Wordsworth's Lucy is a parallel to Heathcliff's own conflict with the visions and hauntings of his eternal Catherine. "Strange fits of passion have I known-, "Song- and "A slumber did my spirit seal- are synonymous with the continual peril Heathcliff faces in regards to his relationship with Catherine. These three poems coincide with the chronological telling of Heathcliff's misery laden story in Wuthering Heights. "Strange fits of passion have I known- deals with Heathcliff's attempts at attaining his ultimate desire: reaching a place where he can finally be with his beloved Catherine. The next poem, "Song-, relates Heathcliff's view concerning Catherine's place in the mortal world, and the significance of her death, while "A slumber did my spirit seal- completes Heathcliff's story through his testimony of the incessant haunting he suffers because of Catherine's demise. The anguish Wordsworth encounters because of Lucy corresponds directly with Heathcliff's own torment, as do their positions on the subject of their respective love interests. .
The title and first line, "Strange fits of passion have I known-, is in itself a mirror of Heathcliff's life with Catherine. All of the bouts of rage and emotional outbursts that occur are results of his frustration with the futile situation he must face because of his eternal, yet unattainable love. This entire poem, in fact, is the retelling of his journey through futility, of retaining a longing only somewhat satisfied in Catherine's death. Wordsworth writes that his poem is about: "what once to him befell- (RPV #88, line 4), an account of his falling. It is the slow but steady progression of descent into madness and despair in his story with Lucy, a fall that is comparable to Heathcliff's own. The cottage is representative of Catherine's love for Heathcliff; it is a constant unchanging figure, and Heathcliff relentlessly attempts to reach it.
