In the sixth line of the first Stanza- we read- and sings a melancholy strain-called- Can you find instances of this in The Solitary Reaper-

Poets often repeat such sounds to make the effect more intense and ornamental. This ldquo;poetic repetition rdquo; is called alliteration. In line 1 ...

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In the sixth line of the first Stanza, we read:

“... and sings a melancholy strain...”

This “s” sound at the beginning of sings and strain has been repeated. Poets often do this. Do you know why? Do you know what this “poetic repetition” is called? Can you find instances of this in The Solitary Reaper?

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Solution

Poets often repeat such sounds to make the effect more intense and ornamental. This “poetic repetition” is called alliteration.

In line 15 we find an instance of alliteration in “silence of the seas.” In line 18 we find alliteration in “perhaps the plaintive numbers flow.” Line 27 also has alliteration in “I saw her singing at her work.”

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In the sixth line of the first stanza, we read:

“… and sings a melancholy strain, …”

This “s” sound at the beginning of sings and strain has been repeated. Poets often do this. Do you know why? Do you know what this “poetic repetition” is called? Can you find other instances of this, in The Solitary Reaper?

The central idea of the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is__________.

(i) well sung songs give us happiness

(ii) melodious sounds appeal to all

(iii) beautiful experience give us life-long pleasure

(iv) reapers can sing like birds

In the first stanza, Wordsworth uses several words of phrases to stress that there is no-one else working with the solitary reaper. Which are those words and phrases? What effect do they create in the mind of the reader?

The Solitary Reaper is a narrative poem set to music. This form of verse is called a__________.

(i) ballad

(ii) soliloquy

(iii) monologue

(iv) sonnet

(a) Read the second stanza again, in which Wordsworth compares the solitary reaper’s song with the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo. On the basis of your reading (and your imagination), copy and complete the table below. (Work in groups of four, then have a brief class discussion).

-	Place	Heard by?	Impact on listener
Solitary reaper	Scottish Highlands	The poet	Holds him spellbound
Nightingale	-	-	-
Cuckoo	-	-	-

(b) Why do you think Wordsworth has chosen the song of the nightingale and the cuckoo, for comparison with the solitary reaper’s song?

(c) As you read the second stanza, what pictures do you see in your mind? Be ready to describe them in your won words, to the rest of the class. (Do not be afraid to go beyond what the poet has written.)

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