The Lucy Poems Essay Questions

What do the "untrodden ways" communicate about Lucy in "She dwelt among the untrodden ways"

The "‘untrodden ways” refer specifically to the remote countryside where Lucy lived. However, on a deeper level, they represent the purity and lack of corruption to be found in the country—away from the vices of the city. This interpretation is typical of Romantic poetry, in which nature rules supreme. The "springs of Dove” further magnify the image of Lucy as a pure, virtuous woman.

How does the personified Nature amplify Lucy’s loveliness? in “Three years she grew in sun and shower”?

Wordsworth writes, “Three years she grew in sun and shower,/Then Nature said, "A lovelier flower/On earth was never sown.” Nature portrays Lucy as not only magnificent, but larger than life and full of vitality. She is described as the loveliest flower ever to exist on earth. She is also portrayed as a powerful creature who is capable of running across the meadows and climbing the mountains as a fawn would, evoking an image of grace and strength. Even running water will whisper to her and transmit its beauty to her. After all these experiences, she will stand tall with a bosom swelling with joy and pride, making her appear like an invincible goddess.

What mood do Lucy's memories inspire in the speaker in “I travelled among unknown men”?

Wordsworth elucidates, "Tis past, that melancholy dream!/Nor will I quit thy shore/A second time; for still I seem./To love thee more and more.” Reminiscences of Lucy trigger melancholy thoughts. However, this sadness does not imply that Wordsworth does not adore Lucy, for Wordsworth’s travels do not erase Lucy’s memory. His travels actually affirm the fact that Lucy was and remains his beloved, and he will carry her in his heart and memories forever. His life has been tinged with sadness, but at the heart of this pain is the memory of the woman he loved.

Describe the use and purpose of the antithetical terms in "Three years she grew in sun and shower."

In this poem, many contrasting images are portrayed. "Sun and shower," "law and impulse," "earth and heaven," "kindle and restrain," and "glade and bower" are all images that convey natural elements or behaviors that will govern Lucy's life. Through these images, nature conveys the idea that life is full of opposite feelings and experiences that must coexist. As a human being, one must make peace with these opposing forces in order to be happy and thrive.

What literary devices in "Strange fits of passion have I known" help build suspense in the poem?

In this poem, the speaker uses repetition of key phrases to establish a strongly visual setting and build suspense. The image of the moon appears first as an "evening moon," then a "sinking moon," and then a "descending moon," until it suddenly drops out of sight. This movement of the moon mirrors the movement of the speaker as he approaches his lover's cottage on horseback. The moon imagery gives an aura of mystery to his ride and has a sense of foreboding, as the sudden loss of moonlight insinuates that something bad may happen. Similarly, the speaker uses the phrase "hoof after hoof" to describe his horse's swift movement toward the cottage, propelling the reader forward toward the poem's surprising conclusion.