The Daffodils

The title of this post entry on ReNude Pride is the same as the poem below, composed by William Wordsworth. This particular poem was one of the very first that I had to commit to memory during primary school. My teacher required us to memorize poetry in order for us to appreciate the English language. We had to learn this work in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.

The Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

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

outdid the sparkling waves in glee!

A poet could not but be gay, in such 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.

“The Daffodils” by William Wordsworth, which celebrates the arrival of Spring each year, has remained one of my favorite poems. It welcomes the return of a very comfortable and pleasant season of the year that, in turn, encourages our freedom to “bare our bodies” whenever the weather permits.

It wasn’t until after I had committed the poem to memory that I understood the importance of using poetry in emphasizing the relationship between my first language, ASL, and English. This lesson in primary school helped tremendously in my secondary school education!

My spouse, Aaron, deserves all the credit for the accompanying photography! He encouraged my posing and took the pictures. All I did was stand there, bare!

Take care and stay bare!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry planned for here is scheduled for Friday, April 16, 2021, and the proposed topic is “Garden Week.”