Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Lonely as a......cloud?

Thrilled about spring, I sing :-) while walking these lines 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.


But then I wonder - lonely as a......cloud? When I gazed towards the sky this morning, the clouds did not seem lonely at all. They were more like holding hands, merging into one happy crowd.


Also, can clouds be lonely? There is, of course, that single, white dot alone on blue summer skies.
But lonely?

I suspect Wordsworth needed a cloud to underline the notion of a poet being the lonely, pensive chap. Also “cloud” fits snugly next to its brothers in rhyme. 

Lonely as a cloud. I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils. It sounds lovely. Undeniably.

And then I wonder - how, exactly do I pick and chose among words and ideas to make my life rhythmic and melodious? Am I as careful with my sounds and metaphors as Mr William?

If life can be likened to a poem that is......


Photos © Grete S. Kempton

6 comments:

  1. Grete, it sounds like you do live your life with rhythm and melody by your words. I get a great sense quiet, calm pleasure from this post, a sweet ballad if you will.

    I love your photographs.
    The one with your shoes in line with the stone edges is wonderful.

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  2. Words mimic life and the author lives his/her words. Of course life can be likened to a poem. (Hugs)Indigo

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  3. You *are* a poem, Grete! (I love a quote I read by David Carradine: "If you can't be the poet, be the poem.") Lovely post. Blessings!

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  4. Chicken and egg, our life as poem.

    HOWEVER, I had an epiphany the other day and I understood everything. Everything! God, energy, me and you, how cakes rise, how birds fly, everything. And then the clouds passed and the light changed and it all seemed about two inches beyond my grasp again.

    And so we will try to figure it all out again, our lives as poems.

    xo
    erin
    (truly, i had a rush during which i believed i'd figured it all out. it was short lived.)

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  5. Yes, a very lovely post, with good words and thought behind it. We must choose carefully, our melody and our rhythm. Thank you.

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  6. Mr. 11 o’clock -
    Rhythm and melody - yes - but with the odd (or not so odd...) dissonance..... :-)
    And thanks for making note of my photos. My camera is my best walking pal. Next to the poems, of course.

    Indigo -
    Yes, words mimic life. And life mimic words. My “poem project” is to test the latter. Surprisingly (for I was never very sure this would happen....) the results are starting to appear. I dare only whisper a quiet wow here, as I am just a tiny teeny bit frighten all will vanish if I reveal it to the sun.....

    Marion -
    THANKS! for that lovely quote. And THANKS! again, for applying it to me. I am humbled!

    Ms E. Epiphany -
    I love this - your all-encompassing insight for that one second. Or was that second really a lifetime moment similar to the big bang? A bang which now keeps expanding and expanding?
    I wonder how the Author Above is going to reveal the final plot to his characters. Perhaps he’ll collect us all in the pearly adorned assembly hall and give us a power point presentation?

    ds -
    Yes, we must chose carefully. This is such a scary thought - that all depends on our own choice. And this is such a wonderful thought - that all depends on our own choice.....


    Grete

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