anthology: extract from the prelude.

Question 1

what is the meaning and purpose of the text?

Answer 1

 The story of a boy’s love of nature and a night-time adventure in a rowing boat that instils a deeper and fearful respect for the power of nature.
 At first, the boy is calm and confident, but the sight of a huge mountain that comes into view scares the boy and he flees.
 He is now in awe of the mountain and fearful of the power of nature.

Question 2

what is the context of the text?

Answer 2

 Published shortly after his death, “The Prelude” was a very long poem that told the story of Wordsworth’s life.
 This extract is the first part of a book entitled ‘Introduction – Childhood and School-Time’.
 Like Percy Shelley, Wordsworth was a Romantic poet and his poetry explores themes of nature, human emotion and how humans are shaped by their interactions with nature.

Question 3

language: quote and explanations.

Answer 3

 ‘One summer evening (led by her)’: ‘her’ might be nature personified – this shows his love for nature.
 ‘an act of stealth / And troubled pleasure’: confident, but juxtaposition suggests he knows it’s wrong; foreshadows troubling events that follow.
 ‘Upreared its head’ and ‘measured motion like a living thing’: mountain is personified as a powerful beast, but calm – contrasts with his own inferior panic.
 First person narrative – creates a sense that it is a personal poem.