Analysis

The title helps the reader to imagine the context or the content of a literary work. In this specific case it creates curiosity about the solitary female character, who probably lives in an unpopular and unknown place, therefore the reader is encouraged to find out more about this girl.

Considering the layout, the text is arranged into three quatrains in which the lines have different lengths.

On a denotative level the first stanza introduces the character: she lives in an isolated place where she doesn’t have any relationships. In the second stanza the poet praises the girl’s beauty, comparing her to a violet you can hardly see and to a solitary star. In the last stanza the poet reveals the girl’s identity, but he refers to her using past tenses. Lucy died and few knew it, but the poet shows deep suffering realizing how important Lucy was to him.

The sense of solitude and apprehension is caused by the style of the ballad. The reader can recognize the climax that increases the suspense of the story until the revelation of Lucy’s death. Also the suspense is provoked by the frequent use of enjambements. The poem has a simple language (simple and short words), and it has an ABAB rhyme scheme. Moreover, the poem can be considered as an elegiac poem, with delicate descriptions and a mourning tone, produced by the presence of numerous vocals. Wordsworth emphasizes Lucy’s beauty by a simile and a metaphor, using natural elements as terms for comparison. As a matter of fact the semantic field of nature can be found throughout the whole text.

The theme is evident in the last stanza, when the poet becomes aware of the loss of the opportunities he had when Lucy was still alive. Time passes quickly and Wordsworth invites the readers to act before it is too late.