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JIacumin_SHE DWELT AMONG THE UNTRODDEN WAYS
by JIacumin - (2013-09-24)
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The title draws the attention due to the use of two remote words. This might means the poem was written a long time ago or that the poet wanted to draw the attention of the reader on language itself. The two words are not only remote: they are also longest in the title. The text seems to refer to a she, this might mean the she may be a old woman, a young girl or an innocent child. The reader doesn't know yet and he may be interesting to find it out. In addition he should be curious to discover why the "she" lives or has chosen to live in hidden places.Textual analysis could also unveil the reason why the poet wrote a poem about her.
This poem might be a ballad because it is organized into three quatrains.

In the first quatrain the poet decides to put the woman in a specific space. Now the woman doesn't live only in a hidden place but beside the springs of Dove. The woman isn't praised by none and loved by few. This aspect creates a relationship between the place and the woman: she is a lonely woman and the landscape is scattered.

In the second quatrain the poet creates two metaphor: 'A violet by a mossy stone' and 'Fair as a star'. The violet is the woman and the moss is the rest of the people. The woman, comparing their, emerges. The poet has got eyes only for her. The viola is half hidden, this reveals the timidity of the woman. The two metaphor emphasize the beauty of the woman. She is the only star that is shining in the sky. The metaphors underline the particularities of this woman. Thanks to the metaphors we understand the importance of nature to the poet.

In the last quatrain the poet shows his importance in the life of the woman. She was unknown. The poet, however, knew her and her Death brings much suffering. Probably the woman's death brings differences only in the life of the poet. This is why he has decided to dedicate her a poem.