She Dwelt Among The Untrodden Ways

By William Wordsworth

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 tone

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 for me.

Notes

1 untrodden ways: places where people seldom go to

2 Dove: the name of the springs

3 A Maid whom there were none to praise

4 And very few to love: no one praised or loved her because she lived in a place where people seldom visit.

5 fair: attractive and pleasant

6 ceased to be: die or pass away.

Figure of speech:

1 Metaphors: Wordsworth compared Lucy to a ‘violet’ and to a ‘star’.

2 Personification: the violet.

3 Enjambment: Almost the whole poem.

4Assonance:Most lines have one or two repeating vowel sounds, like the ‘i’ in ‘Is shining like the sky’.

Themes 

Firstly, the poem showed loneliness. Lucy lived alone in a place that was ‘untrodden’, or not stepped in. She had no support from companions or family: ‘none to praise and very few to love’. She was"half-hidden"and unique, ‘only one’ like the star. She lived ‘alone’ and died without many knowing’

Secondly, the poem showed the love without payment. praise and very few to love’. She was ‘half-hidden’ and unique, ‘only one’ like the star. She lived ‘alone’ and died without many knowing

Finally, death is also the theme. This poem mourns the death of Lucy, who has ‘ceased to be’. The poet pictures her in ‘her grave’

My explanation of the poem:

Lucy is a child of nature, a loner, unmarried ( a fair maiden), very few people knew her. But there is also the fact that she might be happy living this way, in isolation, she decided her how she wanted to live and was pleased with the decision she made. She is also unique, beautiful and shy. She is there for people to see "violet by a mossy stone, half hidden from the eye" but she is shy, so people choose to ignore her. "Fair as a star when only one is shinning in the sky." She is special in the writer's eyes, she is visable for everyone to see but people don't understand her, they choose to ignore her and leave her in isolation. She lived unknown and died unknown, her death didn't make a difference in anyone's life.. except for one person, who is the writer. It made a huge difference in his life.

To Helen

Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicean barks of yore,
That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,
The weary, way-worn wanderer bore
  To his own native shore.

    On desperate seas long wont to roam,
Thy hyacinth[ˈhaiəsinθ] hair, thy classic face,
The Naiad airs have brought me home
To the glory that was Greece,
And the grandeur that was Rome.

Lo! In yon brilliant window-niche
How statue-like I see thee stand,
The agate lamp within thy hand!
Ah, Psyche, from the regions which
Are Holy-Land!
Notes:

1. those Nicean barks of yore: ships of the ancient Nicean, which means classic beauty.

2. airs: music tone and melody.

3. Naiad: the God of spring.

Figures of speech

•    Metaphor: hyacinth hair

•    Simile: statue-like

Theme

The theme of this short poem is the beauty of a woman with whom Poe became acquainted when he was 14. Apparently she treated him kindly and may have urged him–or perhaps inspired him–to write poetry. Beauty, as Poe uses the word in the poem, appears to refer to the woman's soul as well as her body. On the one hand, he represents her as Helen of Troy–the quintessence of physical beauty–at the beginning of the poem. On the other, he represents her as Psyche–the quintessence of soulful beauty–at the end of the poem. In Greek, psyche means soul. 

rhyme scheme

The poem consists of three stanzas of five lines each, where the end rhyme of the first stanza is ABABB, that of the second is ABABA, and that of the third is ABBAB.

My understanding of the poem

This poem is a eulogy of beauty. This short poem is written in memory of Mrs. Jane Stith Stannard, the mother of one of his boyhood friends. It describes the beauty of this woman and how she influences him. Apparently she treated him kindly and may have urged him–or perhaps inspired him–to write poetry. Beauty, as Poe uses the word in the poem, appears to refer to the woman's soul as well as her body. What he emphasizes is ideal beauty. And it does not only mean the physical beauty, but also symbol the soul beauty. On the one hand, he represents her as Helen of Troy–the quintessence of physical beauty–at the beginning of the poem. On the other, he represents her as Psyche–the quintessence of soulful beauty–at the end of the poem. In Greek, psyche means soul.

The poet pursues the considerate beauty, just like Helen. Her beauty, as classical as an old sailboat, always inspires poets and wakes up their inner heart’s feelings. It seems that she is just standing from the poet. She is so vivid, chirming and gentler that make poet addicted in recalling the glory of Rome and Grace.

Finally, I deeply realized that we should not only pay attention to our physical beauty but also our spiritual beauty.