the prelude

Question 1

“the cottage windows through the twilight blaz’d”

Answer 1

• evokes a sense of coziness, safety & belonging within the rural landscape of the lake district where wordsworth grew up
• warm imagery of “blaz’d” - glowing, welcoming home - contrasts to “frosty” winter landscape - comforting presence of nature amid the cold
• also reflects warm feelings when looking back on childhood - nostalgic
• wordsworth invites his readers to share his nostalgia & express his love & awe for nature

Question 2

“proud and exulting, like an untir’d horse”

Answer 2

• caesura - creates a moment of excitement mirroring the skater’s rhythm - emphasises his intense joy & jubilation
• simile - boys are untamed, still wild at heart & full of energy to discover the world & nature - also implies a unity with the natural world, feels as if he is part of nature
• “horse” - fast & powerful animals - poet feels triumphant almost like he’s conquering nature as something to explore & dominate
• reflects the Romantic belief that childhood experiences in the natural world are key to emotional and spiritual development
• wordsworth is thankful for being brought up in the countryside as it allowed him to experience the joy of nature

Question 3

“we hiss’d along the polish’d ice, in games”

Answer 3

• onomatopoeia - mimics the sharp sounds of the skates - brings the scene vividly to life suggesting that nature is dynamic rather than static
• sibilance - movements & sounds of the boys emphasising their skilful speed and sense of freedom - immerses the reader in the energetic movements of the boys
• “polish’d” - visual imagery of ice - conveys both the beauty & perfection of the natural setting - admiration for nature
• “games” - nature is a source of fun - thrilling & exciting experience
• wordsworth is expressing his appreciation for nature as it provided him with a sense of belonging and playful escape during his childhood, especially after the death of his mother

Question 4

“the pack loud bellowing, and the hunted hare”

Answer 4

• “bellowing” - auditory imagery - creates an overwhelming & chaotic image marking a stark shift from the earlier joyful and liberating experiences in nature
• peripeteic moment - introduces darker side of nature - previous playful relationship with nature is replaced with a deeper awareness of its capacity for violence & fear - begins to see nature as powerful & violent - more aware of the dangers
• juxtaposition between powerful “pack” & “hunted hare” - introduces a tone of sympathy & vulnerability - highlights the poet’s recognition of suffering within the natural world - contrasts to the romantic idea of nature being sublime
• by revealing the darker side of nature - perhaps wordsworth is warning his readers of the dangers involving nature as it is not always nurturing despite the pleasures he found growing up in the countryside with nature

Question 5

“into the tumult sent an alien sound of melancholy”

Answer 5

• “alien” - unfamiliarity - no longer feels comfortable with nature - defamiliarisation of lake district which once felt like home, now feels distant & strange highlighting the emotional gap time has created
• “melancholy” - enjambement - overwhelming rush of emotion & memory - sense of sadness & insight to wordsworths’ nostalgia at these happier days of innocence which are now long gone
• shift in tone - reflects the central Romantic idea that childhood offers a profound, almost spiritual connection to nature that fades with age
• wistful tone - yearning for those simpler times of youth

Question 6

context

Answer 6

• romantic poet
• nostalgic thoughts on childhood
• believed in the importance of imagination
• born in lake district - countryside
• inspired by the death of his mother
• orphaned at a young age - nature took care of him