She was a Phantom of Delight

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth1770 - 1850

• Born on 7 April 1770 in Cumberland (scenic Lake District in England). His father was a lawyer. Both Wordsworth's parents died before he was 15, and he and his four siblings were left in the care of different relatives.

• As a young man, Wordsworth developed a love of nature, a theme reflected in many of his poems.

• His poetry is generally focused on nature and man's relationship with the natural environment.

• Many of his poems are focused on the landscapes of the Lake District, paying particular attention to the power of nature and the ordinary people living and working on the land.

• He is considered the most influential Romantic poet of his time.

Romanticism• An artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in

Europe toward the end of the 18th century

• Romantic literature tends to emphasize a love of nature, a respect for primitivism, and a valuing of the common, "natural" man; Romantics idealize country life and believe that many of the ills of society are a result of urbanization.

• To William Wordsworth poetry should be "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings“. In order to truly express these feelings, the content of the art must come from the imagination of the artist, with as little interference as possible from "artificial" rules dictating what a work should consist of.

What’s the poem about?• Wordsworth describes Mary Hutchinson, who was to become his

wife• He talks about being entranced by her surreal beauty when he

first saw her, as if she was a “phantom” or ghost• He goes on to understand her better as he spends more time

with her, and realises that in fact, she is just a normal woman• But, despite her earthly normality, she is magically beautiful

because of her ability to do even mundane daily chores with an air of such grace that she seems to be lit from within by a heavenly light.

• His realisation that she is in fact normal, is not an anticlimax, it may even go as far as to enhance her beauty, because she is normal, but is yet able to exude other-worldly beauty.

She was a Phantom of delightWhen first she gleamed upon my sight;A lovely Apparition, sentTo be a moment's ornament;Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair;Like Twilight's, too, her dusky hair;But all things else about her drawnFrom May-time and the cheerful Dawn;A dancing Shape, an Image gay,To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.

She was a Phantom of Delight

I saw her upon nearer view,A Spirit, yet a Woman too!Her household motions light and free,And steps of virgin-liberty;A countenance in which did meetSweet records, promises as sweet;A Creature not too bright or goodFor human nature's daily food;For transient sorrows, simple wiles,Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles.

And now I see with eye sereneThe very pulse of the machine;A Being breathing thoughtful breath,A Traveller between life and death;The reason firm, the temperate will,Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill;A perfect Woman, nobly planned,To warn, to comfort, and command;And yet a Spirit still, and brightWith something of angelic light.

Form & Structure

• Rhyming couplets (AABBCCDDEE)• 3 stanzas of 10 lines each• All conform to the same rhyme scheme• Assists in the slow reading of the poem and

adds to the pensive atmosphere created• Capitalization of key words (most related to

the supernatural)

Tone, Mood & Figurative Language

• Tone – wonder, curiosity, amazement, awe• Mood – calm, ethereal, other-worldly• Language devices used: simile, metaphor,

alliteration (soft ‘s’)• Heavenly imagery• Turning point where the poet’s perception of

his subject changes from illusory to real, yet still utterly beautiful

More great resources here…

• https://prezi.com/zhxdc_h71kt9/she-was-a-phantom-of-delight-/

• https://prezi.com/8djnolhy7otn/she-was-a-phantom-of-delight/

Essay Question

• How does Wordsworth convey vivid perspectives about his wife in the poem ‘She was a Phantom of Delight’?