The Daffodils

The Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

that floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay;

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company;

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought;

For oft, when on my couch, I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

In elementary school, we were required to memorize English poetry and then recite it in front of the class using American Sign Language (ASL). I later learned that, at the time, this was thought an excellent way to teach the nuances of the English language to Deaf students. I'm not sure of the actual value of the exercise, but it did give us an appreciation of poetry.   

The Daffodils by William Wordsworth was one of the many poems I learned. It somehow has remained in my mind since. Perhaps it is the fact that the daffodil flower always heralds the arrival of Spring, and even as a young child I knew that warmer weather brought outdoor nudity back into play. 

Regardless of the reason, whenever I see daffodils, I automatically recall the above poem. And I want to get as naked as soon as possible! 

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!