Poem 10 - A Slumber did my Spirit Seal

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Summary

Written by one of the world’s greatest poets, William Wordsworth, “A Slumber did my Spirit Seal” is one of his “Lucy” poems – a series of poems dedicated to his beloved Lucy. He is grief-stricken at the demise of Lucy. He felt that his soul had been in a deep slumber and woken up to reality through her death. He had taken life for granted and never realised that the loss of the life he cherished and held dear to his heart could become so visceral and cathartic.

Poetic Analysis

Throughout the poem, Wordsworth uses several poetic and literary devices. Some of them are:
1. Rhyming Scheme – The Rhyming Scheme in effect here is “abab cdcd”.
2. Alliteration – “spirit seal”, “rolled round”- two examples of Alliteration used in the
poem. Alliteration is the usage of the same consonant in 2 or more consecutive words.
3. Enjambment – Enjambment in a poem refers to the continuation of a sentence into two or more lines without the usage of punctuation marks. Instances of enjambment used in the poem are:

“She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.”

“Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.”

Synopsis:

“A slumber did my spirit seal—
I had no human fears.
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.”

Explanation: The poet laments and tells us that he felt as if his spirit (soul) had been lost in a deep state of sleep (slumber). By ‘human fear’ – the poet refers to the fear present in humans due to the vulnerability of human life, especially the life of a loved one. The first stanza also tells us that he had taken life for granted – he never expected the sudden demise of his beloved – a person who was seemingly unaffected by age.

“No motion has she now, no force—
She neither hears nor sees,
Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.”

Explanation: The Poet understands that his beloved Lucy is no more. She lay motionless, still and without any senses. Buried in the earth, she will be rotating along with the earth. Her body will also be assimilated within the soil, and she will be present amidst the rocks, stones, and trees.