A ballad written by William Wordsworth in iambic tetrameter, "The Solitary Reaper" contains four eight-line stanzas. Having an ababccdd rhyme scheme, the poem describes in the first person how the singing of a Scottish Highland girl in the field, assisted by the English Romantic poet, dazzles and moves him emotionally. After visiting the Scottish highlands, the mountainous regions, with his sister Dorothy and fellow poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1803 (Lancashire), Wordsworth recalls in his poetry the common sight of solitary reapers working in Scotland. Conveying the essence of his ardent feelings through “The Lone Reaper,” William Wordsworth praises the beauty of music as well as music's ability to be a universal tool of expression and language in which people of all cultures connect. The poem begins with Wordsworth instructing the reader through the use of the apostrophe to watch the “solitary Highland girl” (2) who “gathers and sings alone” (3). By calling the lone reaper a "girl," Wordsworth brings into focus the image of a girl who is young, yet experienced and mature due to the hardships of the rural countryside. As the solitary girl “cuts and binds the corn” (5) alone, seemingly unaware of her surroundings, Wordsworth commands those who meet her to “stay here, or pass softly by” (4). By asking others to "stop here" (4), Wordsworth reveals his belief that the girl's melody is seductive and worthy enough to be heard and acknowledged by all onlookers. Yet Wordsworth does not force people to listen to the reaper's song as he also gives those who pass by the opportunity to “pass delicately” (4). Not wanting anything to disturb the highland girl either from her labors or her singing, Wordsworth apparently implores s...... middle of paper ...... that Wordsworth praises music and how through his beauty, manages to connect person-to-person, from place to place. Written as a lyric, “The Solitary Reaper” illustrates the harmonious song the girl sings while the poem itself flows with numerous euphonious words. With short lines and rhymes, the poem has a fast pace, creating a musical rhythm, further stating the underlying theme of the music. Allowing readers to experience Wordsworth's experience and wonder, the lyric poem exists as proof that the lingering effects of music endure over time, passing down history from one generation to the next. Works Cited Bergman, David and Daniel Mark Epstein. The health guide to poetry. Lexington: DC Heath and Company, 1983. Print.Lancashire, Ian. “William Wordsworth: The Lone Reaper.” Representative poetry online. University of Toronto Libraries, 2009. Web. March 27. 2011.