extract from the prelude

Question 1

“a little boat tied to a willow tree” - what is the message behind this line?

Answer 1

the boat is a metaphor for man’s influence being anchored to the tree representing nature.

Question 2

this poem is written in …. …..

Answer 2

blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)(he is rejecting structure)

Question 3

what technique is used throught?

Answer 3

enjambment - gives a natural feel

Question 4

“straight I unloosed her chain” - what does this line represent?

Answer 4

mankind moving away from nature to stand on its own two feet

Question 5

give a quote that creates an idyllic, peaceful feel

Answer 5

“small circles glittering idly in the moon”

Question 6

give a quote from when the mood changes

Answer 6

“I fixed my view upon the summit of a craggy ride”

Question 7

why does the poet chose to have a mood change when the narrator notices the “craggy ride” and the “horizon”?

Answer 7

to represent the way in which nature is limiting the progress of the narrator

Question 8

what can “elfin pinnace” be translated to and what is it a metaphor for?

Answer 8

-fairy boat
-the heated mood of the narrator (elves were often viewed as sexual and lustful)

Question 9

what does the simile “went heaving through the water like a swan” remind the reader of?

Answer 9

that anything man tries to produce is merely imitating nature who does it better

Question 10

give a quote where nature is shown as aggressive

Answer 10

“the horizons bound, a huge black peak, black and huge….upreared its head”

Question 11

what is the impact of the word “trembling” in “with trembling oars I turned”?

Answer 11

shows the narrator as vaunerable, almost like a wounded animal

Question 12

what technique is used in “through the meadows homeward went, in grave and serious mood”

Answer 12

juxtaposition - meadows are usually peaceful and joyful and this contrasts the narrators “grave and serious mood”

Question 13

how does the narrator feel at the end of the poem?

Answer 13

“there hung a darkness”

Question 14

what is the narrator thinking about at the end?

Answer 14

he reflects on the conflict of the peaceful side of nature but also the scary part of it

Question 15

give a quote about the scary scale of nature?

Answer 15

“huge and mighty forms”

Question 16

the poem changes from a ……… (pleasant sounding words) to a ………. (harsh sounding words)

Answer 16

-Euphony
-Cacophany

Question 17

what is the general journey of the poem?

Answer 17

at the begging of the poem nature is at peace with the poet and mankind gets cocky but then it gets darker and man is put back in his place

Question 18

-give a quote about the mountain
-what does the mountain represent

Answer 18

-“a huge peak black and huge, as if with voluntary power instinct, upreared its head”
-its shown like an angry entity and represents the full might of nature

Question 19

what is the message of the poem?

Answer 19

the poem is structured to show the contrast of the serene start where we work with nature to the dark and disturbing battle with nature when he tries to manipulate nature

Question 20

how does the poet create a breathless pace and feel at the end?

Answer 20

words like ‘and’ being repeated

Question 21

give an oxymoron that describes the way the poet is feeling when he steals the boat. what technique is used?

Answer 21

“troubled pleasure”
oxymoron - conflict