Author: William Wordsworth Title: To a Butterfly Year: 1801

Subject:

The poem talks about a butterfly that the poet sees, but also this butterfly makes the poet remember his chirlhood.

Theme:

First of all the poet talks about the butterfly but this is not one of the main themes. The butterfly is used by the poet to introduce us in his mind to show us his feelings.

Meaning:

The poem is not ambiguous at all. The poet talks about his childhood in a colloquial language because he wants that people understand him.

Tone and mood:

As has been sain, the author wrote the poem in a every-day language. He wants to show to us his feelings and thoughts, that’s why he does not use an ironic language, it has to be easy to get people to read his poems.

Interesting details:

The poet is describing the moment and he does it using several images to do the comprehension easy.

Key images:

There are several images in this poem:

- “Self poised... feed”: Using this image the poet makes us imagine what he is seeing, a butterfly poised in a flower. He introduces us in his doubts, because it’s difficult to know if the butterfly is sleeping or feeding, and that’s difficult to us to see that.

- “What joy... again”: This image shows us a forest and in the middle of the trees, a butterfly flying away to avoid the breeze find it.

- “Sit near... are now”: The poet introduce us, with this image, in his feelings, his thoughts. This image shows us a child playing in a forest with the butterflies.

Personal opinion:

The poem is totally understandable because the poet uses a clear language. He does not use the irony or the humour because he wants people like me understand him.

On the other hand, the poet puts several images to introduce us in his own mind. With these images, he shows his childhood, his life, all the things that he wants that we understand. I think he uses these pictures to make us see the world around him, all of his natural feelings, and he gets it showing a world that all of us can see because the poem is located in the nature in our world.

"To A Butterfly" (1801)

I'VE watched you now a full half-hour;
Self-poised upon that yellow flower
And, little Butterfly! indeed
I know not if you sleep or feed.
How motionless!--not frozen seas
More motionless! and then
What joy awaits you, when the breeze
Hath found you out among the trees,
And calls you forth again!

This plot of orchard-ground is ours;
My trees they are, my Sister's flowers;
Here rest your wings when they are weary;
Here lodge as in a sanctuary!
Come often to us, fear no wrong;
Sit near us on the bough!
We'll talk of sunshine and of song,
And summer days, when we were young;
Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.

________________________

STAY near me--do not take thy flight!
A little longer stay in sight!
Much converse do I find in thee,
Historian of my infancy!
Float near me; do not yet depart!
Dead times revive in thee:
Thou bring'st, gay creature as thou art!
A solemn image to my heart,
My father's family!

Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days,
The time, when, in our childish plays,
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased the butterfly!
A very hunter did I rush
Upon the prey:--with leaps and springs
I followed on from brake to bush;
But she, God love her, feared to brush
The dust from off its wings.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Poetry/WordsworthButterfly.htm