Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.SHE dwelt among the untrodden waysBeside the springs of Dove,A Maid whom there were none to praiseAnd very few to love:A violet by a mossy stoneHalf hidden from the eye!--Fair as a star, when only oneIs shining in the sky.She lived unknown, and few could knowWhen Lucy ceased to be;But she is in her grave, and, oh,The difference to me! (Wordsworth, "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways")What is implied by the use of the adjective untrodden?

Answer 1

Answer:

The maid lived in a rural setting.

Explanation:

William Wordsworth's poem "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways" mourns the loss of "Lucy", a fair maiden who "lived unknown". In a three stanza poem, the speaker mourns the death of the "maid" who was beautiful. But aside from her beauty, she was humble and modest, and did not draw any form of attention to herself.

The poet used the adjective word "untrodden" to signify how simple of a life the maid lived. She "dwelt among the "untrodden", meaning away from the busy and hectic life, literally meaning the less occupied place. And in this "untrodden" place, she was alone, with "none to praise and very few to love". And when she died, there were "few" who could know the difference of her presence and absence from the earth. This shows that she lived in a rural place, where there are less or no people.