Dorothy Wordsworth's Daffodils

I tried to find some pictures that reflected Dorothy Wordsworth's descriptions of daffodils in her journal. Here were some of the passages I was looking at:

When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow park we saw a few daffodils close to the water side. We fancied that the lake had floated the seeds ashore and that the little colony had so sprung up. But as we went along there were more and yet more and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about and about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the lake, they looked so gay ever glancing ever changing. This wind blew directly over the lake to them. There was here and there a little knot and a few stragglers a few yards higher up but they were so few as not to disturb the simplicity and unity and life of that one busy highway. We rested again and again.



This image reminded me of the "laughing" daffodils. They are shown against an alluring blue sky, signifying the end of winter and the return of life to the world.


I related these daffodils to the ones against the stone in the entry, although the environment is a little different. Either way, I think these seem like they are resting upon the rocks, just like Wordsworth says.

This is an awesome image of a field of daffodils, like the large "belt" Dorothy came across in 1802. The sheer number of daffodils is amazing, like a bunch of grounded stars in the daytime. I never been to a daffodil "farm" but it looks like it is an amazing experience.

One thing that really connected with me about Dorothy's work is that it seems really simple, yet it still describes things beautifully. That is why it is possible to find truly fitting images for her entry; her language is poetical, but still provides a down-to-earth explanation of the world around her. She is almost like a journalist, observing the natural world as it flourishes about her. I find I almost like her work better than her brothers, because she lets her descriptions speak for themselves; she does not need to embellish them with overly-figurative language and shrouded metaphor.

--B.E.