"Fidelity" by William Wordsworth

Fidelity

-      William Wordsworth

Introduction

William Wordsworth is often said to be the harbinger of Romanticism in English poetry. He is known as one of the greatest lyric poets in the history of English literature. His poems are best known for their simplicity in terms of language and subject. Nature is a strong influence on the poet.

Synopsis

The poem “Fidelity” opens on a beautiful mountainous backdrop where a shepherd is startled to see a little dog barking unusually among rocks and fern. He wonders how the little dog could be there all alone in the rocky mountainous region away from human settlement. The shepherd sights a fish jumping out of a pool and a raven cawing as a mark of life in that isolated region. The sun’s rays and the howling wind seem to be rushing past the region. In the meanwhile, the shepherd anticipates something and follows the dog across the terrain only to be shocked to find a human skeleton on the ground. He realizes that it was the skeleton of Charles Gough and very well remembers the day of the accident. The dog had remained by the side of Charles Gough for 3 months in that tough terrain.

The poet is all praise for the sublime love displayed by the dog above all human measure enduring the loneliness and harsh weather. This poem describes the love and devotion of the pet dog.

Stanza-wise explanation

1.   The poet narrates a legend in which a shepherd is on a mountain with his flock. He suddenly notices some movement in a thicket (bush) of fern. There emerges a dog from the green cover.

2.   The dog does not seem to be of a mountain breed but its movements are a little wild and shy for some reason. The shepherd finds something unusual in the cry of the dog too. He does not see any one around nor does he hear any sound. He wonders what the dog is doing up there.

3.   It is a steep rocky cliff and a small lake on the Hevellyn Mountain that do not have human presence.

4.   All that can be seen often is a fish jumping out of the lake, a sight of happiness and the raven’s croak repeated by the crags. The sun rays and the wind seem to rush but they are trapped there. The solitary wilderness holds them back.

5.   The shepherd follows the dog and soon finds a human skeleton on the ground. He searches around for some clues.

6.   Perhaps, the man had fallen from the rocks. The shepherd tries to recall who that could be and where he came from. He slowly recollects the day the traveler had passed that way.

7.   It is a tragic end for a traveler who had gone missing for three months on that rocky mountain. But what astounded the shepherd was the dog that remained with the corpse which was perhaps, its beloved master’s.

8.   The poet concludes this story stating that the dog had remained with its dead master’s body ever since the tragedy struck. He admires the man for his sublime love towards the dog which made the dog exhibit that love beyond human imagination!

Questions and Answers

1.   What do you think the poem is about?

Ans: This poem is about the dog’s loyalty and love towards its master.

2.   What noise amazes the shepherd in the poem? What does he do in this regard?

Ans: The unusual cry of the dog. He looks around to see if someone is around

3.   Since how many days had the dog been in its place before the shepherd spotted it? Why was the dog there?

Ans: It had been there for 3 months. It was there by his side showing sublime love.

1.   Attempt a critical summary of the poem.

OR

Comment on the title of the poem.

Ans: “Fidelity” is a beautiful pastoral poem written by William Wordsworth, the high priest of Romanticism in English literature. He takes readers back to the times of simple and mystic aspects of nature. Here in this poem he portrays the sublime love shown by a pet animal towards its master. The title ‘Fidelity’ sums up how a dog remains faithful true to its spirit even after his death. Wordsworth takes up a legend of Charles Gough, a traveler, discoverer who went up the mountain and had a tragic fall from the cliffs causing death in that savage region. No one had known about his whereabouts until the shepherd chanced upon his pet dog which led him to its master’s skeleton. Apart from this theme, the poem is rich with visual imagery starting from ‘a stirring in brake…’ to a human skeleton on the ground. The poet employs narrative tone to prepare the reader for a story. The presence of the dog and shepherd against savage background of the mountain prepare us for a captivating story. Wordsworth gives us his best experience of nature when he spots a leaping fish and a raven; rainbow and the clouds. The personification of rainbow, mists and clouds add to the beautiful description. From this pleasant aspect to the tragic sight of the skeleton of the dead discoverer, we are led through the elements of suspense and disbelief. 

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