The Female Vagrant (Lyrical Ballads)

The Female Vagrant (What happens in the poem?) 1

The poem begins with the same structure used in other Wordsworth poems. He begins with by telling of an aspect of nature, before going on to tell of the negative effects of the modern world "By Derwents side my fathers cottage stood". For example- The Thorn "There is a thorn, it looks so old", Old Man Travelling "The little Hedgerow birds" and in Lines...seat in a yew tree "This lonely yew tree stands.
The narrators father is happy living next to the lake, with no money, just his sheep "Supplied to him were more than mines of gold". Her father has not been effected by the modern world and the greed and commerce of it all yet.
She talks about her father being a good man. "Honest". Religion was a big aspect to her father, he made her pray. "There my prayers i said".
She describes the harmonious life they lead among nature "Bees hummed" "honeyed sycamores" "The red breast known for years". This shows the timeless rhythm of nature.
Then things begin to change with the influence of the modern world. "Then rose a mansion". and "Through pastures not his own the master took". The mansion and the man symbolise the negative effects of the modern world and of commerce.
Her father "Dared his greedy with gainsey" because he did not like the changes taking place. As a result "To cruel injuries he became a prey". Her father was happy before, this shows mans cruel act on man.

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As a result of the change in rural living because of the modern world, his daughter loses her faith in Religion. She used to prey "There my prayers I said" To "-I could not pray". The Ceasura used shows the girl questioning her religion. The younger generation have lost there faith, they know there is no hope, things are changing. Older generation are clutching to religion. "His faith he kept".

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Her lover is sent away to work in the city (common happening) "To a distant town...to ply the artist trade". The girl has triplets "Three lovely infants....Sweet smiles". This shows the innocence of a child.
Talks about the beginning of the war having an effect. "Twas a hard change....an evil time had come". Talks of the war and how it is changing things. Negative images like in "Old man travelling"
Her husband is sent away to war "Beat round...to sweep the streets of want an pain". The word beat shows cruelty of war and mans cruel act on man. The sweep the streets stands for the poor being wiped of the streets and sent to America, there rural lives have changed, through no fault of there own.
Industrialization begins "Green fields before us...Polluted air incurred" This could show industrialization, or could show the bad feeling in the air from mans cruel act on man.
All her children and husband die "All perished, all in one remorseless year"
The narrator uses adjectives in the same way as in The Dungeon. There is a negative use of adjectives, to show the negative effects of the modern world. "Despairing, Desolate, Dried up".
The woman meets gypsies, she re-connects to the earth like at the beginning of the poem. The gypsies help her, this is because they still learn from nature, they are not effected by the natural world. The still have morals. Look at Roseau's ideas. "Wild brood saw me weep....gave me food and rest".

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Religion in the 18th Century
Her father had unshakeable faith, he never wavered, even through negative times "His faith he kept". The daughter could not do this, she realized as a result of the modern world and commerce religion was in decline and things were changing.
The power of the church was diminishing, power of commerce taking over.
Ultimately, what does his love of God achieve? Younger generation (Daughter) asks these questions after she sees whats happening "To cruel injuries he became a prey". The Ceasura used "-I could not prey-" Shows her questioning.
Innocence of children
"Three lovely infants....sweet smiles". These children have not yet been changed by the modern world, the still have a pure imagination.
Henry Rosseau's ideas
The Gypsies she meets still have common human decency, they have been brought up in nature and still live in nature, they have not yet been effected by the modern world. "Wild brood saw me weep...gave me food and rest".
People having to move to the cities
Her husband was forced to move as could not make money in the rural areas anymore "Distant town....to ply the artists trade"

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War and the effects of it
"Beat round to sweep the streets of want and pain". Poor people are exploited, they are sent away through no fault of there own. Beat- mans cruel act on man in the war.

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"Twas a hard change, an evil time had come". This shows the negative effects of war and the modern world and commerce.
"Ruined Forte". This symbolizes war and its destruction, it stands for nothing more but destruction.
Enclosureact/Modern society and money.
"Then rose a mansion"
"Though pastures not his own, the master took"
These two quotes symbolize commerce and the modern world, sweeping round rural areas and taking over.
Mans cruel act on man
"Dared his greedy with Gainsay" then "To cruel injuries he became a prey". The gypsies have no cruel act on man, they still have there common human decency because they have been brought up an have lived in the country.
Nature
Harmonious amongst nature without the effect of the modern world. "Bees Hummed" "Honeyed Sycamores" and "The red breast known for years" and "Peace, Thyme and Mint" From the garden, nature supplied them with everything they needed.

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"By Derwents side my fathers cottage stood"
"One filed, a flock...were worth more than mines of gold"
"Thoughtless Joy" "Honeyed sycamore" "red breast known for years" "Pease, Mint, Thyme"
"My prayers i said" to "I could not pray"
Through pastures not his own the master took" "A mansion rose"
"MY father dared his greedy with gainsey" "To cruel injuries he became a prey"
"To a distant town....to ply the artist trade"
"Twas a hard change, an evil time had come"
"Beat round...to sweep the streets of want and pain"
"All Perished, all in one remorseful year"
"The green fields....By fever of polluted air"
"Wild brood saw me weep....gave me food and rest"
Gloomy lantern"
One of the best poems for contextual points!!!!!

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