Excerpt from The Prelude Flashcards
who wrote Excerpt from The Prelude?
William Wordsworth
what type of poem is The Prelude?
an autobiographical
context and meaning of Excerpt from The Prelude
-written by and adult looking back on his childhood memories
-It begins on a winter evening when the narrator is playing outside. It’s getting dark, which is the time he’s supposed to go home, but he doesn’t because he’s having a good time. The narrator describes the fun he and his friends are having ice skating
-The adult narrator then reflects on nature and suggests that humans are distanced from it
describe and analyse the form of The Prelude
-first-person narrative- its personal and makes his childhood seem almost idyllic
-blank verse and enjambment create a regular rhythm- which makes the poem seem like a natural speech
describe and analyse the structure of the Prelude
-two main sections
-first section focuses on the fun the children are having and the tone is light and carefree
-second section- poem turns and focuses on nature- tone is more serious as the narrator shows greater awareness of nature
how does Wordsworth use language of movement, analyse and in what quotes
-“wheel’d”, “flew”
-speaker uses short, monosyllabic verbs to increase the poems pace.
-this reflects the speed of their youthful energy and the movements
how does Wordsworth use Animal imagery, analyse and in what quotes
-“like an untir’d horse”, “all shod with steel”
-the narrator compares himself to a horse and the group of children to a “pack” of hunting dogs. suggests that they have a close connection to nature.
-However, dogs and horses are often domesticated, which hints that the children aren’t truly part of nature
how does Wordsworth use the use of sounds, analyse and in what quotes
-“tinkled”, “alien sound”, “resounding horn”,”distant hills”
-sibilance and onomatopoeia allow the reader to imagine the sounds in the poem. The poet also uses sensory imagery to contrast humans and nature- the humans are noisy, but nature’s sounds are delicate and unusual
what are the two feelings and attitudes in The Prelude and analyse
-Nostalgia- the narrator fondly looks back on his childhood and presents an idyllic scene from his memories. He uses language like “exulting” to convey a sense of excitement and freedom
-Awareness- The poem ends with the narrator showing a greater appreciation of the natural world. The references to the “distant hills” and to the east and west suggest that he has become more aware of the vast scale of nature
finish the quote, “I heeded not the…
summons”
analyse the quote, “I heeded not the summons”
the narrator rebels by not going home, showing his youthful enthusiasm and excitement
analyse the use of caesura at the start of the poem
caesura creates a pause mid-line suggesting the narrator is breathless and excited whilst in nature
finish the quote, “through the twilight..
blazed”
analyse the quote, “through the twilight blazed”
-the bright lights of the cottage echo the setting sun, creating a sense of light and warmth
finish the quotes, “like and untir’d… and “all shod with”
horse”
steel”
analyse the quotes, “like and untir’d horse” and “all shod with steel”
the simile’s associate the narrator with strength, youthful energy and nature
finish the quote, “Tinkled like iron, while the…
distant hills”
analyse the quote, “Tinkled like iron, while the distant hills”
-onomatopoeia on “Tinkled” is softer than the human sounds, and suggests that nature’s sounds are otherworldly
-sibilance on “distant hills” reflect how nature is echoing the children’s sounds back at them
analyse the quote, “alien sound”
emphasises how the sound of nature contrasts with the familiar noise of happy children
finish the quote, “Of melancholy, not…
unnoticed
analyse the quote, “Of melancholy, not unnoticed”
enjambment places emphasise on “melancholy” which highlights a contrast with the narrator’s feelings earlier in the poem
-“not unnoticed” has a double negative suggests that humans do notice the sounds of nature but don’t fully understand them, meaning that they don’t fit in
