The Power of Pensive Recollection

“Daffodils”

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. 

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was a renowned English romantic poet of the nineteenth century. His work was present in romantic works such as Frankenstein. “Daffodils,” also known as “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” follows the narrator (who we can assume is Wordsworth) as he recalls his discovery of a field of wild daffodils at which he marvels without weighing the benefits they may bring him. The second half of the poem deals principally with his recollection of the beautiful daffodils and the happiness they bring him in his “pensive mood.” Like “Tintern Abbey” (one of his other famous works), “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” has a strong focus on nature, its impact on the narrator, and the power of recollection vs. immediate enjoyment. The first and most evident connection created by Wordsworth in the poem is that of man and nature. While the poem opens centered on the narrator as he floats “o’er the vales and hills,” it quickly shifts in focus to describe the field of daffodils. What is more significant is the extent to which Wordsworth personifies the flowers. He describes them as a “crowd,” “dancing” and “tossing their heads.” Meanwhile, the narrator himself is described as a cloud (i.e. not human). The “swap” of human and natural characteristics draws a strong connection between the narrator and nature around him.        

The choice of daffodils over any other specie of flowers is also important to investigate. Daffodils are also known as Narcissus. Narcissus, in mythology, was a Greek hunter who, upon seeing his reflection in a pool of water, fell in love with his own beauty and died as a result (either by drowning or starvation).  Not so coincidently, where he died grew a patch of narcissus (or daffodils). In the poem, the daffodils also grew by a body of water (“sparkling waves”), and the narrator is almost mesmerized by their intense beauty. It can be concluded that Wordsworth chose daffodils due to their connections to the myth of Narcissus, so that they would better express the intense passion experienced by the narrator, much like Narcissus did with his own reflection.

As with “Tintern Abbey,” this poem also has a strong focus on the power of recollection, rather than immediate appreciation. While the narrator experienced an intense appreciation for the flowers’ beauty, the poem places a strong emphasis on the strong feeling of pleasure/happiness that recollection of the daffodils bring to the narrator when he thinks back to the field. More precisely, there is a focus on recollection in a “pensive mood.” The narrator’s “inward eye” is his power of recollection and memory. The pleasure brought to the narrator through calm, pensive, recollection seems stronger and more powerful than his initial observation of the flowers, which appears more superficial. Recollection leads his “heart” to fill with pleasure. The heart is representative of a human being’s center, identity, and most importantly, soul. Therefore, when his heart fills with pleasure, it is a much stronger bond that is created than when he merely observes the outward beauty of the daffodils. It allows him to “dance with the daffodils,” and truly connect with nature.

Cain and Grendel

In Beowulf, we first learn that both Grendel and his mother are descendants of Cain. The novel, Grendel, then reveals that Grendel and Cain are in fact very similar characters and share similar attributes and mannerisms. The first, most blatant similarity is the disruption they cause to the idea of comitatus that was so central to Anglo-Saxon culture. Kinship, interlacing, and brotherhood were the center, and possibly most important aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture. Warriors went as far as going to war to avenge the (sometimes accidental) death of a kin. To Anglo-Saxons, kinship and brotherhood were not limited to actual blood relations, but instead extended to other members of their “tribe” or group. When Cain committed the sin of murdering his brother Abel, he performed the act that Anglo-Saxons would consider as the most hateful and outright evil crime conceivable. While Grendel does not murder his own kin in the novel, he disrupts the comitatus by forcing his way into the mead hall (a place of communion) and killing thanes.  There is also a strong focus on the blood of victims. In the bible, the earth is described as cursed to drink Abel’s blood. Eve even dreams that Cain is drinking Abel’s blood. In Grendel, the murders of thanes place a strong importance on blood. Grendel is found goring and drinking their blood. He even describes having dry blood in his fur. In literature, blood is strongly representative of life. It symbolizes the “essence” of life, and can either be used to represent the giving or life (as in birth), or the taking of life (such as in Grendel). It is therefore not surprising that such an emphasis is placed on blood, as both characters are renowned for killing and murdering. 

            Cain and Grendel are also similar in the fact that they are seemingly unable to die (at first, at least).  God marked Cain and condemned him to live on, threatening any man that the killing of Cain would in turn be punished seven times over. Until the arrival of Beowulf, no one was able to kill Grendel. No sword could hurt him and he walked the halls killing as he pleased without suffering consequences other than a stomachache.

The most important similarity, however, is that both Cain and Grendel are outcasts in their respective societies. After receiving the mark, Cain was forced into exile, as he could no longer farm the land that was not cursed by Abel’s spilled blood. His mark, a sign he displeased God, caused other men to stray away from him causing his isolation. Grendel is also a clear outcast in his society. He observes mankind from the forest. His figure is so horrid in appearance that even forest creatures run cower. With men running or attacking him on sight, forest animals cowering in fear, and his mother staring blankly not uttering a word, Grendel is as isolated as Cain was after his banishment. Grendel is therefore not simply a descendant of Cain, but in fact a more modern reincarnation of him.

The Connections Between Winesburg and a Love Song

Intertexuality is the "complex interrelationship between a text and other texts." (Merriam Webster Dictionary). A clear example of intertexuatlity recently discussed in class is the relationship between Anderson’s novel, Winesburg, Ohio, and T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The first of many connections that may be drawn is the organization on each text. Winesburg, Ohio is separated into almost independent short stories, which are only connected by George Willard, the central character in the novel. Eliot’s poem is similarly divided into separate, distinguishable sections. Each section works as part of a greater whole and is connected by the central character, J. Alfred Prufrock. Both works coincidently address a similar theme, supported by similar sub-themes. Both works primarily address the existential struggle of aging. At this point the two works begin to differ. Winesburg, Ohio focuses on a boy’s coming of age, while the poem addresses the shortness of life and its pending end. These differing subjects, however, connect due to the fact that each relays the author’s revelation through the common idea of death. Winesburg, Ohio opens with the story of an old writer (that is suspected to be George Willard). The old writer can feel his impending death fears that on any night he may die in his sleep. Similarly, a tired Alfred Prufrock nears death and seemingly accepts his coming end. In fact, it is up for debate, but it may be argued that Alfred told his love song while already dead. Death is used in both works to represent the inevitable passage that all human beings are bound to face, emphasizing the crucial need to thoroughly experience life before it ends. The second theme addressed in both works is the realization of inexistence we face as human beings. In Winesburg, Ohio, it is represented through George Willard’s coming of age and is presented by Anderson as maturity and “sophistication”. In Ellot’s poem, the theme is presented through Prufrock’s evident lack of confidence and resulting, self-inflicted, alienation from society. Prufrock compares himself to a scavenger scuttling along the seafloor, highlighting his lack of importance in the world. A smaller sub-theme that supplements the major themes in both works is the importance of communication, and the consequences of the inability to do so. The prime example in Winesburg, Ohio is Enoch Robinson. Enoch was “always a child” and unable to share his thoughts with anyone. This lack of communication led to the creation of his own imaginary world, which only reinforced his isolation from society. The day his imaginary friends left him, Enoch was left a purposeless wreck. Prufrock faced a similar barrier, as he was, for his entire life, unable to communicate his feelings with his “love”. This inability to form a connection led to his tragic downfall. The ending of Winesburg, Ohio, seems to indicate that connection is indeed the crucial component needed to avoid self-destruction. It was due to his silent but mutual connection with Helen White that George attained maturity and prepared to leave his hometown.