Laodamia...by Wordsworth...Summary

Laodamia...by Wordsworth...Summary

Laodamia...by Wordsworth...Summary

The famous poem 'Laodamia' was composed by the great nature poet William Wordsworth in 1814. It was published in 1815. It is a long narrative poem of 174 lines. It has twenty-six stanzas of six lines each. It is written in verse. They are marked by alternate rhymes. The poem Laodamia is written in iambic pentameter. It is a highly dramatic poem in which the poet expresses the emotions of Laodamia in an impressive way. It is a classical story of ancient Greece. 

The poem revolves around Laodamia, the queen of Thessaly in ancient Greece. King Protesilaus was her husband who was killed by Hector, the great Trojan warrior. The poem starts with the request of Laodamia to Jove(the chief of the Greek Gods) to give her husband back to her. She is the main character in the poem as the title of the poem is also after her name. Laodamia was very sad after the death of his husband Protesilaus. She sacrificed an animal before the rising sun to please Jove who was the chief of the Greek Gods to send her husband's soul to her. After her prayer, her husband was sent to her only for three hours. 

She was not allowed to touch her husband. She could see him face to face and converse with him. She became very happy to see her husband. She became very excited and tried to embrace her husband but she could not touch him because he was not in physical form. He was now a soul. After it, she requested her husband to talk to her as he used to talk when he was alive. Hermes warned Laodamia that Protesilaus was allowed only to converse with her. 

Protesilaus was killed by Hector, a Trojan hero because according to the prophecy of the Oracle at Delphi that the first Greek who would touch sea coast of Trojan would be killed. and Protesilaus was the first person to touch the Trojan coast. So he was killed by Hector, a Trojan hero. Laodamia admired her husband for his courage. She requested him to marry her again. 
She wanted to live a happy life with her husband again. So she tried to impress her husband with her love but her husband advised her to be calm and control her feelings because it was not possible for him. Then Laodamia gave him examples of many people who came back after their death and lived a happy married life on earth. She told him that she could not forget him. If he went away from her she would surely follow him.

After it, Protesilaus told him about heaven where only dutiful persons lived. There was no fear and conflict. He told her that he loved her and was sad to remain away from her but it was of no use. Therefore he gave advice to her to pass a peaceful life facing all the problems of the world. After three hours, Hermes came to take Protesilaus back to Heaven with him. Laodamia wanted to embrace him at least once but it did not happen. She fainted and fell down on the ground.

After it, she died and was sent to Hell to pass her days as she was weak so she was sent to Hell to pass her life without her husband who was in heaven. After the death of Laodamia, a group of trees grew on the tomb of Protesilaus. There is a tradition that the trees on the tomb grow high but as soon as they reach the height of walls of Troy they fade. Again they grow and fade again. This goes on for many ages. Thus the poem Laodamia is of precious quality. It is an excellent example of both romantic and classical elements. The poem is sublime in diction but simple in language.