THE SOLITARY REAPER

ANALYSIS

Just consider in the title the reader may expect the poem to be set in a country because the reaper generally works in the fields. The adjective "solitary" capture the reader's attention because it anticipate a melancholic and sad atmosphere.

The speaking-voice invites the passer-by look at a girl, who is reaping and also singing alone in a field. In the first stanza the speaking-voice introduce the scene, in the second one he describes the song, in the third he makes hypothesis about the content of her song; the last octave is the most important, because it presents the speaking-voice's feelings.

In the first stanza the poet chooses open and long vowels to create the sense of space; he also uses verb tenses to create dynamic. In the second stanza there is an alliteration of the "s" letter, that gives the reader a sense of tranquillity and peace, as if he is also listening to the song of the girl. In the third stanza there is a repetition of the word song ("sang" at line 25, "song" at line 26 and "singing" at line 27) to emphasize that he continues to hear the voice of the girl in his mind, even though he's gone. Also in the last stanza are concentrated all the emotions of the speaking-voice and you can see that because he uses the first person. The use of the simple past ("saw", "listened") underlines that the speaking-voice has captured a moment and it preserves in his mind.

This poem presents the theme of rural life, describing the work in the field and also the theme of peace and calm, because the speaking-voice expresses strong emotions that all come together in tranquillity.