Appreciation of "To Sleep" by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth, the high priest of Nature, presents an exquisite sonnet that captures the finest sights, sounds, and movements of Nature. He describes a flock of sheep passing leisurely, the sound of rain, bees murmuring, rivers falling, winds, seas, smooth fields, white water sheets, pure skies, bird melodies, and the cuckoo’s melancholy cry.
Despite this beauty, the poet cannot sleep, likely troubled by past worries. His sleeplessness prevents him from enjoying the morning’s wonders. He highlights the blessings of sleep, such as fresh thoughts and joyous health, and pleads for its return.
The poem is a sonnet with a rhyme scheme of abba, abba in the octave and cdc, cdc in the sestet. Wordsworth uses personification (sleep as a mistress), rhetorical questions, onomatopoeia ("bees murmuring"), alliteration ("blessed barrier"), and hyperbole (calling sleep the “mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health”).
Overall, To Sleep conveys the beauty of Nature and the value of restful sleep, offering a universal message.
Questions and Answers
Q1. What are the things that the poet thinks of?
A: A flock of sheep, the sound of rain, bees murmuring, rivers, winds, seas, smooth fields, white sheets of water, and the pure sky.
Q2. Why couldn’t the poet sleep for three nights?
A: Sleep was eluding him.
Q3. Do you think sleep embraced the poet in the end? Why?
A: Yes, because the poet’s earnest plea and praise for sleep suggest he found solace.
Q4. Can you relate to Wordsworth’s sleeplessness until the ‘birds twitter their dawn chorus’?
A: Many can relate, as life’s stresses often lead to sleepless nights.
Q5. How does the poet feel at the start of the poem?
A: The poet feels desperate and longs for sleep.
Q6. Pick out the images from the poem.
A: A flock of sheep, falling rain, murmuring bees, rivers, smooth fields, white water sheets, pure sky, and birds twittering.
Q7. Which lines/images convey the necessity of sound sleep most effectively?
A: The last three lines, emphasizing sleep as the “blessed barrier” and “mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health.”
Q8. Does the poem end on a note of wistful hope and prayer? Why?
A: Yes, the poet prays earnestly for sleep, hoping it will come to him.
Q9. Comment on the length and poetic form of the poem.
A: It’s a sonnet of 14 lines, divided into an octave (abba, abba) and a sestet (cdc, cdc), with vivid imagery and a concluding plea.
Q10. Identify the images used in ‘To Sleep.’
A: A flock of sheep, murmuring bees, white water sheets, pure sky, birds singing, and the cuckoo’s cry.
