1] I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
[5] Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
[10] Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
[15] A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
[20] In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
What happens in the first stanza?
The poet describes a time that he felt lonely and came upon a field of daffodils.
The poet ponders the meaning of life and the challenges and joys of the hills and valleys.
The poet reflects on a moment when he realized that nature could be gentle or harsh.
The poet sees an amazing view from the mountaintops he has just finished climbing.