Short summary of the poem "Fidelity" by William Wordsworth

 

Fidelity is a psychologically moving poem by William Wordsworth which expresses the undying love of a pet dog. In the poem ‘Fidelity’, William Wordsworth sensitively immortalizes this inexpressible affection of a pet dog, Foxie.

Foxie, the pet dog, remains by the side of Charles Gough, an aspiring artist, who accidentally falls off a rocky mountainous ridge and dies. Charles Gough, who was 21 years old, had gone to the very scenic Lake District for some inspiration.

During the Romantic era in England, many young and idealistic artists and poets visited the beautiful Lake District region in Northwestern England. Charles in the same way when he was going through a treacherous mountainous region, he fell to his death.

 His faithful and affectionate little dog Foxie remained by his side for 3 long months until a shepherd spotted them.  William Wordsworth was deeply moved by this incident and pays tribute to the love and devotion of the pet dog.

 

In the poem a shepherd is astonished to see a little dog which is barking in a very unusual manner among rocks and fern in the mountainous region. He wonders how the strange little dog could be there all alone in the deserted cave-like rocky mountainous region far from any human habitation.

 The only other sign of liveliness that the shepherd could spot in the isolated region was that of a fish jumping out of a pool of water and a raven cawing. It seems as if the sun’s rays and the howling wind are trying to rush past the region and seem trapped there. The shepherd has a faint suspicion of foreboding and hurriedly follows the dog across the rocky terrain and is shocked to see a human skeleton lying on the ground.

The shepherd then realizes that it was the skeleton of Charles Gough and even remembers the day the tragic accident occurred. The dog had stayed by the side of Charles Gough for 3 months in the difficult terrain. The incident depicts the enduring affection that dogs display which surpasses that of human beings.

Yes, there is sufficient proof to show that the dog had been keeping watch over the mortal remains of his master’s dead body ever since the traveler had met with that fatal fall. The animal had never strayed from the side of its master’s body.

The dog had survived this long ordeal because he had been nourished by feelings of love for his dead master who had probably taken great care of it while he was alive. The dog got his strength to face the adverse weather conditions in that far off area of the world because of his intense sense of commitment for his master although the man was no longer alive to take care of it.

 The connection that the dog had with its master was something that transcended all definitions. Indeed, it was a spiritual kind of love.