Poem "The Solitary Reaper"

Questions & Answers

Q1:   What does the poet mean by, “Stop here or gently pass”?

He means that the passersby, if they are interested in the reaper’s song, then they stop there and listen to the song. If not, than, they should quietly, go away.

Q2:   Explain the lines “The music in my heart I bore long after it was heard no more”

The poet preserved the reaper song in his heart as he did not know the words. Long afterwards when it could not be heard any more, he could still enjoy the song, just by thinking about it.

Q3:   Why does the poet compare the reaper’s song to the two birds?

Because, both the nightingale and the cuckoo are two song birds, which are famous for their lovely song but according to the poet the song of the reaper is more melodious than the two birds.

Summary

About the Poet

Williams Words Worth is a poet who has developed his own immensely valuable theories concerning poetry. This is the reason why he possesses a unique and artificial style. His work shows his life long love for natural beauty, which gives hi the title Poet of Nature.

About the Poem

The poem entitled The Solitary Reaper relates to an incident, which deeply inspired the poet when he was walking alone through the barren hills of Scotland. He was fascinated by the sweet voice of a girl, who was singing a song in her native language.

Summary

The poet was on one of his long walks along the barren hills of Scotland when he saw a young girl. She was all alone in the field, harvesting the crops and singing a song in a pensive tone. The poet was profoundly fascinated by the bewitching melody and her voice left an everlasting and indelible impression on the mind of the poet. This impression motivated the poet to write a poem in appreciation of the melodious voice of the girl.

The poet says that the voice of the girl scattered all over the deep valley. He says that the musical notes of the young singer are symmetrical to the thrilling songs of the Nightingale and the Cuckoo. They were far sweeter than the humming of birds and impressed the heart deeply. The sweet melody appeals to the tired travelers of the Arabian Desert, who need relaxation after a long and monotonous journey. The voice leaves a deeper impact than the song sung by the Cuckoo birds. It gives more than just breaking the serenity and tranquility of the lonely seas.

The poet says that although he failed to understand the exact wordings of the song, as the girl was singing in her native language, he could feel the sorrow and grief in her voice. It was a song of lamentation describing some suffering of every day life.

In the end, the poet realizes that although he would never again get the opportunity to listen to that melodious voice, it would remain fresh in his mind forever. The beautiful gift of nature the girl had, became a source of ceaseless joy for the poet.

“Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory.”

- Sir Thomas Beecham