Wordsworth’s Daffodils Spring Up on YouTube
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of its publication, and not incidentally, to bring more young people to visit England’s famed Lake District, the Cumbria Tourist Board has released a hip-hop video version of William Wordsworth’s poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Filmed on the banks of Lake Ullswater, which provided the original inspiration for the poem, the video features rapper MC Nuts as a giant red squirrel dancing among the nodding heads of daffodils.
So is Wordsworth turning in his grave? Or is this a valid attempt to revive his poem and bring it to people outside the classroom? After you’ve seen the video at one of these sites, come on back and tell us what you think by posting a comment to this post (just click “comments” below, right next to the date line):
- on YouTube: “mc nuts - william wordsworth rap”
- at the Cumbria/Lake District Tourist Board Web site: “Wordsworth... for the YouTube generation”
Media responses to the video:
- from The Guardian (UK):
“Respect for Wordsworth 200 years on with daffodil rap,” by Martin Wainwright - from The Telegraph (UK):
“Squirrel rapper releases hip-hop Wordsworth,” by Matthew Moore
Related articles:
“Fragile” - Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 is a poetry film single
(Since we posted this in July 2006, a large number of Shakespeare’s sonnets have appeared in YouTube video versions -- another example of his work’s continuing power to reach and inspire readers these many generations after his time.)
Comments
Educational standards must be the lowest ever. Don’t you get it? You are supposed to READ the poem. And anyway, why would such wonderful words need noise (or even music)?
The poem was inspired by the countryside and the lakes. So what does it have to do with stupid visuals that are not the least bit imaginative or humorous (maybe except for the retarded).
There is no hope for the world …. certainly not for beauty and sensitivity. Cumbria Tourist Board - go drown in the lake!
Not more bleeding daffodils! I am a poet living in Cumbria. Apart from the fact that it is really difficult to convince anyone that there is more to the poetry of the Lake District than this worn out poem of yet another dead white male, this is a shameful gimmick. If they wanted to bring 19thC poetry into the 21st C at least they could have commissioned a contemporary poet to do the job who had a feel for language. Plus, it would be better to promote the huge wealth of poetic talent living the Lakes today - there is a vibrant poetry scene here with some excellent poets. Alas, there is little funding support for ventures like Wild Women Press or the like, which encourage, support and publish new poetry from Cumbria - and now we know why. In future, instead of trying to support new voices, perhaps we will don a furry animal suit and make spurious rap instead of poetry.
I agree with what “A Poet” said about the poem for the poem’s sake. So much of the beauty of the poem is lost through this strange visual and the mood is completely altered. It is disrespectful–even to the point of the addition of profanity. I would not want my children to see or hear Wordsworth’s poem in such vulgar disarray. I’m sorry I experienced this myself, for this has long been one of my favorite poems.
Sorry. I’m not automatically against imaginative interpretations of older poems, but this isn’t the poem. The gratuitious “hell” just stood out. It’s not the poem at all with even a small change. Wordsworth, and other poets. worked too hard to find just the right words. I agree with all the above comments. This is not even a “nice try”.
it’s just for sale …
cumbria, daffodils, wordsworth, beauty, words …
repackage it and sell it and sell it and sell it and sell it and s e l l i t
until the last bit of light is extinguished from the sold soul.