extract from the prelude Flashcards
“a little boat tied to a willow tree” - what is the message behind this line?
the boat is a metaphor for man’s influence being anchored to the tree representing nature.
this poem is written in …. …..
blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)(he is rejecting structure)
what technique is used throught?
enjambment - gives a natural feel
“straight I unloosed her chain” - what does this line represent?
mankind moving away from nature to stand on its own two feet
give a quote that creates an idyllic, peaceful feel
“small circles glittering idly in the moon”
give a quote from when the mood changes
“I fixed my view upon the summit of a craggy ride”
why does the poet chose to have a mood change when the narrator notices the “craggy ride” and the “horizon”?
to represent the way in which nature is limiting the progress of the narrator
what can “elfin pinnace” be translated to and what is it a metaphor for?
-fairy boat
-the heated mood of the narrator (elves were often viewed as sexual and lustful)
what does the simile “went heaving through the water like a swan” remind the reader of?
that anything man tries to produce is merely imitating nature who does it better
give a quote where nature is shown as aggressive
“the horizons bound, a huge black peak, black and huge….upreared its head”
what is the impact of the word “trembling” in “with trembling oars I turned”?
shows the narrator as vaunerable, almost like a wounded animal
what technique is used in “through the meadows homeward went, in grave and serious mood”
juxtaposition - meadows are usually peaceful and joyful and this contrasts the narrators “grave and serious mood”
how does the narrator feel at the end of the poem?
“there hung a darkness”
what is the narrator thinking about at the end?
he reflects on the conflict of the peaceful side of nature but also the scary part of it
give a quote about the scary scale of nature?
“huge and mighty forms”
the poem changes from a ……… (pleasant sounding words) to a ………. (harsh sounding words)
-Euphony
-Cacophany
what is the general journey of the poem?
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
-give a quote about the mountain
-what does the mountain represent
-“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
what is the message of the poem?
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
how does the poet create a breathless pace and feel at the end?
words like ‘and’ being repeated
give an oxymoron that describes the way the poet is feeling when he steals the boat. what technique is used?
“troubled pleasure”
oxymoron - conflict
