The Prelude

Question 1

How was sexuality in the 1780 perceived- Prelude

Answer 1

Sexuality in 1780 was not regarded as a social disgrace ( beings. Courtesan) for wealthy men there was no need to hide this from their wives and shouldn’t feel ashamed

Question 2

How is sensuality and sexuality used in the poem Prelude

Answer 2

Sexual desires are parralled by the sensual descriptions of nature

Sensuality : enjoyment in physicsl sensations

Question 3

How is before the mountain seen to be sexual representation of nature/Prelude

Answer 3

Natured described as ‘her’ (sexualisation of nature)

‘I unloosed her chain’ (sexual freedom-metaphor of chastity belt)

‘Act of stealth And troubled pleasure’. Nature elluding to his awakening sexuality.

Question 4

How is after the mountain secrion of the poem seen as a sexusal representation of nature-Prelude

Answer 4

Boat presented as a female

Pinnace (sailboat) coukd represent a pp additonally the juxtaposition between pinnace;lsutily make the represenattion more obvious

Double meaning of stroke, heaving

Swan seen as loyal (nature is a lifelong marriage)

Mountain regarded as a pp and lots of imagery which fits into the idea of sexual imagery ‘growing’,’upreared its head’,’towered up’

Question 5

Words in the text which show Wandsworth fear of what he has done-Prelude

Answer 5

Unknown modes of being

Huge and might forms

Trouble to my dreams

Question 6

What sort of poetry is this -Prelude

Answer 6

Epic poetry

Question 7

Form and structure -Prelude

Answer 7

No breaks, 1 stanza or pauses which could show that the reader is overwhelmed by the immensity of the poem like Wandsowrth with the mountain tops

Revelation of subject and verb ‘huge peak’ and ‘upreared its head’ allows the reader to empathise the fear inherent at thr moment experienced by the poet . This makes the reader overhelemed from the immense intensity of this delayed reveal of the peak

Question 8

Language used before the mountain -Prelude

Answer 8

(Her) personification of nature

Enjambment of line 1-3 shows how the poet wants to overflow and express the story.

Taking of the boat and the ‘pleasure gained’ shows his arrogance in superioty. Additonally henis ‘proud of his skill’ however becomes humbled later reinforcing his arrogance

Sparkling,glittering,stepping and leaving all positive present participles shows the innocence of nature

Question 9

Language used after the mountain -Prelude

Answer 9

‘Craggy ridge’ was seen as the highest point= metaphor for pride of man and how they are seen as dominant however when he realises that it isn’t the greatest point he begisn to become frightened

Elfin pinnace exaggerates his rowing boat as a magestic sail-boat which further shows Wandsworths arrogance.

After seeing the peak the poet uses less sophisticated vocab for exmsple before seeing the peak he used a simile of a swan and when he saw the peak he only describe it as what it was (‘huge peak’)

Repetiton of huge shows how the reader is shocked to the revelation of the peak

Personificstion of moving mountain (‘strode after me’) he fears it metaphoricallyxmankind doesn’t know everything

Cyclical story at the start Wandsworth used ‘stealth’ to steal (arrogant) however he returns to where he had ‘stole’ it (desperation)

Grave and serious unspecific, vague language, unable to articulate symbolises speakers shock

‘Unknown modes of being’, ‘darkness’, ‘call it solitude’ difference in his ability to describe things from the start to the end. Highlights the transition

Repetition of no makes us aware that the poet now knows that he does not knwo anything