"The Idiot Boy"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains how, in "The Idiot Boy", Wordsworth attempted to combine two elements of lyrical and emotional poetry with a story of rustic or rural life. It shows how the use of language and the poetic diction is purposely simple to suit the plain themes and characters.

From the Paper:

"The poem continues to present the situation that Betty Foy finds herself in through direct and intimate language. The second stanza is composed mainly of questions and the narrator describes the scene and situation to us. The use of questions and interrogation adds to the underlying gentle humor in the poem. This interrogative mode also tends to emphasize activity that is out of the ordinary. Betty has no option but to send her idiot son for help as her friend appears to be seriously ill. The rhythm and rhyme of the stanzas adds to the sense of narrative. This aspect also relates to Wordsworth's assertion in the Preface that the lyrical ballads should be pleasurable to the ear. The simple rhythmic phrasing as well as the natural speech and the gently interrogative style, all add to the easy narrative pace of the poem."

More papers on "The Idiot Boy":

• Analytical Essay # 4625 : "Wordsworth and Writing his Defense"
• Analytical Essay # 8199 : "Romantic Poets and the Representation of Memory"
• Analytical Essay # 35246 : "Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: