The Yarrow Trilogy by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

The Yarrow Trilogy

by William Wordsworth

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

1. Yarrow Unvisited (1803)

From Stirling Castle we had seen

The mazy Forth unravelled;

Had trod the banks of Clyde, and Tay,

And with the Tweed had travelled;

And when we came to Clovenford,

Then said my “winsome Marrow,”

“Whate’er betide, we’ll turn aside,

And see the Braes of Yarrow.”

 

“Let Yarrow folk, frae Selkirk town,

Who have been buying, selling,

Go back to Yarrow, ’tis their own,

Each maiden to her dwelling!

On Yarrow’s banks let herons feed,

Hares couch, and rabbits burrow;

But we will downward with the Tweed,

Nor turn aside to Yarrow.

 

“There’s Gala Water, Leader Haughs,

Both lying right before us;

And Dryborough, where with chiming Tweed

The lintwhites sing in chorus;

There’s pleasant Teviot-dale, a land

Made blithe with plough and harrow:

Why throw away a needful day

To go in search of Yarrow?

 

“What’s Yarrow but a river bare

That glides the dark hills under?

There are a thousand such elsewhere

As worthy of your wonder.”

—Strange words they seemed of slight and scorn;

My True-love sighed for sorrow,

And looked me in the face, to think

I thus could speak of Yarrow!

 

“Oh! green,” said I, “are Yarrow’s holms,

And sweet is Yarrow flowing!

Fair hangs the apple frae the rock,

But we will leave it growing.

O’er hilly path, and open Strath,

We’ll wander Scotland thorough;

But, though so near, we will not turn

Into the dale of Yarrow.

 

“Let beeves and home-bred kine partake

The sweets of Burn-mill meadow;

The swan on still St. Mary’s Lake

Float double, swan and shadow!

We will not see them; will not go

To-day, nor yet to-morrow;

Enough if in our hearts we know

There’s such a place as Yarrow.

 

“Be Yarrow stream unseen, unknown!

It must, or we shall rue it:

We have a vision of our own;

Ah! why should we undo it?

The treasured dreams of times long past,

We’ll keep them, winsome Marrow!

For when we’re there, although ’tis fair,

’Twill be another Yarrow!

 

“If Care with freezing years should come,

And wandering seem but folly,—

Should we be loth to stir from home,

And yet be melancholy;

Should life be dull, and spirits low,

’Twill soothe us in our sorrow

That earth has something yet to show,

The bonny holms of Yarrow!”

 

2. Yarrow Visited (1814)

And is this—Yarrow?—This the Stream

Of which my fancy cherished,

So faithfully, a waking dream,

An image that hath perished?

O that some minstrel’s harp were near,

To utter notes of gladness,

And chase this silence from the air,

That fills my heart with sadness!

 

Yet why?—a silvery current flows

With uncontrollable motion;

A life more vivid than the wind

That breathes across the ocean.

The leafless trees a moment’s space

Their shadow stretch, then shiver;

Such pictures of delight can make

A solitary river.

 

Oft have I stood, by Lodon’s flood,

On sunny mead, reposing;

And oft reclined, by Maon’s stream,

In social ardour closing;

But never had I such delight,

In all the pride of morrow,

As when I first, with friends beloved,

Stood by the banks of Yarrow.

 

Your aged trees, among their bright leaves,

Stood gleaming in the morning;

Your birches wept their fragrant tears

Above the crystal water;

The west wind kissed your bank’s green side

With whispers soft and tender;

And Yarrow, with her silver tide,

Rolled on in stately splendour.

 

As we drew nigh the ruined pile,

Upon the verge of Yarrow,

A gleam of something like a smile

Did for a moment borrow

A thought of gladness, but the while

I mourned with inward sorrow

That nothing in the world’s wide range

Could be the same as Yarrow!

 

3. Yarrow Revisited (1831)

The gallant Youth, who may have gained,

Or seeks, a “winsome Marrow,”

Was but an Infant in the lap

When first I looked on Yarrow;

Once more, by Newark’s Castle-gate

Long left without a warder,

I stood, looked, listened, and with Thee,

Great Minstrel of the Border!

 

Flow on for ever, Yarrow Stream!

Fulfil thy pensive duty,

Well pleased that future Bards should chant

For simple hearts thy beauty;

To dream-light dear, while yet unseen,

Dear to the common sunshine,

And dearer still, as now I feel,

To memory’s shadowy moonshine!

 

Together, these three poems trace Wordsworth’s evolving relationship with Yarrow—

First, in “Unvisited”, he refuses to go, preferring to keep it alive in imagination.

Then, in “Visited”, he finally sees it and feels both joy and melancholy.

Finally, in “Revisited”, he returns in later life with Scott, reflecting on change, memory, and mortality.

 

Summary

William Wordsworth’s Yarrow Trilogy consists of three poems—Yarrow Unvisited (1803), Yarrow Visited (1814), and Yarrow Revisited (1831). Together they record his encounters, both real and imagined, with the River Yarrow in the Scottish Borders. Each poem reflects a different stage of his life and journey, but all remain tied to the beauty and meaning of the river.

In the first poem, Yarrow Unvisited, Wordsworth describes how, while traveling through Scotland with his wife and Coleridge, he chose not to turn aside to see the Yarrow. His companion suggested the visit, but he refused, preferring to keep the river as a cherished image of the imagination. He insists that other rivers and valleys are equally beautiful and that to actually see Yarrow would risk diminishing the dream he has carried. To him, the Yarrow is more precious as an unseen vision, a store of poetic delight that can be kept for the future. The poem ends with the hope that if old age or sorrow ever comes, he will still have the comfort of knowing that Yarrow remains untouched, waiting to be discovered.

The second poem, Yarrow Visited, was written years later when Wordsworth finally journeyed to the river. He begins with surprise and a touch of disappointment, as the real Yarrow does not at first match the long-held dream. He recalls how his imagination had filled the place with legendary associations from Scottish ballads and history. Yet, as he looks around, he begins to see the river’s silvery current, the surrounding trees, and the atmosphere of gentle beauty. The scene fills him with a quiet delight, and he remembers standing with beloved friends by the banks of Yarrow. Still, there is an undertone of sadness, as he senses that the magic of imagination has been replaced by the reality of experience. The poem closes with this bittersweet acknowledgment that the Yarrow of the mind and memory is not the same as the Yarrow seen with the eyes.

Nearly two decades later, Wordsworth returned again, and the third poem, Yarrow Revisited, was written in 1831. This time, he visited the river in the company of Sir Walter Scott, who was in declining health. The poem begins by recalling his earlier sight of Yarrow and the passage of time since then. It describes the autumnal beauty of the landscape, with leaves falling, breezes playing, and light shining through the forest. The Yarrow flows on steadily, and Wordsworth and his companions enjoy a day filled with memories and reflections. The poem moves from the scenery to Scott himself, offering a heartfelt blessing on the great poet of the Borders, who had celebrated the Yarrow and its surrounding streams in song and story. Wordsworth prays that Scott, though far from home and ill, may still find joy and inspiration in other lands. The poem concludes with a final tribute to the Yarrow, affirming that its beauty will continue to inspire future poets, just as it has inspired him.

Together, these three poems form a record of a poet’s lifelong relationship with a single place. First imagined, then seen, and finally revisited with a friend nearing the end of life, the Yarrow becomes a thread running through Wordsworth’s journey as both man and poet. The trilogy is not so much a story of the river itself as it is a story of memory, vision, and the passage of time, all framed within the quiet flow of the Yarrow.

 

Paraphrases

1. Yarrow Unvisited (1803)

Wordsworth recalls traveling through Scotland, passing rivers like the Forth, Clyde, Tay, and Tweed. When they reached a village near the Yarrow, his wife urged that they turn aside to see it.

He refuses. He says Yarrow belongs to the people who live nearby—it is theirs to enjoy after a day’s work. For him, it is better to keep to their planned journey along the Tweed. Other valleys and rivers like Gala Water, Leader Haughs, and Teviot are already before them, rich and fertile, worth the time and attention. Why spend a day searching for Yarrow?

He describes Yarrow dismissively—as just another river running under dark hills. There are countless rivers like it. But his wife looks at him with sorrow, surprised he could speak so lightly of the stream.

He softens. Yes, Yarrow’s meadows are green and its waters sweet, but he insists they will not go there today. They will leave the apple hanging on the rock, untasted, and save the sight for another time. Even though it is near, they will pass it by.

He imagines the cattle grazing in meadows, and the swans on St. Mary’s Lake, mirrored in the water. These, too, they will not see. It is enough to know that such places exist. Yarrow, unseen, will remain a treasure of the heart.

He concludes that keeping Yarrow in imagination is best. To see it might break the dream. If age and sorrow ever come, if life feels heavy and travel impossible, the thought of Yarrow will still remain as comfort—that the world still holds such a beautiful place, waiting.

 

2. Yarrow Visited (1814)

Wordsworth finally goes to the Yarrow, but he begins with surprise and disappointment. “Is this Yarrow?” he asks. The vision he had cherished has vanished. He wishes for a minstrel’s harp to sing glad notes, because silence and sadness fill his heart.

Yet he corrects himself. The river flows with energy, like the wind over the sea. Its current moves swiftly, and in it he sees life and brightness. The leafless trees stretch and tremble in its reflection, making beautiful pictures. A solitary river can still give delight.

He remembers other rivers he has enjoyed—Lodon and Maon—but says none gave him such pleasure as standing with beloved friends beside the Yarrow.

He recalls the scenery: the aged trees with bright leaves, birches dropping their “tears” into the water, the west wind softly touching the banks. The silver river rolled on with dignity and beauty.

As they drew near the ruined castle on Yarrow’s banks, a fleeting joy touched him, almost a smile. Yet sorrow returned, for he knew nothing in the whole world could ever equal the Yarrow he had carried in his imagination.

 

3. Yarrow Revisited (1831)

Wordsworth opens by remembering how long ago he had first seen the Yarrow. Back then, the boy who might now be courting a bride was still a baby. He recalls standing again at Newark Castle gate, now abandoned, alongside Walter Scott, the great minstrel of the Borders.

It was autumn. Serious thoughts filled the day, with dry leaves falling. Yet sunshine and breezes brightened the forest, turning red and gold. The stream rushed restlessly in places, then lay still in quiet pools, perfect for reflection. Freed from worries of life, they enjoyed a day of memory and happiness.

Youth, with its playful folly, seemed present. The calmness of middle life and the peacefulness of later years also joined. Past, present, and future all felt united, like guests in harmony.

Though Yarrow itself had not changed, they had. Shadows of age and experience lay upon them, but their spirits soon recovered brightness.

Wordsworth blesses the Muse, who gives joy and hope, even to those burdened by sickness and care. Then he turns to Scott, who was forced to leave his native hills and rivers for warmer lands like Italy. Wordsworth prays that Scott may find inspiration in classical places, and that health and strength might return to him. He wishes that streams like the Tiber, sung of in ancient poetry, may shine with new beauty for him.

He praises Scott for having already given the gift of Yarrow to the world, through tales of love and truth. Wherever Scott goes, nature will repay him with gladness.

Wordsworth ends with a tribute. He hopes Scott will be welcomed with the same affection Yarrow once gave him. He recalls his own first sight of the river, when he feared disappointment but found tenderness and holiness instead. He affirms that the poetic voice gives meaning to both nature and human life, and that the memories of Yarrow sustain the heart through life’s changes.

The poem closes with a blessing for the river itself: Yarrow shall flow forever, fulfilling its quiet duty. Future poets will continue to sing of its beauty, both in sunlight and in the softer glow of memory.

 

Analysis in Detail

William Wordsworth’s Yarrow Trilogy—Yarrow Unvisited (1803), Yarrow Visited (1814), and Yarrow Revisited (1831)—is one of the most remarkable poetic sequences in English literature. Taken together, the poems do not simply describe a landscape; they trace the unfolding of a poet’s imagination, his response to change, and his reflections on memory, experience, and mortality. The river Yarrow in the Scottish Borders becomes a symbolic thread running through nearly three decades of Wordsworth’s life, linking youth, maturity, and old age.

In Yarrow Unvisited, the poet is young, traveling with his wife and Coleridge. His wife urges him to turn aside and see the famed Yarrow valley, but he resists. The refusal is not mere stubbornness; it reveals Wordsworth’s romantic conviction that the unseen can be more powerful than the seen. For him, the Yarrow is already alive in imagination, enriched by Scottish ballads and stories, and he fears that the reality will not measure up to the dream. The poem insists that the vision of a place can sometimes be purer than the physical experience of it. In this early stage, Wordsworth is deeply protective of the imaginative ideal, preferring to preserve Yarrow as a perfect image stored away for the future. The closing lines, which picture an older self finding comfort in the thought of an unspoiled dream, already hint at his lifelong theme: the relationship between memory, imagination, and the passage of time.

When we come to Yarrow Visited, eleven years have passed. Wordsworth finally stands on the banks of the Yarrow, but his first reaction is disappointment. The opening lines echo his earlier fear: the dream has dissolved, the cherished image has been replaced by reality. Yet the poem does not stop there. Slowly, as he describes the flowing current, the trembling reflections of the trees, and the peaceful beauty of the river, his tone softens. The river may not match the exalted dream, but it has its own dignity and charm. The key here is the tension between imagination and experience. Wordsworth recognizes that memory and reality cannot perfectly align, yet he still finds joy in the living scene. There is melancholy, too, for he knows the imagined Yarrow has been lost forever. The poem embodies the bittersweet nature of human experience: reality can never equal imagination, but the lived moment has its own quiet worth.

By the time of Yarrow Revisited, almost two more decades have passed. Wordsworth is now an older man, returning to the river with Sir Walter Scott, who was gravely ill at the time. The tone here is reflective, autumnal, and deeply humane. The landscape is described with its autumn colors, falling leaves, and quiet pools—images that mirror both the season of nature and the season of life. The river flows on as it always has, unchanged, but Wordsworth and his companions are changed, altered by time and mortality. Unlike the first two poems, this one is less concerned with the tension between imagination and reality; instead, it focuses on memory, companionship, and the endurance of natural beauty.

A central feature of Yarrow Revisited is its tribute to Scott. Wordsworth blesses the great Border poet, who had sung of the Yarrow in his ballads and romances, and who now faced illness and exile from his homeland. The poem becomes both personal and elegiac. It recognizes that human lives change, decay, and end, but nature remains constant. Yarrow, flowing on, symbolizes continuity and renewal. Wordsworth acknowledges that his own life has entered a later stage, but he finds consolation in the thought that future poets will still sing of the river. Memory, imagination, and poetry ensure that Yarrow will always live on in human hearts.

Taken together, the trilogy traces a remarkable arc. The first poem is about anticipation and imaginative preservation; the second about the encounter with reality and the bittersweet loss of a dream; the third about memory, change, and the acceptance of time’s passage. Across all three, Yarrow is less a river than a mirror in which Wordsworth sees himself—his youthful ideals, his middle-aged compromises, and his older reflections on friendship and mortality. The sequence also illustrates his central poetic philosophy: that the power of nature lies not only in what we see but in how it connects with imagination, memory, and the human spirit.

Thus, the Yarrow Trilogy stands as a poetic diary written over the course of a lifetime. It shows how one landscape can be transformed by time, imagination, and human experience into a symbol of constancy and change. In the end, Yarrow flows forever, carrying with it the dreams, disappointments, and consolations of the poet who returned to it again and again.