"I wandered lonely as a cloud" (pgs. 43-44)

I believe this poem is important because it’s applicable to everyday life and makes me think a lot about how I perceive the world. When I was flipping through the book this title caught my attention, and when I read it, it was fairly easy to read and interpret. I think this is because Wordsworth is describing the feared but attainable unknown of our thoughts and actions in the world and how we perceive and present them to society and ourselves.

Because “important” is a subjective term, in this context I’m going to define it as something that can be meaningful to one’s life. I think the main idea that Wordsworth is addressing in this poem is fulfilling loneliness through realization, acceptance and changing.

My interpretation of the “plot” of this poem is as follows: in the beginning he’s expressing lonely thoughts, than he’s following them and realizes that they are everywhere, but mainly in good, relaxing places, and finally he accepts these lonely thoughts and now thinks that they are a part of being happy and okay with yourself in life. Why I think this plot line is applicable and important to lots of peoples lives in general is because I think we all feel lonely at times and wander off, thinking about what to do, where to go, etc. We realize overtime through experience, time and maturity that sad thoughts happen but don’t have to consume us; that there should be more good than bad and that we can take sad and bad situations and deal with them and perceive them in a happy, healthy way. I think that is exactly what Wordsworth is doing with this poem—following his lonely thoughts, accepting them, and being okay and happy with himself in the end of his journey following those thoughts.