Mammoth Memory

Example 4 – I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud  (the first line is also the title of the poem).

I wandered lonely as a cloud

Think of a lonely cloud wandering over a hill.

 

So, now you have the title and the beginning of the poem, you need to learn each line as follows:

 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

(Press within the boxes below to reveal the mnemonic image, then select 'back to poem' to return to the list.)

 

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
Out-did 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 that inward eye
which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
and dances with the daffodils.

 

Link 1

Link HILLS to WHEN ALL AT ONCE

link hills to when all at once 

The hill (hills) said “Boo!” all at once.

 

Link 2

Link DAFFODILS to BESIDE THE LAKE.

link daffodils beside the lake 

The daffodils were beside the lake.

 

Link 3

Link BREEZE to CONTINUOUS

link breeze with continuous 

The breeze was unceasing, and she flew her kite continuously for hours.

 

Link 4

Link MILKY WAY to THEY STRETCHED

link milky way with they stretched 

As they fought over the Milky Way bar, they stretched it right out.

 

Link 5

Link BAY to TEN THOUSAND

link bay with ten thousand 

The bay was covered in 10,000 daffodils.

 

Link 6

Link DANCE to THE WAVES

link dance and with waves 

She could dance on the waves, she was so light-footed.

 

Link 7

Link GLEE to A POET

link Glee and a poet 

The child was full of glee as a poet read from her new book.

 

Link 8

Link COMPANY to GAZED

link company and glazed 

The company director just wanted to gaze out of his new office.

 

Link 9

Link BOUGHT to OFT

link brought and oft

She brought yet another bouquet of flowers: was this too often?

 

Link 10

Link MOOD to THEY FLASH

link mood to they flashed

She set the mood in the bedroom with flashing lights.

 

Link 11

Link SOLITUDE to MY HEART

link solitude to my heart 

Solitude on a deserted beach was what my heart sought.

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