Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
Lines 9-12
Upon the moon I fixed my eye,
All over the wide lea;
With quickening pace my horse drew nigh
Those paths so dear to me.
- At the start of this stanza, the speaker is checking out the moon. That seems like natural behavior for someone who's in love—those people are always gazing at the moon.
- It looks like the moon is shining down on the speaker's surroundings, a wide and grassy area ("lea") (10).
- The speaker's horse starts to pick up the pace as it gets closer ("drew nigh") to some paths that the speaker holds dear. We're guessing these aren't just his favorite jogging trails. It must be that he and the horse are getting closer to his beloved.
- The excitement is building. Will our guy ever get there? Will Wordsworth ever alter the poem's form and meter? We can only guess at this point. Read on to answer the first question, and hit up "Form and Meter" to answer the second.