The prelude

Question 1

Context:
1. Author
2. what type of poet was Wordsworth
3. inspiration
4. prelude- part of?

Answer 1

1. William Wordsworth
2. Romantic Poet
3. His upbringing in Lake District inspired it- shows his appreciation for nature as seen in the poem
4. Part of 14 autobiographical poems

Question 2

Summary of the Prelude

Answer 2

narrator unties and steals boat on a late summer evening until he sees a mountain and becomes afraid and turns back. develops a fearful appreciation of nature.

Question 3

narrative and tense + significance

Answer 3

first person narrative- personal recount of events.

past tense mainly but some present tense intermingled showing how his experience has changed the way he lives, emphasising power of nature. blur past and present ‘sparking’ ‘glittering’. nature has changed world views

Question 4

verse + rhyme and rhythm + metre

Answer 4

blank verse (UNRHYMED) in iambic pentameter and mirrors pattern of everyday speech- tone is very distinguished tone giving it an heir of importance

Question 5

3 main stages + stanza

Answer 5

stage 1 - carefree tone
stage 2- dark and fearful tone
stage 3 - how experience has changed him

1 stanza- overwhelming power of nature.

Question 6

pride and carefree attitudes:
stage 1
‘act of ——-‘
‘tr—— pl——’

Answer 6

act of stealth
like a crime
troubled pleasure
oxymoronic phrase hints at the narrator’s guilt showing transformative effect of nature, alternatively shows how he enjoyed it, both contribute to nature’s power.

past tense shows how he has changed; the once carefree narrator who shamelessly ‘unloosed [the boat’s] chain’ has now changed and looks back on it as a theft

Question 7

stage 1; part 2
‘p—– of his s—–’
‘an e—- pi—–’
‘was nothing but the —–’
‘heaving through the —– like a —-‘

+ link to themes: experience, memory, pride and nature

Answer 7

proud of his skill
pride borderline arrogant attitude of the narrator
an elfin pinnace
compares the wonders of nature to a mythical being- magical, fairy, otherwordly. he has a beautiful experience in the first stage. personifies the seas. however supernatural element indicates the eerie presence of nature as supernatural are usually presented as negative forces- Macbeth.
was nothing but the stars
the emptiness of the world- peace which he feels –> contrasts later. how he can lose himself in the power of nature
heaving through the water like a swan
similie to show the confidence and control that the narrator has. calm memory of the first stage of the journey- makes second half with ‘trembling oars look ironic’

Question 8

mountain
‘a h—- peak, b—- and h—’
‘g— shape t——’
‘s—– after me’
‘trembling —-‘

Answer 8

a huge peak, black and huge
threatning power of nature- repition of huge reflects how the daunting nature of the mountain overcomes humans. lost for words
grim shape Towered
strode after me
sibilance reflects a sinister mood —> personifies the mountain as a predator in pursuit of its prey. Nightmarish vision- hellish torment. grim is an image of death
trembling oars
the sailor is physically terrified

Question 9

stage 3
‘for many —- my b—- Worked with a — and
un———- sense’
‘There hung a ——–, call it ——–’
‘no ——– images of —–, Of — or —’
‘trouble to my ——’

Answer 9

for many days, my brain Worked with a dim and undetermined sense
vague language shows how the impact of his experience is long lasting and is still struggling to describe what he has seen. fearful
There hung a darkness, call it solitude
the narrator feels unsettled and overwhelmed. he is alone and scared-, alternatively the use of the word hung shows how the aftereffects stalk him, continually hovering over him- different to his carefree self
no pleasant images of trees, Of sea or sky
his perception of nature has changed- there’s more to nature than pretty scenes. triplet shows how nothing is the same
trouble to my dreams
unsettling image helps us empathise. on the other hand, it demonstrates the regret that the narrator feels as this experience hangs heavily on his mind. both allude to the fear that the narrator feels in memory.

Question 10

how is power of nature portrayed

Answer 10

1. overwhelming (went back with trembling oars an there was no longer pleasant images)
2. stronger than the human minds-psychologcallu damaging (left his brain dim- troubled dreams)
3. transformative (realised his act was wrong originally)
4. nature also portrayed as idyllic ‘elfin pinnace’
5. causes fear- trouble to my dreams- regret + imagery is unsettling

Question 11

how is memory presented

Answer 11

1. as transformative- huge black peak cause the narrator to change
2. memory of mountain as haunting
3. memory as being malleable- looks back on him unloosening the chain with guilt
4. powerful-despite the encounter looks back on stage 1 with fondness- swan and elfin pinnace

Question 12

how is fear presented and pride

Answer 12

fear:
1. causes regret- looks back on unloosening with shame due to fear and turns back with trembling oars
2. nature as source of fear ‘no pleasant images’
3. has long lasting impacts- trouble dreams

pride:
1. hubristic nature of the narrator causes downfall- so proud of his skill, he became scared
2. pride can be changed (unlike ozy): much more down to earth as brain became more dim
3. pride is positive- his pride makes him take the boat out to almost prove to himself that he is a good sails person- experiences elfin pinnace