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Poem
January 28, 1850
Lynchburg Virginian
Lynchburg, Virginia
What is this article about?
William Wordsworth's poem 'She Was a Phantom of Delight' portrays a woman's evolving image in the speaker's eyes: from a fleeting, lovely apparition to a practical, virtuous companion, and ultimately a noble, angelic figure embodying human strengths.
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POETICAL.
SHE WAS A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT,
By Wordsworth.
She was a phantom of delight,
When first she beamed upon my sight,
A lovely apparition, sent
To be a moment's ornament;
Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair;
Like Twilight, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful dawn;
A dancing shape, an image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.
I saw her upon nearer view,
A Spirit, yet a Woman too!
Her household motions light and free,
And steps of virgin liberty;
A countenance in which did meet
Sweet records, promises as sweet;
A Creature not too bright or good
For human nature's daily food;
For transient sorrows, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears and smiles.
And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;
The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength and skill;
A perfect Woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command;
And yet a Spirit still, and bright
With something of an angel light.
SHE WAS A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT,
By Wordsworth.
She was a phantom of delight,
When first she beamed upon my sight,
A lovely apparition, sent
To be a moment's ornament;
Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair;
Like Twilight, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful dawn;
A dancing shape, an image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.
I saw her upon nearer view,
A Spirit, yet a Woman too!
Her household motions light and free,
And steps of virgin liberty;
A countenance in which did meet
Sweet records, promises as sweet;
A Creature not too bright or good
For human nature's daily food;
For transient sorrows, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears and smiles.
And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;
The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength and skill;
A perfect Woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command;
And yet a Spirit still, and bright
With something of an angel light.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Phantom Delight
Wordsworth
Ideal Woman
Love
Spirit Woman
Romantic Ode
What entities or persons were involved?
By Wordsworth.
Poem Details
Title
She Was A Phantom Of Delight
Author
By Wordsworth.
Subject
Evolving Perception Of An Ideal Woman
Form / Style
Three Stanza Lyric In Iambic Tetrameter With Varied Rhyme
Key Lines
She Was A Phantom Of Delight,
A Perfect Woman, Nobly Planned,
To Warn, To Comfort, And Command;
And Yet A Spirit Still, And Bright
With Something Of An Angel Light.