Second Year English Notes Sindh Board THE SOLITARY REAPER

THE SOLITARY REAPER

(William Wordsworth)

"The Solitary Reaper" opens with the speaker directing our attention to a solitary reaper (someone who cuts down crops—like corn or rye—by hand). She's singing in a field somewhere. She's a highland lass, and she's singing while she works. It's kind of a sad song, but it's definitely more thrilling than a cuckoo's song in the Hebrides (sure, what isn't?) and different than anything you might hear from a nightingale. The speaker loves the song, but he can't understand any of it. He wonders if she's singing about old battles and other sad stuff from forever ago, or if she's singing about something humbler. Either way, he notes that she's singing as if her song will never end. He watches, enraptured, not moving at all. At the end he quietly walks away, keeping the woman's music in his heart for a long time after. 
                                                                                                                          

Q1-   Briefly describes what happened to the poet while he was traveling?

Ans.  While the poet was traveling on the mountain, with his companion he saw a girl. She was singing a melodious song in her native language, the poet impressed very much with the sweet sound of the girl. He listened to her song silently and although the song was not in the poet’s language he impressed so much that he composed a poem.

Q2-   Briefly describe how William Wordsworth enjoyed the song?

Ans.  The girl who was singing a song while she was reaping the crop became a complete source of nature for the poet. Her attractive sound impressed the poet so much that he could not remain silent and composed a poem. Her natural sound became the source of joy for the poet who compares the song with the melodies sounds of nightingale and cuckoo. Even after the song was over and the poet approached his work he, in his imagination, enjoyed the song. It remained a source of joy for the poet in his remaining life.



Q.3 Why did the poet compare the song of the solitary reaper with those of the nightingale and the cuckoo - bird? What did he think of the maiden's song?
Ans. The poet was deeply moved by the sweet melancholic song of the Highland Lass. It was so profound that be compared it with the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo - bird. The nightingale sings to welcome weary travelers in the Arabian Desert - the maiden's singing is compared to the soothing effect of the nightingales singing on the travelers. Similarly, the cuckoo - bird's song announces the onset of spring in the Hebrides island and this singing is so pleasant that it breaks the silence of the gloomy winter - the maiden's singing has the same effect on the poet. The entire valley was overflowing with this music and the melody lingered on in the poet’s ears long after she had completed singing her song.