Stanza 1 Summary

Lines 1-2

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass! 

• The speaker opens this poem by directing our attention to a woman, "single in the field."
• Now, "single" here has nothing to do with the woman's relationship status. It means she's out there in the field alone. She is "solitary," as we learn in line 2.
• Oh, and this "she" is a "Highland Lass." We're sure you've heard the word "lass" before, but just in case you haven't, it's a Scottish word for "girl."
• As for "Highland," a geography lesson can help us out. Scotland can be divided into two parts: the lowlands and the highlands.
• The lowlands are the southern part, and the highlands are the northern part, as you can see on this map right here. 
• Now, the whole highlands-lowlands distinction isn't just a geographical issue. Back in the day, there were some pretty big cultural divisions too.
• The lowland Scots were obviously closer to England, and they tended to act a lot more English. The highlanders, in contrast, were a different breed altogether. They kept more to themselves, via a sophisticated clan structure that was in place for many years. 
• A lot of times, when we think of Scotland, we think of kilts and dirks and all that jazz. That kind of stuff was very much associated with the highlands.
• Back in the day, there was a whole lot of prejudice and racism between highlanders and lowlanders, and between both of them and the English.
• The English generally saw the Scots, and especially the highlanders, as backwards, primitive, and unevolved.
• The whole reason we're telling you all this stuff about highlanders is because, well, an early nineteenth-century reader would have had all this in mind as soon as he or she came across the word "highlander."
• Wordsworth was fascinated with rural people of all sorts (largely because he came from a rural part of England himself), and the lass in his poem is no exception.
• We have to ask ourselves, now, is the speaker wandering in the highlands of Scotland? Or is this highland lass hanging out somewhere in England?
• That question isn't answered in this poem, at least not yet, so we'll have to keep that one in the back of our minds for later.
• Let's keep going and see what this bonnie lass is up to, in that field all by herself.

Lines 3-4

Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!

• The highland lass is "reaping" (gathering crops) and "singing" all alone. 
• The speaker notices this, and then gives another order.
• He tells us, or whoever else may be reading this charming little poem, to stop or… "gently pass"? What's up with that? 
• Think of it like this: this highland lass hanging out in the field is a breathtaking sight, at least for the speaker. We can tell he feels there is something special going on here. It's the equivalent of being out in the woods and happening to stumble upon a rare animal engaged in some beautiful activity.
• In fact, it's a lot like a bird of paradise doing its mating dance that most people never get to see. 
• Now, don't get it twisted—we're not saying this woman is an animal, or some goofy little bird. This is a woman doing her thing, and it's a gorgeous sight. The speaker tells his readers to stop and observe because, well, he's moved by the woman's song and figures other people might be moved as well.
• However, since he's aware that this woman's song isn't everybody's cup of tea, he also offers a different option.
• When he says "gently pass" it's his way of saying, "Hey folks, if this song isn't your thing, don't make a lot of noise and freak this woman out. Quietly pass by so she's not disturbed." The speaker is absolutely fascinated by this scene, and is worried lest somebody disturb it.
• (Now that we think about it, we're pretty sure Wordsworth is always worried about people disturbing scenes like this. At the end of a poem with the cute little title of "Nutting" he writes: "Then, dearest Maiden, move along these shades / In gentleness of heart; with gentle hand / Touch—for there is a spirit in the woods.")

Lines 5-6 

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;

• The woman is singing and reaping, that much we know. The speaker now gives us more details about what is going on.
• By reaping the speaker means she is cutting some kind of grain (probably because it is growing in huge stalks in a field) and tying it all together ("binds").
• The song she's singing isn't a very happy one either. It is a "melancholy strain."
• Now why on earth would this woman be singing an unhappy song? Is it because she's alone? Is it because she has to work out in the fields?
• No clue is given as to why this lass is singing a "melancholy" song. She could be perfectly happy, and just happen to be singing a sad song. (We do that all the time, in fact.)
• It's totally possible to appreciate or enjoy a song about something unpleasant without necessarily feeling unpleasant ourselves, right? Pay attention next time you're listening to a sad song, and you'll see what we mean.
• In the meantime, let's see what else our Scottish friend is up to out there in the field...

Lines 7-8

O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound. 

• Well, this poem is certainly full of orders now isn't it? Here we are in the seventh line and the speaker once again tells us what to do.
• He tells us to listen, to hearken to the song, because the Vale, which is magnificent and great ("profound"), is full to the brim with the sound of the woman's song.
• Now, while the speaker may or may not be a huge Game of Thrones fan, he's not talking about The Vale in these lines. (Sorry, folks.) 
• Here, our speaker is referring to some generic vale, which is another word for a valley.
• Well, we're definitely getting a lesson in geography in this poem. We've already learned a little about Scotland, and now we've just covered vales, which are pretty common in certain parts of England.
• We're also getting lesson in iambic tetrameter, which is the meter Wordsworth uses in this poem. 
• You may have heard of iambic pentameter at some point in your life, and iambic tetrameter is almost the same. Don't get too hung up on that just yet. We break it all down for your over in "Form and Meter."
• Before we forget, though, we should also say something about the rhyme scheme.
• In this first stanza, lines 2 and 4 rhyme, but 1 and 3 don't, and the final four lines are couplets. It'll be interesting to see if this odd pattern keeps. 
• In any case, we'll cover that too, over in "Form and Meter."