“Poetry is ‘the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings . . . recollected in tranquility.'”~William Wordsworth
Sir William WordsWords proved to be quite popular back when I did my poetry survey, with three poems in the Top 100 list. Wordsworth’s Lucy poems are comprised of five poems written between the years of 1798 and 1801. Nobody knows quite who this Lucy person was, or even if she was a real girl or just a figment of Mr. Wordsworth’s imagination. However, she seems to have evoked some powerful feelings in Mr. Wordsworth.
Charles Lamb said that Lucy II was one of his favorite poems from Lyrical Ballads, the famous collection of peoms by Wordsworth and Coleridge that initiated the Romantic movement in poetry and literature. Keats also singled out this particular poem for praise.
VIII
Composed 1799, publ 1800
She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love;
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
– Fair as a star when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!
The poem rather reminds me of Engineer Husband’s favorite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life!
Today’s Poetry Friday Round-up is at Laura Shovan’s blog, Author Amok.
Today, by the way, is Tennyson’s birthday. We’ll get to him soon.
What a wonderful poetic mystery. Thanks for sharing the poem. Those violets are lovely.
Had a wonderful time reading this. Lovely:)
WHAT A LOVELY EXPRESSION OF LOVE. I RELATE TO IT SO WELL. I AM A POET AND I FELT THIS SO DEEPLY.