The Solitary Reaper
Craft in America is a PBS television series which vividly depicts the traditions surrounding handmade items in the United States. We are focusing on the episode called “Industry (Handmade in the Creative Economy).” The episode is located in the Week 2 Video folder. These links will take you to the stories of the people depicted in the episode so you may explore them in greater detail. Be sure to watch the episode in full, and explore the website for additional context.
- Familiarize yourself with the Craft in America Web Site.
If there seems to be no content, wait up to a minute. Items will appear in the white space underneath the page banner.
- Read the following pages about the “Industry” Episode. You do not need to watch the videos on these pages, though you are welcome to do so. They are clips from the entire episode located in the Week 2 Videos folder.
● Lucy Mingo, Quilter
● Mary Ann Pettway, Quilter
● Joe Cunningham, Quilter
● Graham McKay, Boatbuilder
● Libby O’Bryan, Seamstress/Textile Producer/Entrepreneur
● Jan Lee, Furniture Maker
● Shane Yamane, Jeweler
https://youtu.be/YT9UR32QWGw
https://youtu.be/vYlelkIe6t0
https://youtu.be/UoXdpVdKI4c
The poet describes romanticism in the first stanza by saying, “behold her single in the field, reaping and singing by herself, alone she cuts and binds the grain.”
lefttopThe picture by Ritu Bhatnagar (on the left) illustrates a woman reaping grains alone in the field surrounded by the beauty of nature.
The poem's themes are significantly shaped by Romanticism. The poet’s description of a lonely figure cutting grain while singing develops the idea of solitude. While romantics acknowledge life’s genuineness, Wordsworth interprets the song by admiring the beauty of her voice and simple life as opposed to the busy society (Wordsworth et al., 2013). He excludes himse...