Poems - boat stealing Flashcards
The fear of the narrator
“i struck and struck again”
The violent and dynamic verb is repeated creating a sense of panic and desperation as the speaker is shocked by the mountain.
The monosymballic lexis reinforces the heavy handedness of the oars as they strike the water.
Contrasting the verb ‘dipped’ used earlier in the poem, implying an extremely panicked narrator as he has gone from rowing peacefully to frantically.
The big mountain that the narrator is in awe of
‘a huge peak, black and huge’
The repetition of ‘huge’ in the visual image demonstrates the poet’s awe at the scale of the mountain almost as if he can’t believe its size.
The adjective ‘black” further suggests the themes of darkness and the unknown, creating a sense of fear in the reader.
Wordworth’s description of the lake
‘Silent lake’
The image contributes to the eerie atmosphere as well as the semantic field of horror that is being created throughout the extract.
‘silent’ is a type of personification as it suggests that the lake can speak but chooses not to. Further building into the eeriness and mysterious.
The eerie description of the lake further adds to the sense of the unknown that is being referenced in the poem.
Wordworth’s description of the mountain
‘The summit of a craggy ridge’
The phrase ‘craggy ridge’ creates a harsh, sharp visual image, implying that the mountain is rough and unwelcoming.
However, it could also be metaphorical representing the boundary of the poet’s understanding as it’s the farthest point that he can see. Presenting how humans have an incomplete knowledge of the world.
The calmness and peace at the beginning of the poem
“The moon was up, the lake was shining clear”
“Pathetic fallacy reflects the calm and peace at this stage of the poem.
Detail in the memory through the use of the phrase “shining clear” suggests the significance and impact of the moment.
The acknowledgement of religious awakening by the author
“Of unknown modes of being. In my thoughts there was a darkness - call it solitude or blank desertion - no familiar shapes”
The use of the negative language of “no” represents the change and the perspective shift of the author as a result of the spiritual awakening.
Furthermore unknown has connotations of being unfamiliar and different presenting the drastic impact that the spiritual awakening has had on the narrator as the environment has gone from being familiar previously as showcased by the sheer detail that Wordsworth goes into.
Lastly because “of unknown modes of being” is part of a sentence that is started on a new line it is enjambed emphasising this.
The continued impact of the religious awakening on the author
“Huge and mighty forms, that do not live Like living men, moved slowly through the mind by day and were the trouble to my dreams.”
Comparison of God as a “huge and mighty form” presents the impact of the spiritual awakening on the author as he now understands the all-powerful nature of God.
“trouble of my dreams” has connatations of sleeping presenting the great impact of the spiritual awakening on the author as it affects him even when he is sleeping, when his mind is meant to be at rest.
The star imagery
“Rose up between me and the stars” and “Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky”
The “Between” divides the author from the stars which gave him the feeling of comfort and peacefullness before presenting the weakness that the author is feeling.
The use of the negative “nothing” presents the feeling of isolation of the author which is used to present his feeling of comfort and peace.
