprightly" dancing. A sprite is a fairy- very cheerful, beautiful, and graceful. He describes the lake, filling the reader’s head with the images of gently rolling waves and flowers lining the bank. He also mentions for a third time the "dancing" flowers. Wordsworth concludes his poem stating that any poet could not be anything but happy if he was in the company of such a gorgeous sight. Finishing with the statement that anytime he is sad in his home he will just think back to that image and smile.