A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

Poem-10

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

By William Wordsworth

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Poem Introduction

William Wordsworth wrote this as one of his 'Lucy poems.' These poems were written in memory of his beloved. The poet is referring to death, which is a never-ending sleep. The poet was unaware when his beloved Lucy slept forever, i.e. died. She had taken life for granted until her death, when she realised the harsh reality of life.

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Poem Summary

The poet admits that he was in a deep sleep because he did not fear the harsh reality of life. He had taken life for granted and had never imagined that one day death would separate him from his beloved Lucy. For him, she was an immortal goddess who was unaffected by age or mortality. She is motionless because she is no longer alive. She cannot hear or see. She is buried in the earth and rotates with it. She will eventually blend in with the earth's trees, rocks, and stones.

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Poem Explanation

A slumber did my spirit seal—
I had no human fears.
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.

  • Slumber: sleep
  • Spirit: soul

The poet's soul had fallen into a deep sleep because he had no realisation of the truth. He had taken life for granted and had never imagined that one day, Lucy would be taken from him. He couldn't bear the loss of her when she was taken away.

No motion has she now, no force—
She neither hears nor sees,
Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.

  • diurnal: daily
    (Earth’s diurnal course” is earth’s daily rotation on its axis)

The poet accepts the fact that Lucy is no longer alive. She is lifeless and motionless. She cannot see nor hear. She was laid to rest in the earth. She will be assimilated into the earth and will rotate with it. She will one day become one with the rocks, stones, and trees that make up the Earth.

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Poem Literary Devices

1. Rhyme scheme – abab cdcd
2. Alliteration – The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two or more consecutive words is called alliteration. The instances of alliteration are as follows –
‘Spirit sealed’, ‘rolled round’

3. Enjambment – when a sentence continues into two or more lines ending without any punctuation marks, it is called Enjambment. The instances of enjambment are as follows –
“She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.”

“Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.”

About the Poet

 William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was an English poet whose collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge on Lyrical Ballads (1798) helped launch the English Romantic movement. He was one of the founders of English Romanticism, as well as one of its most central figures and intellectuals. Wordsworth's poetry is synonymous with the English Lake District's unique landscape.