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
Out-did 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.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850), a great Romantic poet, changed the course of English poetry. When many poets still wrote about great kings, queens and heroes in a grand style, Wordsworth focussed on nature, children and common people, and used simple language to express his feelings.

o'er: over

vales: valleys

host: here, a large number

bay: a small sea with land on three sides

sprightly: lively; full of energy

glee: great delight

jocund: cheerful and light-hearted

oft: often

vacant: bored and with an empty mind

pensive: thoughtful, usually in a sad way

inward eye: the mind's eye or imagination

bliss of solitude: here, the thought of the daffodils brings happiness on the speaker when he is feeling lonely