Literary Devices Literary Devices    

Lesson 11: Simile: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

by William Wordsworth

Performer: Librivox - Graham Williams

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.

Synopsis

William Wordsworth's poem, 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,' describes the narrator finding a field of daffodils along a lake shore. At this time, he does not yet realize the worth of this encounter. Long after he's left the scene, when he's lonely or restless, the recollection of the daffodils makes him happy.

Concepts

Poets often use literary devices, defined as 'rules of thumb, convention, or structure that are employed in literature and storytelling.'

The nine literary devices we'll study include:

1. Rhyming
2. Alliteration
3. Similes
4. Metaphors
5. Personification
6. Foreshadowing
7. Allusion
8. Hyperbole
9. Onomatopoeia

Similes are figures of speech comparing two things, generally using 'like' or 'as'.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite Poem Information

Recite the title of the poem and the name of the poet.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

Study the poem picture and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Recite the Poem

Practice reciting the poem aloud.

Activity 4: Identify 'Like' or 'As'

Read the similes aloud.

Identify the simile clues - 'as' and 'like.'

• The boy heard a crackling sound like a campfire.
• The villain was as mean as a junkyard dog.
• The plan was as diabolical as the devil.
• The bone snapped like a twig.
• She was as clever as a fox.

Activity 5: Identify the Rhyme Scheme

Review the poem excerpt. Identify the rhyming pattern it follows (e.g. ABAB).

• 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.

Activity 6: Identify Similes

Review the poem excerpt. Identify the two similes.

Name the pairs of elements that the similes compare.

• 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;
• Continuous as the stars that shine
• And twinkle on the milky way,

Activity 7: Complete Book Activities   

• Click the crayon above, and complete pages 34-36 of 'Elementary Poetry 5: Literary Devices.'

References

'Similes.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.