Imagery:
* Visual: Wordsworth creates vivid images of the daffodils ("golden daffodils," "fluttering and dancing in the breeze," "ten thousand saw I at a glance"), the lake ("a host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze"), and the speaker's own experience ("I gazed—and gazed—but little thought / What wealth the show to me had brought").
* Auditory: The speaker hears the "jocund company" of the daffodils.
* Kinesthetic: The "fluttering and dancing" of the daffodils and the speaker's feeling of "bliss" are kinesthetic images that appeal to our sense of movement and feeling.
Figurative Language:
* Simile: The poem opens with the simile "I wandered lonely as a cloud," comparing the speaker's solitude to the drifting movement of a cloud. This sets up the contrast between the speaker's initial isolation and the joy he experiences in nature.
* Metaphor: The daffodils are referred to as a "host" and a "crowd," giving them a sense of human-like activity and companionship.
* Personification: The daffodils are described as "fluttering" and "dancing," suggesting they are alive and engaged in a joyous movement.
Sound Devices:
* Alliteration: The repetition of the "f" sound in "fluttering and dancing" emphasizes the lightness and movement of the daffodils.
* Assonance: The repetition of the long "o" sound in "golden daffodils," "a host," and "beside the lake" creates a sense of richness and fullness.
* Consonance: The repetition of the "l" sound in "I wandered lonely" and "a host, of golden daffodils" creates a sense of gentle movement.
Structure:
* Free Verse: While the poem does have a rhyme scheme, the rhythm is not strictly regular, giving the poem a more natural and conversational feel.
* Stanzas: The poem's use of quatrains (four-line stanzas) provides a sense of balance and structure, while allowing for variation within each stanza.
Theme:
* The Power of Nature: The poem celebrates the restorative and uplifting power of nature.
* The Importance of Memory: The speaker's encounter with the daffodils continues to provide him with joy long after the experience itself.
By employing these literary devices, Wordsworth creates a powerful and moving poem that captures the beauty and transformative power of the natural world.