2.4.3 Extract from The Prelude

Question 1

Poet

Answer 1

William Wordsworth

Question 2

Theme Code

Answer 2

FIB-LOM-JV

Question 3

Themes

Answer 3

Memory, Negative Emotions of Fear, Power of Nature, individual Experience, Misguided Notions of Human Power, Man vs Nature, Negative Emotions of Pride, Vulnerability

Question 4

Quotes

Answer 4

• ‘(led by her’
• ‘Leaving behind her’
• ‘Proud of his skill, to reach a chosen point’
• ‘heaving through the water’
• ‘And measured motion like a living thing, strode after me’
• ‘But huge and mighty forms that do not live like living men’

Question 5

Main Structural Points

Answer 5

• Epic Poetry Form
• One Long Stanza
• Enjambment

Question 6

Explain the quote ‘And measured motion like a living thing, strode after me’

Answer 6

Simile
A simile is being used to show that the speaker is personifying nature, but above his level as something other-worldly. The verb ‘strode’ is very bold and implies a lot of strength demonstrating the power of the mountain.

Question 7

Explain the quote ‘(led by her)’

Answer 7

Personification
The allusion to the idea of mother nature, and nature can be seen as a woman in that is it responsible for the feminine tasks such as creating, sustaining and nurturing life, just like a mother does.
Using this personification Wordsworth is contrasting the role of nature to humans. While women nurture just their children, nature nurtures the entire planet, therefore it is demonstrating nature’s superior power.

Question 8

Quotes for the Main Structural Point

Answer 8

• ‘nor without the voice… of mountain echoes’

Question 9

Simplified Main Structural Point

Answer 9

Epic poetry portrays the hero as the personified nature. The long stanza makes it overwhelming to the reader mirroring the overwhelming situation.

Question 10

Main Structural Point

Answer 10

The Prelude is written as an Epic Poem, they are lengthy narrative poems centred around a heroric protagonist and a legendary event they were involved in. Typically used to incite a sense of awe in the reader. Although the whole poem of the Prelude itself could consider ‘Wordworths]’ as the hero, in this extract you could argue the ‘hero’ is not Wordsworth but personified nature. This suggests that nature as dominant and to underline the fragility and vulnerability of both himself but the human race also. This complimented with the fact the poem is one long stanza and full of enjambment ‘nor without the voice… of mountain echoes’ which causes, the reader has no breaks or pauses, no time to breathe, they are left breathless mirroring the shock of Wordsworth while the overwhelmingness of the structure mirrors the overwhelming mountain and power of nature.