STUDY OF A POEM

THE DAFFODILS

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 the inward eye,
Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

-William Wordsworth.

Read this poem thoughtfully, and select the stanza you prefer. Give reasons for your preference. What picture do the first two lines of the poem present? What is the meaning of line three in the fourth stanza? of host, dancing, stars, wealth, and oft. of your choice.

Give the construction
Memorize the stanza

PUNCTUATION

Punctuation is the art of dividing written or printed discourse into parts by the use of marks

The principal marks of punctuation are the following:

The period is used in the following cases:

1. At the end of every ordinary declarative sentence; Ex.-There is a pleasure in the pathless woods.

2. At the end of every ordinary imperative sentence; Ex.-Fling wide the generous grain.

3. After every abbreviation;

Ex.-Gen., Hon., Mr., Dr., Prof., Ala., Ave., Jan.

4. After a heading, title of a writing, signature, business or other sign, or any expression complete in itself;

Ex.-Punctuation. Use of the Period. Lessons in English. The Fair. A. Brown, Plumber.

5. To separate decimals from integers;
Ex.-5.365, 4.267.

6. After figures numbering the particulars or items in a series;

Ex.-I can not accept the position for the following reasons: 1. The duties are too onerous. 2. The remuneration is inadequate. 3. My health is impaired.

USE OF THE INTERROGATION POINT

The interrogation point is used as follows:

1. At the end of every interrogative sentence; Ex.-Why should we shrink from what we can not shun?-Byron.

2. At the end of a question quoted directly;
Ex.-"Do my eyes deceive me?” cried I.

3. After a word or statement, to imply doubt as to its correctness, or to insinuate the opposite. When thus used, it is enclosed within curves;

Ex.-Jeffreys was one of the most impartial (?) of

jurists.

USE OF THE EXCLAMATION POINT

The exclamation point is used in the following cases:

1. At the end of an exclamatory sentence;
Ex.-How the verdure runs o'er each rolling mass!
And live there men who slight immortal Fame!
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!

2. After an exclamatory word or phrase;

Ex.-All this dread order break-for whom? for thee?
Vile worm!-oh, madness! pride! impiety!
What! is Antonio here?

3. After most interjections;

Ex.-Many, alas! had fallen in battle.

PUNCTUATION

USE OF THE COMMA

The cases where the comma should be used are numerous and various. The most important are the following:

The comma is used to separate the subject from the predicate:

1. When the subject consists of a phrase, or base (expressed or understood) modified by a clause, and is quite long;

To know that which before us lies in daily life, is the prime wisdom.

That the climate of the northern hemisphere has changed, is the opinion of many naturalists.

A half-starved dog that looked like a wolf, was skulking about the house.-Irving.

2. When the subject consists of antithetical parts;
Not inclination, but necessity, impels men to labor.

3.

When the subject ends with a verb;

Whatever is, is right.

4. When the subject consists of a coördinate series of words, or pairs of words, between which the conjunction has been omitted;

The present scene, the future lot,
His toils, his wants, were all forgot.

The fair, the brave, the good, must die.

Hope and fear, pleasure and pain, diversify our lives. The comma is used to set off the object complement:— 1. When the object complement consists of a base modified by a clause, and precedes the governing verb and its subject;

The seed ye sow, another reaps;
The wealth ye find, another keeps;
The robes ye weave, another wears;
The arms ye forge, another bears.

2. When the object complement is a short and informal direct quotation following the governing verb;

Patrick Henry began by saying, “It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope."

3. When the object complement consists of a direct quotation preceding the governing verb, and is neither a question nor an exclamation;

"You will think better of this by and by," said his acquaintance composedly.

4. When the object complement is an indirect quotation of some length;

The professor said to his audience, that, for the cultivation of accuracy, there was nothing like having to teach what one had learned.

5. When the object complement consists of a modified word, and has a common dependence on several verbs separated by commas;

Charity beareth, believeth, hopeth, all things.

The comma is used to set off a subjective complement when this consists of a clause before which the conjunction has been omitted;

All that we know is, nothing can be known.

The comma is used to separate the objective complement from the direct object when both are proper nouns with emphasis on the objective complement;

They called Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius.