The Prelude by William Wordsworth

Question 1

What themes are in the prelude?

Answer 1

• Power of nature
• Power is transient
• Internal conflict
• Pychological impact of conflict
• man vs nature

Question 2

Context in the prelude:

Answer 2

• Published shortly after death
• was a very long poem that told the story of william’s life
• like percy shelley, he was a romantic poet and so hispoetry explores themes of nature, human emotions and how humans are shaped through their interactions with nature

Question 3

Form and Structure in the prelude:

Answer 3

• first person narrative which creates the sense that its a personal poem
• regular rhythm and enjambment add to the effect of natural speech and a personal voice
• blank verse - no rhyme but can have a meter
• lines 1-20 is carefree and confident
• lines 21-31 is dark and fearful
• lines 32-44 is reflective and troubled
• Line 21 is the volta as there is a sudden change in tone - contrast with the tones before and after volta - “Lustily I dipped my oars in the silent lake” - vs - “I struck and struck again” and “With trembling oars I turned”

Question 4

“One summer evening (led by her)”

Answer 4

• “her” = personifies nature, shows the power it has over humans

Question 5

“Straight I unloosed her chain”

Answer 5

• personifies the boat = the writer is arrogant and wants to look like a hero
• example of a heroic act as it is “Epic poetry”, normally used when talking about heroes

Question 6

“Small circles glittering idly in the moon, until they melted into a tack of light”

Answer 6

• Nature is presented as relaxed and beautiful (unlike later at the volta)
• False sense of security is created which fuels arrogance
• “glittering” + “sparkling” = celestial imagery- nature is greater than humans

Question 7

“She was an elfin pinnace; lustily I dipped my oars into the silent lake”

Answer 7

• elfin pinnace” = describe simple boat as something better and more heroic (link to epic poetry)
• elfin” = small and magical
• Plays with the idea of speaker conquering nature

Question 8

“When, from behind that craggy steep… a huge peak, black and huge”

Answer 8

• Volta (turning point) = was safe and beautiful, now scary and dangerous
• “craggy” = shatters previous delicacy of the description
• a huge peak, black and huge” = monosyllabic and opposes “glittering”/out of place in the like the mountain is in the scenery
• Repetition of “huge” = shows fear and panic

Question 9

“Upreared its head”

Answer 9

• Personification = makes seem animalistic like nature is now defending itself

Question 10

“Towered up between me and the stars”

Answer 10

• “Towered” = far greater than him and more powerful
• Blocks the stars = stars are navigation so therefore he feels lost/his fear is blocking out the beauty around him

Question 11

“…through the silent water stole my way back to the covert of the willow tree”

Answer 11

• “stole” = now feels like he doesn’t belong (opposes arrogance at start)
• “covert” = wants to get to safety and wants to hide from the guilt he is feeling and the things he has seen

Question 12

“No familiar shapes remained”

Answer 12

• His view of nature has now been tainted by his experience, a whole new “unfamiliar” experience

Question 13

“But huge and mighty forms, that do not live like living men”

Answer 13

• “forms” = vague because it’s unable to compare to anything - shows vulnerability as nature is so powerful cannot identify
• “live like living men” = in awe of nature and the omniscience of it/ change in behavior shows that we should respect not abuse it

Question 14

“…were a trouble to my dreams”

Answer 14

• Presents an unsettling image to show how nature scolded the speaker for thinking he was better than it
• The speaker is better suited to thinking of his place in the world