First Stanza and the Character of the Moor

"Lucy Gray" is by far my favorite poem by William Wordsworth, whom I initially adored because of his preference for writing about nature. His poems have a sort of beauty in them that can only be achieved through a deep connection with nature. "Lucy Gray" was written in 1798 and published in Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads. It is melancholy, to say the least, but oddly captivating and eerie. Basically, the poem describes the death of a little girl named Lucy Gray. One evening, she ventures out into a wild storm, and never returns or is found. "Lucy Gray" is written in the traditional ballad format, and is a narrative. Every time I read the poem I am struck by the images within the story. I particularly love how "moor[s]" appear in so many beautiful English stories, such as Wuthering Heights and The Secret Garden (6). The moor seems to be a character itself, adding to the image of ruggedness and wild country. This sets the dark tone in "Lucy Gray," as it does in other stories. The fact that "Wild" is capitalized suggests that the country side is in fact a character, which makes sense since it also seems to swallow up Lucy and her mother (2). Within the first four lines, the narrator hints that Lucy is talked about by people, adding to her mystery. She is painted as a very lonely and "solitary" child, only finding company in the moor.