Meriel fondly remembers the poem “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth, which she learned at school. She carries it with her in her head. Her favourite stanza is:
Heather’s dad used to take her hiking. Once, the two of them visited William Wordsworth’s house while out on a walk. Ever since, Heather has fondly carried Wordworth’s poem “Daffodils” with her:
I wander’d 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 stretch’d 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.
Carry a Poem is in full swing, and most of the books have flown out of libraries, cafes and pubs across town. The poetry pocketcards have been so popular that we are releasing another batch across town at the end of this week.
You can still get books (while stocks last, at least) at most of our Carry a Poem events, and while you’re there, why not share your story of the poem you carry? If you aren’t able to make any of the events, then we’ve put together a wee video from the Carry a Poem launch to give you a taste:
Thanks to Amy MacDonald, Lilias Fraser, Catherine Lockerbie and Robin Harper MSP for sharing the poems they carry on camera.
When my kids were toddlers, I would carry poems for children in my PDA/phone to read to them in supermarket queues. One in particular was about shopping. I’ve deleted them long since, as I’ve upgraded my PDA several times since then. But a few years ago I added Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’. I used to read it to my kids while standing at bus stops in Edinburgh in the spring, when unlikely bits of municipal grass start bursting with flowers.
Thank you for reminding me: it’s time I refeshed my digital poetry store!
I wander’d 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 stretch’d 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.
Carry a Poem 