She Dwelt Among The Untrodden Ways

In “She dwelt among the untrodden ways,” the speaker regrets that a woman with clear beauty and potential was unobserved by those around her. By highlighting the speaker’s own ability to suss out Lucy’s praiseworthiness and value, the speaker hopes to glorify the passed-over young woman and thus make amends.

Lucy’s isolation is repeatedly emphasized throughout the text, with seven allusions to her solitary existence made in the 12-line poem. She lives near paths that are “untrodden” (Line 1)—in a place where no one goes. It is clear she has few visitors and no intimates, as there are “none to praise [her]” (Line 3). “Very few” (Line 4) have courted her and Lucy remains unloved. Even the comparisons made between Lucy and natural objects show her singular nature: She is like “a violet” (Line 5), a flower that is tiny, easily missed, and hidden under a rock, and is equated to a solitary “star,” the “only one” (Line 7) lighting up the night.

The third stanza confirms this isolated existence: Lucy “lived unknown” and “few” (Line 9) knew of her existence. Now that she has died, her death goes unnoticed. Only the speaker feels the “difference” (Line 12) of her absence, a pang of grief indicated by the exclamation mark that ends the poem on a cry of anguish.