Summary of William Wordsworth’s The Reverie of Poor Susan


About the Poet: William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was one of the exponents of romantic poetry who had a considerable role in the development of the Romantic Movement in England. His poems are marked with the pantheistic creed and romantic imagination. His oeuvre consists of reflective poems, lyrics, odes and sonnets .Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey and Ode on Intimations of Immortality are some mentionable work of Wordsworth.
Source of the Poem: The Reverie of Poor Susan is a romantic poem written in 1797 at Alfoxden. Later, it was published in the collection of Lyrical Ballads in 1798.
About the poem: This is a lyric poem which revolves round the emotional experience of the emigrant girl, Susan. The girl recollects the fond memories of her native land in the countryside after listening to the melodious song of a thrush while passing through the Wood Street on a misty morning. She falls into a deep trance instantly. She envisioned a picture of a serene rustic scene contrary to the din and bustle of the mercantile city. The word ‘reverie’ means a state of being pleasantly lost in thought or daydreaming.
 In the early morning at the corner of the Wood Street, a thrush sings aloud as usual. For the past three years Susan, the poor girl has heard the bird sing while passing the spot. The bird’s mellifluous tune breaking the silence of the morning creates a different atmosphere. No doubt Susan is thrilled to hear it but it appears that something is tormenting her. In her mind, she visualizes a huge mountain surrounded by trees amid the layer of mist that covered the streets of Lothbury and in the valley of Cheapside, an industrial area; she imagines a river flowing gently. She envisages lush green pastures just like her village where she uses to trip down with a bucket to fetch water. She envisions a small cottage, her humble abode, just like a dove’s nest. It is a heavenly feeling for her to think about the place she loves the most. Unfortunately the imaginary vision is bound to fade. The misty mountain, the flowing river and all the colours vanish from her sight. Finally, she returns to the realm of harsh reality.
The poem offers a spiritual illumination too. This reflective poem has its moments of self oblivion .By juxtaposing the morning splendor of the mercantile milieu with the rustic scene; he gave a profound and varied expression to the specific vision.



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