Wretched and Ready to Give Up

I adore the word "wretched" (33) It's just an extreme sounding word for the simple act of being unhappy. In this case, as Lucy's parents search high and low for their daughter, the word is so fitting and impacting. The harsh weather does not even leave a clue for the parents as to where their daughter is. In essence, she was swallowed up. Just the thought of their panic and helplessness helps to communicate the emotion of the poem thus far with ferocity. The "Bridge of Wood" is a simple enough title, but holds a sense of dread as the adults see it on the moor. Just as their about to give up and have declared "In Heaven we all shall meet" , the mother spies her daughter's foot print (42). What strikes me most about this stanza is that the parents have given up on finding their little girl! I cannot even imagine giving up on a life after only one night of looking. This begs the question, what kind of parents are they really?