“The word ’structure’ is in fact a metaphor implying that a work of literature, both topically and emotionally, is as connected and unified as a building _ a structure. In imaginative works, structure refers to the chronological position of parts, scenes, episodes, chapters, and acts; it also refers to the logical or associational relationships among stanzas, ideas, images, or other divisions.” (Roberts, E. V.).
The theme of To Daffodils is the transience of all earthly things. The poet expresses this idea in his address to beautiful daffodil flowers. The daffodils die away very quickly even before the sun has attained his noon. The poet entreats the daffodils to stay up to the evening. After prayer, they will depart together. Human beings are similar; they have a quick growth, short youth, and quick decay. Human life is as short as the summer's rain or the pearls of morning dew.
This little poem has two stanzas of ten lines each. They have the same metre, the same rhyme-scheme, the same line-lengths. The physical appearance of the two stanzas are the same. The first, third, and ninth lines of each stanza have eight syllables, while the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth lines have six syllables, and the fifth and seventh lines have two syllables. The shapes and weights of two stanzas are exactly alike. This similarity in the physical structure between two stanzas symbolizes similarity in life-span between the two earthly objects _ humans and daffodils. The metre of eight-syllabled lines is iambic trimeter, while the metre of the fifth line is a spondee, and that of the seventh line is iambic monometer. The metrical arrangement is perfectly uniform. The rhythm varies with different lines, and so there is a good variety in rhytm and music.
The rhetorical figures used are epistrophie, pathetic fallacy, in the first stanza. The whole of the second stanza consists of a series of simile. This also echoes the basic comparison that the poet has made between humans and daffodils. Alliteration plays an important role in the creation of music. For example, in the first two lines, “Fair daffodils, we weep to see/You haste away so soon,” the repetition of the consonant sound ”s” produces alliterative music. There are some other sound devices contributing to the music of the lyric.
The whole poem is conceived in symbolism. Daffodils symbolize all beautiful things of the earth, and human beings symbolize all living creatures.
Taken all these elements of the lyric into consideration, the poet is seen to have achieved a perfect structure in this poem.
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