The Solitary Reaper, By: Wordsworth

Original
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

First Impression
- The poem, The Solitary Reaper, is a poem about how a man is listening to a beautiful woman singing as she is cutting and binding the grain. Throughout the poem, the man is trying to figure out what the woman is singing and whether she is sad or happy. At the end of the poem, the man does not know what she was singing, but the song stuck to his heart.

Paraphrased
Behold, the person on the field,
A wonderful, young woman!
Harvesting and sing by herself;
Stopping, or just passing by!
She cuts and binds the grain by herself,
And sings a depressing tone;
O Listen! For the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale ever shown
More hospitality to weary groups
Of travelers in some shady haunt,
Among the desert:
A thrilling voice that has never been heard
During the spring from a cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Is anyone going to tell me what she is singing?—
Perhaps the lamenting numbers flow
For tired, sad, far away things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some suffering, loss, or pain,
That she is experiencing again?

Whatever it may be, the Maiden sang
And it does not look like it has an ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And over the sickle bending;—
I stood still and listened,
And as I go up the hill,
The music is in my heart, and it will stay there.

Syntax and Word choice
- The poem is written in four stanzas with one to two sentences per stanza. The word choice is modern English, with a few exceptions. Wordsworth replaces some modern words with whate’er and to-day.
Imagery
- The melancholy song symbolizes the status of the woman in the field. The setting of the poem can represent how the woman is isolated from the world. Finally, the nightingale represents the woman singing while travelers are passing by.
Figurative Language
- One example of metaphor in The Solitary Reaper was the comparison between the nightingale and the woman. Wordsworth states that the woman is like a nightingale singing to travelers passing by. There are no signs of simile.
Tone
- The tone of the poem was relaxed yet mysterious. One example is the man’s need to figure out what the woman is singing. At the same time, Wordsworth describes the song as soothing and enriching.
Theme
- The main theme of this poem is the theme of poetry. Wordsworth wants to show the reader that poetry is not restricted to just plain words. Songs can be considered poetry as well.

Final Conclusion
- After using SWIFTT on The Solitary Reaper, I can see the imagery and the figurative language clearly. The only thing I do not fully understand is the theme of the poem. Also, I can relate to the man and his curiosity to find out what the woman was singing about.