Solitary Reaper Critical Summary

Solitary Reaper Critical Summary: a wonderful poem by William Wordsworth. For him, “poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions”. Wordsworth is a romantic poet. Once he passes a valley and listens to the song of a girl. The song is in some different language but Wordsworth likes this song very much. The girl, unaware of Wordsworth, keeps on singing spontaneously and continues cutting the grain. He declares it even more beautiful than the song of nightingale and cuckoo bird.

He listened “motionless and still”. Wordsworth says that the “vale profound was overflowing with the sound”. The poet says tha it seemed as if the whole valley was attentive to the maiden’s song. The poet is careless as to the meaning of the song, what matters is the song.

He was Wordsworth does not know what the song is about; a war, a calamity, love or else. He can never forget the beauty and spontaneity of the song: “the music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more”. Beauty is an immortal object to all romantic poets. John Keats says:

“Beauty is truth, truth is beauty
That’s all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”.

An objection may be raised for how Wordsworth could like the song without understanding it. It goes very simple because if we can like the song of a “Nightingale” without understanding the meaning of its sounds, in the same way the song of the maiden is liked by the poet. For:

“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever”.

The poem, “Solitary Reaper”, is a classic illustration of Romantic poetry with typical Wordsworth’s style. We know Wordsworth for creating awe inspiring natural scenes that create everlasting impact on the readers’ hearts and minds. The romantic appeal of the poem could not be ignored keeping in view the music, rhythm, allusions and inferences as well as the spontaneity of the emotions flowing from either from the lonely maiden that “cuts and binds the grain” while singing.

The most extreme level of emotional and romantic appeal is the impact that is created by drawing the unseen yet visible lines between the sweetness of human emotions and its spontaneity by crossing the barriers of language and clime.

Further Reading to the poem Solitary Reaper Critical Summary:

1. Poetry
2. BA English Notes
3. BA English Syllabus
4. Solitary Reaper Text
5. Leisure Full Text.
6. Tartary
7. New Year Resolutions
8. Woman Work
9. Rebel
10. The Huntsman
11. All the Worlds a Stage
12. Solitary Reaper – Summary
13. Solitary Reaper Text
14. One Art
15. Departure and Arrival – Summary
16. Departure and Arrival – Text
17. After Apple Picking – Summary
18. After Apple Picking – Themes
19. After Apple Picking – Text
20. Lights Out
21. Because I Could not Stop for Death
22. Hawks Monologue
23. When I have Fears
24. Kubla Khan

References & Research to the poem Solitary Reaper Critical Summary:

1. Wordsworth as a Romantic Poet
2. Solitary Reaper Critical Summary
3. Know about Wordsworth