A ballad written by William Wordsworth in iambic tetrameter, “The Solitary Reaper” contains four stanzas of eight lines. Having an ababccdd rhyme scheme, the poem describes first-hand how the singing of a Scottish Highland girl in the field, as seen 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 poem the common sight of solitary reapers at work in Scotland. Conveying the essence of his ardent feelings through "The Solitary Reaper", William Wordsworth praises the beauty of music as well as the ability of music to be an instrument of expression and a universal language in which people of all cultures connect. The poem begins with Wordsworth instructing the reader by using the apostrophe to look at the “lonely Highland maiden” (2) who “harvests and sings to herself” (3). Referring to the lone reaper as a “maiden,” Wordsworth puts forward the image of a girl who is young, but experienced and mature due to the hardships of the rural countryside. As the solitary girl “cuts and binds the grain” (5) on her own, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, Wordsworth commands those who encounter her to “stop here or pass gently” (4). Demanding that others “stop here” (4), Wordsworth reveals his belief that the girl's melody is sufficiently seductive and worthy to be heard and recognized by all onlookers. However, Wordsworth does not force people to listen to the grim reaper's song as he also gives passersby the opportunity to “pass gently” (4). Not wanting anything to disturb the Highland maiden in her labors and singing, Wordsworth apparently begs the middle of a paper......which Wordsworth praises music and how, through its beauty , manages to connect people. from person to person, from place to place. Written in lyric form, “The Solitary Reaper” illustrates the harmonious song the girl sings while the poem itself is filled with many euphonious words. With short lines and rhymes, the poem has a fast pace, creating a musical rhythm, further affirming the underlying theme of the music. Allowing readers to feel Wordsworth's experience and awe, the lyric poem exists as proof that the lingering effects of music endure through time, passing history from one generation to the next. Works Cited Bergman, David and Daniel Mark Epstein. The Health Poetry Guide. 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.