Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “The Daffodils”

A brief summary of the poem’s composition might be useful by way of introduction.

On the 15th of April 1802, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy were walking around the Glencoyne Bay in Ullswater when they came upon, “a long belt of daffodils”. As Dorothy put it so memorably in her journal,
​“We saw a few daffodils close to the waterside, we fancied that the lake had floated the seed ashore and that that the little colony had so sprung up. But as we went along there were more and yet more and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful. They grew among the mossy stones, some rested their heads against these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they laughed in the wind that blew them over the lake.”
The influence of this passage from Dorothy’s journal can be seen in Wordsworth’s poem.

“Daffodils” first appeared in print in 1807 and at first to negative reviews. But the poem has in many ways become William Wordsworth’s defining work. It neatly reflects “Romanticism” and its core ideas, the relationship between man and the natural word, the solitariness of the individual and the almost religious awe that nature inspires. The plain language that Wordsworth used in this poem is the language of the ordinary man. Yet effects can be subtle. These daffodils contain much significance. These are simply a few of my own thoughts on this much loved and era-defining poem.

William Wordsworth 1770 – 1850    

William Wordsworth was born on April 7, 1770, in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. Wordsworth’s mother died when he was 7, and he was an orphan at 13. Despite these losses, he did well at Hawkshead Grammar School where he wrote his first poetry and went on to study at Cambridge University. He did not excel there, but managed to graduate in 1791.

Wordsworth had visited France in 1790, in the midst of the French Revolution and was a supporter of the new government’s republican ideals. On a return trip to France the next year, he fell in love with Annette Vallon, who became pregnant. However, the declaration of war between England and France in 1793 separated the two. Left adrift and without income in England, Wordsworth was influenced by radicals such as William Godwin.

In 1795, Wordsworth received an inheritance that allowed him to live with his younger sister, Dorothy. That same year, Wordsworth met Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The two became friends, and together worked on Lyrical Ballads (1798). The volume contained poems such as Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey," and helped Romanticism take hold in English poetry.

Often known simply as “Daffodils” or “The Daffodils” William Wordsworth’s lyric poem begins “I wandered lonely as a cloud” is, in many ways, the quintessential English Romantic poem. Its theme is the relationship between the individual and the natural.

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “Hope” is the thing with Feathers 

“ ‘Hope’ is the thing with Feathers” is one of the best known of Emily Dickinson’s poems. An extended metaphor, it likens the concept of hope to a feathered bird that is permanently perched in the soul of every human. There it sings, never stopping in its quest to inspire. 
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Full of figurative language it reminds us that hope springs eternal. The rhythm of the poem varies which may not be apparent at first reading. Readily set to music, the words are a reminder of the poet’s yearning for fulfilment in both creativity and love. They beautifully encapsulate what hope is for us all – something that inspires and can make us fly.

Emily Dickinson 1830 – 1886

Emily Dickinson an American poet was born in Massachusetts. Her father was from a prominent American family. He was actively involved in both state and national politics.

Emily Dickinson’s poetry was heavily influenced by the metaphysical poets of 17th century England, as well by the Book of Revelations (Apocalypse) and her upbringing in a Puritan New England town which encouraged a Calvinist, orthodox and conservative approach to Christianity.

​She was not publicly recognised during her lifetime but upon her death her family discovered 1800 poems covering a wide variety of subjects.

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “Down by the Salley Gardens”

“Down by the Salley Gardens” was one of Yeats’ great early poems. It was first published in “The Wanderings Of Oisin and Other Poems”. Although this is one of Yeats most straightforward poems it is worth exploring some of the language and imagery. What are the “Salley Gardens” and what was W. B. Yeats doing down by them with his beloved?

Although it is not known for sure one theory is that “Salley Gardens” refer to the banks of the River Ballysadare (near Sligo). Willow trees along the river were used to cultivate thatch for the roofs of houses. This may have given rise to the names for the gardens. The Latin for willow tree is “salix” but the Irish Gaelic for willow trees is “saileach” which is nearer and which may have given rise to the word “salley”.

In summary, “Down by the Salley Gardens” sees Yeats’ speaker ruefully reminiscing about his younger days with his sweetheart when they would go and meet by the salley gardens. His beloved would entreat him to “take love easy” and not to be too impetuous or rash when it came to love and relationships.

But he didn’t heed her words because he was young and foolish. Then looking back he is “full of tears” regretting the fact that he didn’t listen to his lover’s advice.

​“Down by the Salley Gardens” may be an early poem of W. B. Yeats, but it remains one of his most celebrated lyric poems because of the regret and sorrow running through it. While the locus of the poem seems to be Sligo, for me the poem reminds me of nearby Donegal, of long summer days, sandy beaches and the pleasantest of memories, good craic and good company. 

William Butler Yeats 1865 – 1939

W. B. Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of the Irish literary establishment he helped to found the Abbey Theatre and in his latter days he served two terms as a senator in the Irish Free State. His early works include “The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems”. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.

Although trained as lawyer he abandoned the law for art school. In addition to his poetry, Yeats devoted significant energy to writing plays. He collaborated with Lady Gregory to develop works for the Irish stage e.g. “Cathleen ni Houlihan” then “Deirdre” and  “At the Hawk’s Well”.

He became a political figure in the new Irish Free State. The publication of “Last Poems” and “Two Plays” shortly after his death further cemented his legacy as a leading poet and playwright.

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “The Naming of Cats”

The Naming of Cats was published in 1939. It was featured in a poetry collection called, “Old Possums Book of Practical Cats”. This collection contains whimsical poems about feline psychology and sociology. “The Naming of Cats “ particularly describes the names of cats and how they receive them. This is addressed to humans by the “lyrical voice” who tries to teach the reader more about feline life. The poem shares the mysteriousness and the deviousness of cats. Most of the poems in “Old Possums Book of Practical Cats” were written in the 1930’s and included in letters to T S Eliot’s godchildren. In 1939, these were included and first published. “Old Possums Book of Practical cats” includes fifteen poems. The last one in the collection, “Cat Morgan introduces Himself”, was added in the 1952 edition. The Naming of Cats” and “Old Possum Book of Practical cats” was adapted for stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber. His appraisal is the best-known musical adaptation of the poem.

“The Naming of Cats”, has a great number of literary devices such as allusion, similes, and repetitions. Personification is one of the main literary devices as cats are given human characteristics. The “lyrical voice” acquires a didactic, but playful tone. He/she explains about the naming of cats, but at the same time, he/she plays with the external references and different types of allusions. The rhythm scheme of the poem is ABAB and produces a short and rhythmical dialogue.

The “lyrical voice” explains how a cat can have three different names firstly, the name given by their human family, secondly a particular name, thirdly an unknown name for humans.

The poem begins by stating the importance of the naming of cats. There is an allusion to “Alice in Wonderland” to compare the reader’s possible thought while reading to a reference he/she knows and has read about. (“You may think that I am as a mad as hatter”).

Notice the emphasis made in capital letters to the number of names a cat has. Then the “lyrical voice” talks about the first name, the family name and gives examples of names (such as … /all of them sensible everyday names”) these repetitions and rhyme schemes create a particular rhythmical pace in the poem which is almost song like. Then the “lyrical voice” proceeds to talk about the second name a cat has. This is a particular name which the cat possesses as it brings pride to the cat.
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Finally the “lyrical voice” talks about the third and last name. There is an emphasis on the impossibility of knowing this name (“and that is the name you’ll never guess/the name that no human research can discern”). But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. There is some mystery about the final name, as the narrator states it will never be known to humans as is evidenced in the final lines (“of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:/his ineffable, effable Effanineffable”). This change in rhythm and structure allows the “lyrical voice” to finish the poem dramatically and to capture the reader’s attention.

Thomas Stearns Eliot 1888 – 1965 

T. S. Eliot was a British essayist, playwright and social critic. Although he was born in the United States, he became a British citizen in 1927. He moved to England in 1914, at the age of 25, and stayed in England for the rest of his life.

He is renowned as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. He was one of the leading figures in the Modernist movement in the early 1900’s. Among his most famous poems are: “The Waste Land”, “The Hollow Man”, “Ash Wednesday” and “Four Quartets”.

​T S Eliot won a Nobel Prize for literature in 1948.

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” 

“The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” is probably Edward Lear’s most famous poem, and a good example of Victorian nonsense verse. But can we really analyse nonsense literature, or subject it to critical scrutiny? After all, the very name implies that it is not supposed to make sense. Yet whenever a poem attains iconic status, it is worth reflecting on how it achieved that status.

“The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” was first published in Lear’s 1871 collection, “Nonsense, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets”. The poem, in summary, tells of the love between the owl and the pussycat and their subsequent marriage, with the turkey presiding over the wedding. They obtained the wedding ring from a pig who sells own his own for a shilling. It is not so well known that Edward Lear wrote “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat for a friend’s daughter, Janet Symonds who was born in 1865 and was three years old when Lear wrote the poem. Janet was the daughter of a friend, John A. Symonds who was a pioneering poet in his own right. Concerning “The Owl and Pussy-Cat” is one male and one female? We have a definite answer supplied by Lear himself in a little known sequel. There it is revealed that the owl is male and the pussycat female.

The word “runcible” in the poem was a coinage of Lear for this particular poem. Yet nobody is sure what “runcible” actually means. It is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as simply a nonsense word coined by Lear. Lear himself didn’t help matters. As well as applying the word to a spoon he went onto to use “runcible" to describe his hat, a wall and even his cat.
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But this still leaves us with the question is “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” meant to mean anything or is it a delightful fantasy? After all it features anthropomorphic animals: the owl and the pussycat can talk, the owl sings a song and plays the guitar, the pig is involved in financial transactions and the turkey officiates at ceremonies. So is this making a commentary on Victorian society? There are endless interpretations and theories. My own opinion is that we are dealing with nonsense literature and should consequently treat it as such. We are clearly in a fantasy world here, and should surely simply enjoy the delicious use of language, rhyme and imagery.

Edward Lear 1812-1888

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet.

He is principally known for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a literary form he took pride in popularising.

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “Funeral Blues” (Stop All the Clocks)

“Funeral Blues” (Stop All the Clocks) was written and first published in 1938. It is a poem about the immensity of grief: the speaker has lost someone important but the rest of the world doesn’t slow down or stop to pay its respects-it just keeps plugging along as if nothing has changed. The speaker experiences this indifference as a kind of torment and demands that the world grieves too.

Grief in the poem, is thus presented as deeply isolating, an emotion that cuts off the people who grieve from the world around them. It conveys an unrelenting pessimism best exemplified by the last line, “For nothing now can ever come to any good’. The poem is morose, sad elegy that wonderfully describes the feelings associated with grieving.
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The poem is principally famous for modern audiences thanks to its appearance in the successful, romantic comedy, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

W. H. Auden 1907-1973

Wystan Hugh Auden was an English poet, playwright, critic and librettist. He exerted a major influence on the poetry of the Twentieth century. Although born in York he grew up in Birmingham. He was known for his outstanding intellect and wit. His first book of poems was published in 1930 with the help of T. S. Elliot.
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Just before the outbreak of Word War II, Auden emigrated to the United States. It was there in 1948 that he won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his work, “The Age of Anxiety”. Much of his poetry is concerned with moral issues and evidences a strong political, social and psychological context. He collaborated in writing libretti for the musical works of Benjamin Britten, Stravinsky and Mozart.

Rupert Brooke 1887-1915

Monsignor Ryan’s Reflections on “The Old Vicarage, Grantchester”

This poem takes me back to Primary and early High School. As they say, “You have to crawl before you can walk…”. This is what caught my imagination and gave me a taste for poetry. The rhyming couplets and the even meter, which some critics find boring and pedestrian, appeal to me. For me it is sheer nostalgia! It transports me to my youth and childhood. The quotation that propelled Rupert Brooke into the national psyche:

“If I should die, think only this of me,
That there’s some corner of a foreign field 
That is forever England.”

This is from his fifth war sonnet, “The Soldier.” The war sonnets (this is not the time nor occasion for visiting them) are probably Brooke’s finest poetry, Their quality often clouded because of the sentiments of glory they embody, were out of date almost as soon as they were expressed. Sadly Brooke died, not in the tragic heroism of Flander’s Field but rather more prosaically from sepsis as a result of a mosquito bite. He was en route to the Dardanelles when this happened. This was only six weeks after completing “The Soldier”.

Modernist critics made the Georgian poets obsolete. Brooke was judged to be a popular rather than a consciously literary poet. Having died at such an early age, he was not given the chance to redress this. Had he survived the War and been up against the likes of T.S. Elliot who knows how he would have responded to the challenge?
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Of his Collected Poems my favourite is “The Old Vicarage” the poem he wrote in Berlin in the Spring of 1912. The Old Vicarage” named after the house in the Cambridge Village where Rupert Brooke had rooms, is a poem of nostalgia. The village was and still is an English idyll. Sitting at a table in a Berlin café, “The Old Vicarage” is Brooke’s version of “home thoughts from abroad”. Brooke recalls the scene he was missing. The poem shows Brooke’s ability to use verse, not just for varying degrees of musicality, but for scene-painting. The poem is a paean not just to this rural idyll but to English history and its people and to the ease of England compared to the regimentation of Germany. Brooke would see little of his Arcadia but in “The Old Vicarage” Grantchester he left us the perfect picture of it.

Rupert Brooke was born on 3rd August 1887 at Rugby in Warwickshire. Rupert attended Rugby School where his father was a housemaster. At school Brooke excelled in both academics and athletics. From Rugby School he proceeded to King’s College, Cambridge where he completed a degree in English Literature.

He was an English poet known for his war sonnets written during the First World War.
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After graduation he toured North America, New Zealand and the Pacific islands. He returned home shortly before the outbreak of World War I. At the outbreak of war he enlisted in a division of the Royal Navy. In 1915 he set sail for the Dardanelles. En route he developed sepsis as a result of a mosquito bite. He died on the Greek island of Skyros and he is buried in olive grove on that island.

St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

St. Augustine’s Autobiographical Confessions 

After living a worthy life in search of truth and meaning, Augustine found what he lacked in his encounter with the Spirit of Christ. In his autobiographical “Confessions”, Augustine offers an insight into his experience of finding satisfaction in God alone.

“ Our souls are restless till they rest in You, O God.”

Augustine gives thanks to his mother (Saint Monica) for his conversion. Monica died at Civitavecchia, the Port of Rome. Augustine’s brother wanted to take their mother back to North Africa to be buried. Augustine disagreed. Even in her comatose state, Monica chided them for arguing. Her only request she told them was,

“Remember me at the altar of God.”

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you…”

In using this language and style, Augustine is referencing the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, (Psalms, Book of Wisdom, Song of Songs etc). He just stopped short of plagiarising the Psalms and the Song of Songs.

This surreal time of the Pandemic has seen “Google” searches for God increase by 60%, as people turn to God for comfort at this time. This rise in searches appears to coincide with the WHO declaring a Pandemic on 11th March. We would do well to set aside a quiet moment to meditate on the lyrics of Saint Augustine and to give thanks for the gift of “That Ancient Beauty” who welcomes us into his presence daily. Like Augustine, let our prayers express our love and gratitude to God for the graces he bestows on us day by day.

Monsignor Ryan

PS There is a Guild of St. Monica, which meets on the South Side of Glasgow. They meet monthly. Their remit is to pray for sons, daughters, grand children who have lost their way. I am an unofficial chaplain to the Guild. If anyone would like to know more about the Guild, please contact me at St. Andrew’s. 

​Though the dawn breaks cheerless on this place today.
My spirit walks upon a path of light.
For I know my greatness.
Though hast built me a throne within thy heart.
I dwell safely within the circle of thy care.
I cannot for a moment fall out of thine everlasting arms.
I am on my way to glory.
 
When mystery hides thee from the sight of faith and hope:
When pain turns even love to dust:
When life is bitter to the taste
And our song of joy dies down to silence,
then, Father, do for us that which is past our power to do for ourselves.
Break through our darkness with thy light.
Show us thyself in Jesus suffering on a tree,
rising from a grave,
reigning from a throne,
with all power and love for us unchanging.
So shall our fear be gone and our feet set upon a radiant path.”