BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem The Solitary Reaper (William Wordsworth) Important Questions

To view other ADP & BA English Poem notes. Please Click Here.

To view Complete ADP & BA English Notes. Please Click Here.

Question 1: The poem deals with a common experience of life. Discuss.

Describe the scene presented in this poem.

Answer: The Solitary Reaper is a personal poem in which the poet has narrated his personal experience. During his tour to Scotland, he happened to see the solitary reaper. She was reaping the crop and singing a song. She appeared a part of the beauty of nature.

Her lovely presence and enchanting voice forced the poet to write this visit in verse. The poet compared the melody of the girl's voice with that of the singing nightingale. Her song was more soothing than that of the nightingale.

Her voice was thrilling. It was more thrilling than the voice of the cuckoo bird which broke the silence of the seas in the spring season. Though the poet could not understand the song of the girl yet he guessed that song was true in its nature.

The poet was impressed by the song that he could not forget it in his future life. She was a simple rustic girl. Her presence and physical appearance were simple. She was not a modern lady. But the poet was inspired by the song she presented.

He considered her a part of nature. She was as beautiful as natural surroundings. Her song appeared to be unending to the poet. For all these reasons we can say that the poem deals with the common experience of life.

Most of the words used are from everyday life experiences, field, lass, cuts, thrilling, matter, sorrow, maiden, music, etc having musical as well as thrilling matter, sorrow, maiden as pictorial qualities.

Question 2: What is the significance of the song in the Solitary Reaper?

Discuss the central idea of the poem, The Solitary Reaper.

The poem leaves a lasting impression on the poet's mind. Discuss

Why does Wordsworth call the Solitary Reaper's song A melancholy strain?

How has the poet used the idea of association and memories?

Answer: The solitary reaper in the poem was reaping or cutting the crop and then singing beautifully while continuing her work. She was all alone in the mountain valley and only the poet could see her and listen to her. Wordsworth was a romantic poet.

He was highly imaginative and could feel the beauties of nature in unusual ways. He could appreciate the fine shades of a singing voice in romantic mountainous surroundings. The voice of the highland girl left a soothing impact on the poet's mind. The most forceful lines of this poem are:

The music in my heart I bore

Long after it was heard no more

Wordsworth felt that the Scottish girl was singing a melancholy song. Again he called her verses or song plaintive. He did not understand her language. He did not know what the song was about. He liked it because of its sad and serious and sweet tone or music.

The poet was so much impressed by the music of the girl's song. Although his meeting with the girl was temporary yet he remembered her song and music in his later life. Her song and voice became the permanent source of pleasure for the poet.

It was an unforgettable incident of his life. He remembered her personality and song in his rushed life. This memory gave him a soothing impact. The girl's song created a connection between its note and the poet's inner sadness.

Question 3: The Solitary Reaper by Wordsworth is a romantic poem. Discuss.

What are the elements of romanticism in The Solitary Reaper? Elaborate.

Answer: The Solitary Reaper is a romantic poem. It has all the elements of romantic poetry. Firstly, the poem deals with the life of common people. In this poem, a highland girl is a common girl. She is innocent and lovely. 

Secondly, the poem is full of romantic images as the field, reaping and singing, alone she cuts, highland lass, Arabian sands, springtime, etc. Thirdly, the poem is written in simple and direct language.

Fourthly, the girl is a representative of pure natural beauty. She appears in the poem as an object of nature. As Wordsworth is a famous poet of nature so he describes the effect of nature on the human mind.

According to him nature never betrays the heart of a lover who loves all-natural beautiful scenes. Nature is always a source of pleasure and joy for human beings. The poem is one of the most beautiful and romantic poems of Wordsworth as almost all main characteristics of romanticism are found in it. 

Like all the romantic poets Wordsworth also has a keen interest in the long ago, remote, and far off places. Here he ponders on the theme of the song but is at a loss to understand it. He likes to think that the song may be about some battles long ago.

Far old, unhappy, far-off things

And battles long ago

The atmosphere of the surroundings where the girl is singing is full of strange loneliness. The valley in which the young girl is reaping and singing a sad song is a far-off place. It is beyond the common experience of life. The young girl has a sweet voice but she is singing a melancholy song.

A voice so thrilling nev'r was heard

In springtime from the cuckoo bird

The subjective feelings, love of nature, and sad mood of the poet indicate that it is a romantic poem. Lyricism, pictorial quality, romantic atmosphere, and sad sentiments are the main feature of this poem.