Analysis of Wordsworths Lucy Gray

Oleh: I Gusti Ngurah Putra Hendiana 0818351040

ABSTRAK Lucy Gray karangan penyair Ro antis e !illia !ords"orth# en$eritakan seorang gadis uda yang tersesat dala %adai sal&u ketika dia diperintahkan ayahnya dengan e %a"a la pu untuk en&e put i%unya yang ke kota' (edua orang gadis itu en$arinya sepan&ang ala tetapi tidak %isa ene ukannya' )etelah hari %erganti siang# kedua orang gadis itu ti%a di se%uah &e %atan di ana ereka elihat &e&ak*&e&ak kaki +u$y# tetapi ereka tetap tidak ene ukan +u$y' ,ala %ait akhir puisi Lucy Gray# orang*orang sekitar te pat tinggal +u$y per$aya %ah"a +u$y tidak ati tetapi asih hidup dan sering kali ereka endengar +u$y enyanyikan lagi yang %er$a pur dengan suara angin yang %ertiup' ,ala puisi ini !ords"orth en$o%a untuk engeksplorasi lingkaran hidup dan ati' Ia e akai si %ol*si %ol yang &elas dala te e puisi terse%ut' -isalnya &e %atan disi %olkan se%agai transisi antara hidup dan ati# dikatakan pula %ah"a kehidupan +u$y telah en&adi satu dengan ala ' !ords"orth tidak e %ahas tentang ke atian +u$y tetapi ia &ustru ingin en$a purkan kehidupan dan ke atia dala suatu pergerakan dan tidak henti* hentinya' 1. INTRO !"TION In his short poeti$ "ork# a poe sho" her entitled Lucy Gray, !ords"orth re$ounts the disappearan$e o. +u$y Gray# a young girl "ho is sent to to"n "ith a lantern to other/s "ay ho e sa.ely through the sno"' !ords"orth has lo0e and sy pathy .or this little girl %e$ause she is a sour$e o. inspiration .or the poet to $o pose this poe ' 1he poet/s lo0e and senti ents .or this little girl is %e$ause o. aestheti$ ele ents' O2.ord ,i$tionary de.ines aestheti$s as 3a set o. prin$iples $on$erned "ith appre$iation o. %eauty and a %ran$h o. philosophy "hi$h deals "ith the 4uestion o. %eauty and artisti$ task' 1here are aestheti$ ele ents in the poe Lucy Gray' 5n o%&e$t o. nature is either seen# heard# .elt# tou$hed or tasted .or aestheti$s' 1here are .i0e senses
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"hi$h are prere4uisites .or the en&oy ent o. %eauty: sight 60isual7# sound 6auditory7# s ell 6ol.a$tory7# tou$h 6ta$tile7 and taste 6gustatory7' #. ANAL$SIS In his poe # Lucy Gray, !ords"orth# in sho"ing the helplessness o. %oth $hild and parent# de onstrates the .utility o. +u$y sets out to sho" her Her sole only the arti.i$ially an8s $easeless "arring against rolls in' nature and the do inan$e o. pri iti0e .or$es' 5t the 0ery outset o. the poe # other through the sno" %e.ore a "inter stor ission is to na0igate a path through the dark# "inter*$logged lands$ape# ani.ested light o. the lantern to illu inate her path' )he is

.or$ed to su%&e$t this pri e0al "orld to a sensi%le# la%eled "orld o. order %y the need o. her .a ilial unit# "hi$h# through their 0ery e2isten$e# is at "ar "ith the .or$es o. the natural "orld' 1his i position represents the arrogant# o0er* rea$hing atte pt to pa$i.y the surrounding en0iron ent# the %rutal# yet un%iased# .or$e o. nature' )he lea0es early9:the inster*$lo$k has &ust stru$k t"o:9 lantern in hand# sure o. her su$$ess 6+ine 1;7' :1hat# <ather= "ill I gladly do#: she $ries# agreeing "ith giddy sel. assuran$e "hen asked to head to to"n# una"are o. the loo ing danger 6+ine 1>7' 5"ay .ro sno" and 4ui$kly %e$o es lost' 5nother aspe$t o. :+u$y Gray: that e2presses !ords"orth8s disdain o. hu an inter.eren$e in nature is the $ir$u stan$es under "hi$h the reader is lead to %elie0e +u$y perishes' )he does not si ply .ree?e in the "ilds# o0er$o e %y the sheer .or$e o. nature' 1he $hild is lead astray %y the %ulky $reations o. 1he ne2t the en' orning# the parents tra$k +u$y8s .ootprints through the sno"' 1hey led an* ade $reation: :1hey iddle .o eets her end the shelter o. $i0ility# the stor .alls upon her 4ui$kly' +u$y is disoriented and she "onders through the pre ature

a$ross and open .ield and to a %ridge' Not deep "ithin the $hurning %o"els the sno"y %ank @ 1hose .oot arks# one %y one# @ Into the

o. nature do +u$y8s tra$ks disappear %ut on this .ollo"ed .ro .ar .ro

the plankA @ 5nd .urther there "ere none= 6+ine 53*5B7' 1he $hild

the desolate "ilds o. unadulterated nature %ut in .ollo"ing the

appropriate path' 5.ter "andering .ro "ilderness# +u$y .alls .ro %ridge instead o. the %ridge'

hill to hill# through the heart o. the planks o. the

!ords"orth depi$ts +u$y8s .ootprints disappearing .ro erely 0anishing into the ri0er .ro

the %ank' Cy doing so#

!ords"orth sho"s the disar ing .oolishness o. $lai ing 0i$tory o0er nature' Had +u$y "alked to edge o. the ri0er# she "ould ha0e a$kno"ledged the ada ant natural %arrier and turned a"ay %ut# instead# she "as lulled %y the stru$ture and order o. the %ridge and atte pts to $ross in the ordered hands o. $i0ili?ation' <inally# in the last t"o stan?as o. the poe # !ords"orth soothes his reader "ith the sli possi%ility o. +u$y8s sur0i0al' 1he girl# ho"e0er# does not li0e on in unity' )he the $i0il $on.ines o. a .a ilial unit or the rigorous $on.ines o. $o li0es on through nature: She is a living child; That you may see sweet Lucy Gray Upon the lonesome wild. 6+ine 58*B07 idst o. a terri%le stor ' +u$y o$ks the %arrier o. nature# this ri0er# and puts her .aith# and sa.ety# solely in the

)he treks on through nature# $ontent "ith her plight9in the .inal lines o. the poe # !ords"orth sho"s that the girl is .ree# she :ne0er looks %ehindA @ 5nd sings a solitary song @ 1hat "histles in the "ind' 6+ine BD*B47' In death the $hild has %e$o e "hat she# unlike her parents# ne0er sho"ed any .ear o.' In the .irst hal. o. the poe # the $hild is o0er&oyed to go .reely into nature# she is glad to go out alone' No"# the $hild :sings a solitary song: and li0es on through the sa e natural "orld others pro.essed as her ene y 6+ine 5;7' Instead o. sho"ing the grie. and sorro" o. her .a ily# the sha$kles o. order and stru$ture9she is .ree to %e nature' odels o. ordered li.e and the so$iety# !ords"orth lea0es the $hild in nature' 1he $hild is let go .ro

%. SIG&T 1he poet sees a lonely girl at the ti e o. da"n' It is the sense o. sight' I chanced to see at break o day, The solitary child. In line ;# the poet says that you 1hen he says that you ! line 1B o. the "ord 3seeE' ay see the young one o. a deer playing and

&u ping' Here he uses the "ord 3spyE "hi$h is the opti u ay see the hare upon the green'

"ou yet may spy the awn at play, The hare upon the green. ! line1> In lines 3B and 40# the poet uses the "ord 3sightE and 3sa"E' He says that there "as no sight o. +u$y Gray and then they sa" a "ooden %ridge' #ut there was neither sound nor sight $nd thence they saw the bridge o wood. In line 44# the poet says that the o. +u$y Gray and again uses the "ord 3spyE %hen in the snow the mother spied The print o Lucy&s eet. In line B0# the poet uses the "ord 3seeE' That you may see sweet Lucy Gray Upon the lonesome wild' F line D0 )i ilarly# there are a nu %er o. 0isual i ages in the poe "hi$h appeal to the sense o. sight# though the "ord 3seeE or 3sightE has not %een used' 1hese are the opti$al and spe$ta$ular sights "hi$h attra$t the sense o. sight and then go deep into the heart o. a hu an %eing' 1hese %eauti.ul o%&e$ts o. Nature lead to in0est ent in the heart and the soul' <or instan$e# "hen the poet uses the "ord sno" in line 1B# he says: your 1he "ord he uses the "ord other through the sno"' oon is so ething oon has an appeal to the sense o. sight as ! line 1; * line18 other o. +u$y Gray sa" the .oot prints

attra$ti0e and %eauti.ul "hi$h is o.ten used as a sy %ol o. %eauty' In lines DB*D;# ountain roe and says that +u$y Gray is happier than the ountain deer and "hen she "alks# she disperses the po"dery sno" "hi$h rises like s oke' It is a %eauti.ul i age "hi$h has got aestheti$ pleasure to pro0ide to the spe$tators' 'ot blither is the mountain roe(
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%ith many a wanton stroke )er eet disperse the powdery snow, That rises up like smoke <ro ! line D0

line 4B on"ard# there are a nu %er o. 0isual i ages enu erated %y the poet the steep hill/s edge#

"hen he says that the parents o. +u$y Gray $a e do"n .ro long stone*"all and then $rossed an open .ield'

.ollo"ed the .ootprints o. the $hild# through the %roken ha"thorn hedge# %y the In the presentation o. Nature# !ords"orth is .as$inated %y the sound in the o%&e$ts o. nature# &ust as )helley "as .as$inated %y the $olor in the spe$ta$les o. nature' 1he .ollo"ing lines .ro enthusias .or sound in nature: $ voice so thrilling never was heard In spring time rom the cuckoo bird #reaking the silence o the seas $mong the arthest )ebrides. '. SO!N In the 0ery .irst line o. the poe # the poet uses the "ord 3heardE in "hi$h he says that he had o.ten heard a%out a little $hild $alled +u$y gray' It is the sense o. sound' * t I had heard o Lucy gray the "ord stru$k "hi$h appeals to the sense o. sound' The minster clock has struck two He des$ri%es the ! line D3 In line 35# the poet uses the "ord shouting "hi$h appeals to the sense o. sound' isera%le $ondition and the sense o. .ear o. +u$y/s parents %e$ause she did not return ho e' 1hey "ent out shouting e0ery"here all that night in sear$h o. +u$y Gray' The wretched parents all that night
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1he )olitary Reaper e2hi%it the poet/s

! line D1

* line DD

In line 1; the poet says that the $hur$h $lo$k has stru$k t"o' Here the poet uses

%ent shouting ar and wide

! line D4

In line 4D# the "ord $ried has %een used "hi$h again appeals to the sense o. sound' $ urlong rom their door They wept!and, turning homeward cried +In heaven we all shall meet,; * line D5

In the $on$luding t"o lines# the poet uses the "ords 3singsE and "histlesE "hi$h are the ost appealing "ords .or the sense o. sound' * line DB $nd sings a solitary song That whistles in the wind In all o. the a%o0e lines the entire i pa$t is that o. sound' (. TAST) In line > and 11 the poet says that she "as the appealing to all senses espe$ially to the sense o. taste' She dwelt on a wide moor, !The sweetest thing that ever grew #eside a human door ---------.. #ut the sweet ace o Lucy Gray %ill never more be seen. ali0e and that you * line D> oor' )i ilarly in line 5;# the poet says that so e people still %elie0e that she is still ay see the s"eet .a$e o. +u$y Gray on the "ild ! line D8 ust go That you may see the sweet Lucy Gray Upon the lonesome wild. +osing a lo0ed one is one o. the hardest e2perien$es e0ery person through' 1he e2perien$e does not end "ith the loss though# %ut %egins "ith
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ost %eauti.ul $hild e0er

%orn on the earth' He uses the "ord 3s"eetestE "hi$h is a $o prehensi0e ter

it' 1he loss o. a dear person leads those le.t %ehind into a do"n"ard spiral o. e otions and e ories' In Lucy Gray, !ords"orth .o$uses on that loss and the one $an o%&e$ti0ely e2perien$e %oth e otions that .ollo" it' Cy reading the poe death' 1he poe in %rie. su ary allo"s us to e2perien$e an outsider/s 0ie" o. the tells death o. +u$y Gray and her parents/ grie.' 1he $hara$ter narrating the poe ho e# .or her other in to"n' On her "ay to to"n a sno" stor

the grie. that +u$y Gray/s death %rings on %ut also her parents/ a$$eptan$e o. her

the story o. +u$y# a girl "ho "as sent %y her .ather "ith a lantern to light the "ay hits and +u$y is ne0er .ound neither dead nor ali0e' 1he .a$t that a stranger is narrating the story as opposed to one o. the parents telling the story# allo"s the reader to "itness the tragedy o. +u$y Gray "ithout .eeling too tangled up in the parents/ grie.' Cy ha0ing an outsider "ho is in no "ay in0ol0ed in the tragedy tell the story# the "riter o. the poe poe !illia !ords"orth# gi0es the reader an o%&e$ti0e point o. to relate the reader/s o"n e2perien$e to the la$ked o%&e$ti0ity the reader 0ie" on the tragedy as "ell as roo

"ithout .eeling un$o .orta%le' Had the poe

"ould ha0e surely .elt un$o .orta%le and sti.led %y e otions o. the parents/ or a parent telling the story o. their daughter/s death' 5s "ell as that# the o%&e$ti0eness o. the stranger narrating gi0es the reader al ost a $o story' 1he $o unal e2perien$e' It is as i. the the reader "as in a s all to"n one day# and a lo$al &ust happened to tell the unal aspe$t as "ell as the reader %eing so .ar re o0ed .ro a$tual e0ent# pro0ides an understanding %y the reader o. the parents/ grie. yet it does not in any "ay .or$e the reader to .eel so ething' 1he stranger in the narration o. the story# at one point .o$uses on the parent/s helplessness "hen their daughter does not $o e ho e' 1he .eeling o. helplessness is the .irst e otion they e2perien$e as reali?ation o. their daughter/s disappearan$e and possi%le death sets in' 1his helplessness is %est e2pressed in the .ollo"ing lines o. the poe : The wretched parents all that night %ent shouting ar and wide;

#ut there was neither sight nor sound To serve them or a guide. is looking .or their daughter' It is up to the +ine * 33 F 3B to .ind her and i. they do not .ind her 5dditionally the parents .eel helpless is %e$ause no one else %esides the ali0e# it is a .ailure on their part to keep their $hild sa.e and ali0e' 1he lines also sho" the desperation that +u$y/s parents start to .eel as they see that they $annot .ind her and that the sno"y "eather lo"ers any $han$e in their hearts that she "ill a$tually %e .ound ali0e' It is these .eelings o. helplessness and the desperation that introdu$e the grie. that "ill .ollo"' 1he helplessness is %est sho"n the ne2t day in the poe "hen +u$y/s parents .ind her .ootsteps and .ollo" the ' 1he .ollo"ing lines ho" this helplessness: They ollowed rom the snowy bank Those ootmarks, one by one, Into the middle o the plank; $nd urther there were none. 1he pre$eding lines o. the poe e2pe$tation on the parents/ part that their daughter .all .ro * line 53 F 5B ight still %e ali0e' 1his is o. allo" the reader to see the %uild up o. e otional

$ourse# until the parents dis$o0er that the .ootsteps end and there is no +u$y' 5 so e kind o. hope# allo"s the grie0ing to %egin' Had the parents not the grie0ing pro$ess "ould ha0e started ore pain.ul "ith lingering hope' .ound the .ootsteps and .ollo"ed the later and %een

5s .or e0ery parent that loses a $hild it is hard .or +u$y/s parents to let go' 1he hardest part see s that .a$t that they ne0er e0en .ind +u$y' 1hough hope o. her still %eing ali0e is gone# the parents still ha0e no $losure %e$ause they ne0er .ind her %ody' Get they ust do "ithout and .ind a "ay to a$$ept her death' 1he eetE 6 +ine 4D7' +u$y/s parents do not let ake pea$e "ith the .a$t that .ollo"ing lines sho" the parents/ "illingness to $o e to ter s "ith +u$y/s death and let her go# 3In hea0en "e all shall so eday they shall all really her go in a "ay that they .orget her# %ut they

eet again and %e together' 1hey allo" the sel0es to

grie0e %ut also to a$$ept that nothing $an $hange the .a$t that +u$y is dead' !hat akes it apparent that +u$y/s parents re.use to let her .ade a"ay# is the .a$t
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that the stranger is telling the story' 1he stranger is narrating it as i. it "as told to hi %y one o. the parents# "ord %y "ord# to %e repeated and spread throughout ! "et some maintain that to this day She is still a living child; That you may see sweet Lucy Gray Upon the lonesome wild. * line 5> F B0 1hough +u$y died at su$h a young age and under su$h un.ortunate $ir$u stan$es she is still re e %ered %y the to"n/s people as "ell as the reader no"' *. "ON"L!SION 1he poe Lucy Gray .o$uses on a little $hild Fa ani.estation o. aestheti$ ele ents and .eatures' 1hese aestheti$ .eatures appeal to the .i0e senses' It is a great pie$e o. !ords"orth/s $reati0e talent "hi$h o%ser0es the di ensions o. ro anti$ aestheti$s' He highlights these di ensions in su$h a "ay the s$ene $o es al ost in .ront o. the readers' Ceauty F the a%ility o. an o%&e$t to appeal to the senses and pro0ide e otional satis.a$tion F is readers o. the poe ' +. BIBLIOGRA,&$ 5%ra s# -'H' 1;>1' $ Glossary o Literary Terms. Third /dition ' Ne" Gork: Holt# Rinehart and !inston# In$' ,i Ganni# Ro%ert' 1;;4' Literature 0eading 1iction, 2oetry, 3rama, and the /ssay. Pleasant Hille: Pa$e Ini0ersity' 1;>>' Jn$y$lopedia 5 eri$ana' Holu e 4' International Jdition' Ne" Gork: 5 eri$an Korporation' Horn%y# 5')' D005' *4 ord $dvanced Learner&s 3ictionary' Ne" Gork: O2.ord Ini0ersity Press' ani.est in the poe appealing to the senses o. the the to"n# so in a "ay +u$y is al"ays kept ali0e' In "ords o. !ords"orth

Layanti# Rahayu ,"i' D008' The $nalysis o the Love 5hanges o the 6ing Leontes as the 7ain 5haracter in the %inter Tale, a 2lay by Shakespeare. ,enpasar: <akultas )astra# Ini0ersitas Idayana' Lones# Jd"ard'H' 1;B8' *utlines o Literature ' Ne" Gork: 1he -a$ -illan Ko pany' (enney# !illia ' 1;BB. )ow to $naly8e 1iction. Ne" Gork: -onar$h Press' (ni$ker%o$ker# ('+' and !illard H' Reninger' 1;B3' Interpreting Literature ' I)5: Holt Renehart and !ilson In$' Nurgiyantoro# Curhan# Pro.' ,r' -' Pd' D005' Teori 2engka9ian Sastra' Gogya: Ga&ah -ada Ini0ersity Press' ) ith# )y%ille' 1;85' Inside 2oetry. Pit an Pu%lishing +td : +ondon' )tan.ord# Ludith 5' D00B' 0esponding to Literature. Ne" Gork : -$Gra"*Hill' !ellek# Rene and 5usten !arren' 1;B3' Theory o Literature' +ondon: Ko2 and !y an +td'

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