Question

Lucy from Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems was most likely _____.

Wordsworth's wife, Lucy Shelley
Wordsworth's daughter
a composite character
none of these

Answer 1

a composite character

Lucy in William Wordsworth’s poem She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways was most likely a composite character whose life represents any of the women in his community or a combination of women characters who have made an impression on him as a child or as a man. He wrote it when he was 28 years old. Lucy cannot be Wordsworth wife because she is depicted as a “maid” or an unmarried woman, who lived unnoticed and died known only by a few. She could not be the poet’s daughter also because he was referring to an adult woman in his poem.

Lucy could therefore be a representation of any of the single, lonely women who have lived quiet and simple lives. She symbolizes women whose beauty was not appreciated and whose life has ended unfulfilled, without a son or daughter to continue her bloodline.

Answer 2

Lucy from Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems was most likely a composite character.
It is still a heated debate who these poems refer to - some critics think they are based on his sister, Dorothy; most critics believe that Lucy is a made-up character, not based on anyone from real life. This means that A and B are wrong here. C should be the correct answer - because Lucy is probably a mixture of many characters, both from fiction and Wordsworth's real life acquaintances, which is what a composite character actually is.