A Complaint by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

A Complaint

by William Wordsworth

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

A Complaint

There is a change—and I am poor;

Your love hath been, nor long ago,

A fountain at my fond heart's door,

Whose only business was to flow;

And flow it did; not taking heed

Of its own bounty, or my need.

 

What happy moments did I count!

Blest was I then all bliss above!

Now, for that consecrated fount

Of murmuring, sparkling, living love,

What have I? shall I dare to tell?

A comfortless and hidden well.

 

A well of love—it may be deep—

I trust it is,—and never dry:

What matter? if the waters sleep

In silence and obscurity.

—Such change, and at the very door

Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.

 

Summary

The poem expresses the deep sorrow and emotional loss the speaker feels due to a change in a once cherished relationship. It unfolds as a heartfelt lament, marked by contrasts between past joy and present emptiness.

 

Stanza 1:

The speaker begins by stating that a significant change has occurred, and as a result, he feels emotionally impoverished (“I am poor”). He reflects on the past when the love he received from the other person was abundant and freely given. This love is metaphorically described as a fountain situated at the door of the speaker’s heart—a constant and generous presence that flowed without concern for either its own supply or the speaker’s needs. The image suggests something natural, life-giving, and emotionally fulfilling.

 

Stanza 2:

The speaker reminisces about the joyful times he experienced when this love was present. He counted those moments as deeply blessed, even more blissful than ordinary happiness. However, now, that flowing and sacred fountain of love has disappeared. In its place, the speaker is left with something far less comforting: a “comfortless and hidden well.” This image implies something buried, no longer vibrant, and not openly nourishing. The contrast emphasizes the emptiness he now feels.

 

Stanza 3:

Despite the loss, the speaker concedes that there may still be love present, likening it to a deep well—perhaps still full and not dry. Yet, he questions what good it is if the waters lie still, unseen, and unheard, without any outward sign or expression. The poem ends with a return to the initial theme: the emotional change at the very door of his heart has left him feeling spiritually and emotionally poor.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

There is a change—and I am poor;

Something has changed, and now I feel emotionally empty or deprived.

 

Your love hath been, nor long ago,

Not long ago, your love used to be—

 

A fountain at my fond heart's door,

—like a flowing fountain right at the door of my heart, always available and close to me,

 

Whose only business was to flow;

Its only purpose was to pour out love generously,

 

And flow it did; not taking heed

And flow it did—without holding back,

 

Of its own bounty, or my need.

—without worrying about how generous it was or how much I needed it.

 

What happy moments did I count!

I remember so many joyful moments we shared!

 

Blest was I then all bliss above!

I felt more blessed and happy than anything else could make me.

 

Now, for that consecrated fount

But now, that once-sacred and meaningful fountain of love

 

Of murmuring, sparkling, living love,

—that used to murmur, shine, and feel so full of life—

 

What have I? shall I dare to tell?

What do I have now? Do I even dare to say it out loud?

 

A comfortless and hidden well.

All that’s left is a dry, hidden well that brings me no comfort.

 

A well of love—it may be deep—

It might still be a well filled with love, deep and lasting,

 

I trust it is,—and never dry:

I hope so—I hope it hasn’t run dry.

 

What matter? if the waters sleep

But does it really matter, if the water just lies there unmoving,

 

In silence and obscurity.

—in silence, hidden from sight, with no expression or warmth?

 

—Such change, and at the very door

Such a sad transformation, and so close to my heart,

 

Of my fond heart, hath made me poor.

—has left me feeling emotionally broken and poor.

 

Analysis in Detail

1. Theme of Emotional Loss and Change:

At the core of the poem is a deeply personal sense of loss—not necessarily physical separation, but a shift in emotional closeness and intimacy. Wordsworth reflects on a relationship that has changed over time, with a once-abundant love now reduced to silence and absence. The speaker doesn’t accuse the other person of wrongdoing; instead, he mourns the emotional distance that now exists. The repetition of the word “poor” highlights the speaker’s inner emptiness and his emotional vulnerability.

 

2. Use of Metaphor:

One of the most striking features of the poem is its central extended metaphor: love as water. In the past, the speaker describes the other’s love as a “fountain at my fond heart’s door”—a rich, flowing source of emotional nourishment, spontaneous and abundant. This fountain metaphor suggests liveliness, generosity, and a sense of ongoing presence. However, the metaphor shifts in the second half of the poem. Now, love has become a “comfortless and hidden well”—something buried, inaccessible, and silent. Though it may still exist (“it may be deep...and never dry”), it no longer offers the life-giving emotional connection it once did.

 

3. Tone and Mood:

The tone of the poem is melancholic and reflective, yet restrained. There is no anger or bitterness—only sorrow and quiet disappointment. The mood moves from nostalgia and fond remembrance to a gentle but painful realization of change. The speaker tries to maintain hope, as seen in lines like “I trust it is,—and never dry,” but that hope is shadowed by doubt and a deep sense of loss. The repetition of soft sounds (such as “flow,” “murmuring,” and “sleep”) gives the poem a subdued, almost elegiac musicality, reinforcing the feeling of quiet sadness.

 

4. Structure and Language:

The poem consists of three six-line stanzas (sestets), written in a consistent iambic rhythm and using a regular ABABCC rhyme scheme. This structured form mirrors the speaker’s desire to control or make sense of the emotional disorder he feels. The language is emotionally rich yet refined, filled with water imagery that reflects the fluid and changing nature of love. Words like “consecrated,” “blest,” “sparkling,” and “living” elevate the experience of love to something spiritual or sacred—emphasizing the sense of loss when it disappears.

 

5. Spiritual and Philosophical Underpinnings:

Though this is a personal poem, it also reflects Wordsworth’s larger Romantic preoccupations—especially the connection between emotion and the inner self. The speaker’s reference to the fountain being “consecrated” gives the love a sacred quality, suggesting that emotional connections can carry spiritual weight. The idea that love once flowed freely and now lies dormant reflects on the human experience of relationships evolving, sometimes fading, even when no clear reason or fault is involved.

 

6. Restraint and Dignity in Suffering:

One notable feature of the poem is how it avoids dramatic expressions of grief. The speaker doesn’t complain in a loud or accusatory way. Instead, he shows dignity in suffering. There’s a maturity in how he handles the change—he does not blame, but quietly recognizes and mourns it. Even the possibility that love still exists in some form is not entirely dismissed—it just no longer nourishes him as it once did.

 

Conclusion:

“A Complaint” is a quiet yet profound meditation on love, change, and emotional distance. Wordsworth captures the painful contrast between a joyful past and a sorrowful present using beautiful water imagery and restrained but deeply emotional language. The poem speaks to anyone who has experienced a relationship fading not through conflict, but through quiet transformation. It is a poignant reminder of how deeply the absence of affection can be felt—even when love may still, somewhere, exist.