Wordsworth's account of man and nature coexisting is Lucy Gray. When she first appears in the poem, she is a beautiful young woman living in isolation on an unknown river. She is described as "a sylph [a fairy spirit] from the floods" (1). The next scene changes time to present day and we learn that this original Lucy has died. Her body has been taken by wild animals and the only thing left behind is a single red rose. From this it can be inferred that like other flowers, Lucy Gray has become a part of nature. Lucy was born into slavery but because her master was fond of poetry, he taught her how to write. After his death, she decided to free herself and her children. However, poor health prevents her from working the land or going to town so she decides to hide them away on an island in the river. Here they will be safe from harm while Lucy can still go fishing and collect herbs for medicine. It isn't long before strangers arrive at the island looking for work. One of these men, named Henry, falls in love with Lucy even though she is mute.