Theory question 111
Non-African PoetryLiterature 2, Section D: Non-African Poetry
Examine the use of poetic devices in “The Solitary Reaper”.
Show the model answer
Model answer
Wordsworth describes a Highland girl singing alone as she reaps.
Imagery of the lonely reaper in the field and of distant places (Arabian sands, the Hebrides).
Comparisons with the nightingale and the cuckoo to praise her voice.
Rhetorical questions ('Will no one tell me what she sings?') about the theme of the song.
Repetition and alliteration ('single', 'solitary', 'sings').
Regular rhyme and metre give a musical quality.
Effect: the song lives on in the poet's heart: 'The music in my heart I bore, / Long after it was heard no more.'
Explanation
Name each device and explain its effect.