Surprised by Joy - William Wordsworth

Surprised by joy -impatient as the wind

I turned to share the transport - Oh! with whom

But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb,

That spot which no vicissitude can find?

Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind -

But how could I forget thee? Through what power,

Even for the least division of an hour,

Have I been so beguiled as to be blind

To my most grievous loss? - That thought's return

Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore

Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,

Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more;

That neither present time, nor years unborn,

Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.



Reflection:

Wordsworth wrote this poem about his deceased 4 year old daughter, Catharine.

Sometimes words can not capture the truth of a profoundly emotional experience...

we use the phrase,

"Words escape me."

But, in this work, Wordsworth summons up the power of maintaining two conflicting emotions in one moment. The polar opposites of deep grief and overwhelming joy.

This poem does not resolve the conflicted feelings. There is no morale at the end. No lessons to be learned.

Just a small taste of the sweetness and the bitterness of life.

A feast in a brief moment of time.

RESOURCES:

Wordsworth, William. 1888. Complete Poetical Works.