Surprised by Joy (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: William Wordsworth
- First Published: 1815
- Type of Work: Sonnet
- Genres: Poetry, Sonnet
- Subjects: Parents and children, Nineteenth century, England or English people, Fathers, Death or dying, Romanticism, Joy or sorrow
The Poem
“Surprised by Joy” is a short lyric written in the form of a sonnet about a person who continues to grieve over the death of a loved one. Late in life, William Wordsworth told a friend that the “Thee” to whom he refers in line 3 was his daughter Catherine, who died in June of 1812. He also may have been thinking of his son Thomas, who died later that year. Wordsworth meditates on this dramatic and highly emotional experience in such a way that his meditation also becomes a dramatic and significant experience in itself. (Most readers find it necessary to read...
[The entire page is 1462 words long]
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