Daffodils

 

 

Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash

I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud
By William Wordsworth

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;
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
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:
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
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. 

When Wordsworth's poem was first published in 1807, little did he know that it would become one of his most well-known, and one of the most familiar poems in English Literature with its much quoted opening line. Some of you may have had to learn it by heart at school.

Daffodils are one of my favourite flowers and they are everywhere at the moment, cheering even the dullest of Spring days. There are 200 species of daffodil and over 25,000 cultivars. My favourites are the white ones with dark orange centres. 

I was unsure about the difference between daffodils and narcissi, but Google tells me that the latter is the botanical name and daffodil the English one. Then what exactly are jonquils?! Click here and here for answers to some daffodil-related questions. 

When I was a child I had a piano piece to practise called 'Dance of the Jonquils' by Montague Ewing; it came from a collection by the composer called 'Petals'. I have tried unsuccessfully to find it since. Click here to hear it.

One of the best places to see daffodils is Farndale in North Yorkshire. Click here for a video to find out more. 

In Greek mythology Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and subsequently pined away. The Narcissus flower sprang up and grew on the spot where he died.

You may know someone with a narcissistic personality. Click here to find out more.

Writing prompts:

• When was the last time you 'wandered lonely as a cloud?' Write about where you were and what you saw.
• Write about a time when you relaxed alone at home, maybe sprawled on a sofa, letting your thoughts wander and some pleasant memory sprang to your mind's eye. What did you see and remember?
• Do you know a narcissist? Write about them.
  

 

200 species of daffodil and over 25,000 cultivars

Read more at Gardening Know How: What Is The Difference Between Daffodil, Jonquil, And Narcissus https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/daffodil/daffodil-jonquil-and-narcissus.htm