Surprised by Joy
Surprised by Joy - context Summary
Mourning His Daughter, 1815
Composed in 1815 and published in 1820 in Miscellaneous Sonnets, this sonnet records Wordsworth’s immediate emotional experience on remembering his dead daughter, Catherine. It narrates a sudden, brief uplift of "joy" that is instantly overturned by recollection of her death, producing a sharper grief. The poem registers both the momentary illusion of consolation and the enduring conviction that the child’s face can never be restored.
Read Complete AnalysesSurprised by joy-impatient as the Wind I turned to share the transport-Oh! with whom But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb, That spot which no vicissitude can find? Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind- But how could I forget thee? Through what power, Even for the least division of an hour, Have I been so beguiled as to be blind To my most grievous loss!-That thought's return Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more; That neither present time, nor years unborn Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.
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