Excerpt from The Prelude

Question 1

introduction

Answer 1

• This excerpt captures a childhood memory of ice skating on a frosty evening.
• Wordsworth’s nostalgic tone conveys the joy and freedom of youth and the connection between humans and nature.
• The poem explores the themes of innocence and the power of nature.

Question 2

form

Answer 2

• blank verse - mimics natural speech
• iambic pentameter which reinforces the authenticity and naturalism of the speaker’s voice, like an inner monologue
• part of an epic poem

Question 3

structure

Answer 3

• enjambment
• caesurae : ‘:’ ‘;’ ‘-‘, ‘.’
• one stanza creating a sense of breathlessness to convey the overwhelming intensity of the experience he depicts

Question 4

finish the quote: ‘when the sun…

Answer 4

…/Was set’

Question 5

‘when the sun / Was set’

Answer 5

• enjambment emphasises ‘Was set’
• could foreshadow the idea of things ending

Question 6

caesurae

Answer 6

could represent the persona’s passion, excitement and breathlessness

Question 7

structure of ideas inside the poem

Answer 7

• 1. fun - light and carefree tone
• 2. serious tone - greater awareness of nature

Question 8

finish the quote: ‘all shod..

Answer 8

…with steel’

Question 9

finish the quote: ‘we hiss’d…

Answer 9

…along the polish’d ice’

Question 10

‘all shod with steel’
‘we hiss’d along the polish’d ice’

Answer 10

• sibilance
• reflects the sound of ice skating

Question 11

finish the quote: ‘the precipices..

Answer 11

…rang aloud’

Question 12

finish the quote: ‘every icy..

Answer 12

…crag’

Question 13

‘the precipices rang aloud’
‘every icy crag’

Answer 13

• echoing
• nature is responding to the children by making the same noise as them, yet it sounds sinister

Question 14

finish the quote: ‘Into the tumult…

Answer 14

..sent an alien sound/Of melancholy’

Question 15

‘Into the tumult sent an alien sound/Of melancholy’

Answer 15

• enjambment makes it stand out
• could be because the change of feeling is both strong and unusual for the persona

Question 16

finish the quote: ‘proud and exulting, like an..

Answer 16

.. untir’d horse, / That cares not for its home’

Question 17

‘proud and exulting, like an untir’d horse/That cares not for its home’

Answer 17

• the persona feels confident, strong and free
• they like and associate with nature

Question 18

finish the quote: ‘in games…

Answer 18

…/Confederate’

Question 19

finish the quote: ‘loud..

Answer 19

..bellowing’

Question 20

finish the quote: ‘not a voice..

Answer 20

..was idle’

Question 21

finish the quote: ‘imitative…

Answer 21

…of the chace’

Question 22

finish the quote: ‘resounding..

Answer 22

..horn’

Question 23

‘games/Confederate’
‘loud bellowing’
‘not a voice was idle’
‘imitative of the chace’
‘resounding horn’

Answer 23

• childhood games compared to hunting
• they are loud, manic and intrinsically rooted in nature

Question 24

finish the quote: ‘the orange..

Answer 24

..sky of evening died away’

Question 25

'the orange sky of evening died away'

Answer 25

- the 'death' of an evening could represent a loss of innocence - celestial imagery - feeling of closure

Question 26

title

Answer 26

- 'The Prelude' - a soft introduction - could relate to the theme (youthfulness and innocence' - context tells us it is about Wordsworth's childhood

Question 27

finish the quote: 'alien..

Answer 27

..sound'

Question 28

'alien sound'

Answer 28

- suggests a strangeness and unfamiliarity - the persona no longer feels comfortable in nature - supernatural image

Question 29

finish the quote: 'died...

Answer 29

..away'

Question 30

finish the quote: 'of..

Answer 30

..melancholy'

Question 31

finish the quote: 'lifeless..

Answer 31

...trees'

Question 32

'died away' 'Of melancholy' 'lifeless trees'

Answer 32

- negative tone employed - to show the persona's change of attitude towards nature

Question 33

finish the quote: 'woodland..

Answer 33

..pleasures'

Question 34

'woodland pleasures' 'games'

Answer 34

- positive tone maintained

Question 35

finish the quote: 'with the..

Answer 35

..din'

Question 36

'with the din'

Answer 36

- negative connotations - too loud, too long, too unpleasant

Question 37

finish the quote: 'time of..

Answer 37

..rapture'

Question 38

finish the quote: 'happy..

Answer 38

..time'

Question 39

'time of rapture' 'happy time' 'exulting'

Answer 39

- positive tone reflects the persona's love for and enjoyment of nature

Question 40

finish the quote: 'I heeded..

Answer 40

..not the summons'

Question 41

'I heeded not the summons'

Answer 41

- the first person persona is presented as rebellious

Question 42

finish the quote: 'frosty..

Answer 42

..season'

Question 43

finish the quote: 'twilight...

Answer 43

..blaz'd'

Question 44

'frosty season' 'twilight blaz'd'

Answer 44

- contrast between cold and heat suggests that nature and the domestic are incompatible

Question 45

childhood voice/juvenile language

Answer 45

- simple adjectives : 'clear' 'loud' 'happy'

Question 46

mood and tone

Answer 46

- one of rapture as the young Wordsworth has fun playing 'games confederate' as he ice skates which was a known hobby of his - towards the end of the poem, the tone is 'melancholy' as he is startled by the sounds of nature all around them - there is a clear shift in tone from excitement and adventure to fear and awe as the poem progresses and nature becomes increasingly threatening

Question 47

key quotations for nature's beauty and power

Answer 47

“… while the stars,/ Eastward, were sparkling clear, and in the west/ The orange sky of evening died away.” “The leafless trees, and every icy crag/ Tinkled like iron, while the distant hills” “stars … sparkling clear …”

Question 48

ANALYSIS FOR KEY QUOTES FOR NATURE'S BEAUTY AND POWER “… while the stars,/ Eastward, were sparkling clear, and in the west/ The orange sky of evening died away.” “The leafless trees, and every icy crag/ Tinkled like iron, while the distant hills” “stars … sparkling clear …”

Answer 48

The stanza starts and ends cyclically with descriptions of the beauty of the sky, rooting the poem firmly in the natural world Nature’s awesome, threatening power, is suggested by the simile of ‘iron’ and the cold, barren descriptions of trees and mountains Sibilance heightens the beauty of the celestial description, underlining the spiritual nature of his encounter with nature

Question 49

key quotations for innocence and youth

Answer 49

“I wheel’d about,” “We hiss’d along the polish’d ice, in games “happy time” “clear and loud”

Question 50

ANALYSIS FOR KEY QUOTES FOR INNOCENCE AND YOUTH “I wheel’d about,” “We hiss’d along the polish’d ice, in games “happy time” “clear and loud”

Answer 50

Childlike verbs “wheel’d”, “flew” and “hiss’d” conveys a sense of carefree movement. References to games, chasing and hunting convey a sense of joy in their freedom and unexpected independence Simple, monosyllabic adjectives convey the speaker’s innocence and youth

Question 51

key quotations for freedom and independence

Answer 51

“I wheel’d about, /Proud and exulting, like an untir’d horse, /That cares not for his home …” “loud bellowing” “And not a voice was idle; with the din,”

Question 52

ANALYSIS FOR KEY QUOTES FOR FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE

Answer 52

“I wheel’d about, /Proud and exulting, like an untir’d horse, /That cares not for his home …” “loud bellowing” “And not a voice was idle; with the din,”