She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

By William Wordsworth 1770–1850 William Wordsworth

She dwelt among the untrodden ways

Beside the springs of Dove,

A Maid whom there were none to praise

And very few to love:

A violet by a mossy stone

Half hidden from the eye!

—Fair as a star, when only one

Is shining in the sky.

She lived unknown, and few could know

When Lucy ceased to be;

But she is in her grave, and, oh,

The difference to me!

RELATED CONTENT

Discover this poem’s context and related poetry, articles, and media.

Poet William Wordsworth 1770–1850

POET’S REGION England

SCHOOL / PERIOD Romantic

Subjects Nature, Relationships, Living, Sorrow & Grieving, Love, Death, Landscapes & Pastorals, Classic Love, Heartache & Loss, Realistic & Complicated

Poetic Terms Common Measure, Rhymed Stanza

More about this poem

Discussing prose written by poets, Joseph Brodsky has remarked, “the tradition of dividing literature into poetry and prose dates from the beginnings of prose, since it was only in prose that such a distinction could be made.” This insight is worth bearing in mind when considering the various prose works of the poet William Wordsworth. For Wordsworth poetic composition was a primary mode of expression; prose was secondary. . . .

Continue reading this biography