Extract From The Prelude Flashcards
“A little boat tied to a willow tree,”
Happy rural image
“It’s usual home,”
Nature seems familiar to him
“Straight I unloosed her chain,”
Narrator appears confident
“Act of stealth,”
Knows he’s doing something wrong and is the first sign something isn’t right
“Troubled pleasure,”
Oxymoron hints at narrators guilt
“Proud of his skill,” “with an unswerving line,”
Narrator seems confident
“She was an elfin pinnace,”
Metaphor of a fairy boat makes the scene seem magical and otherworldly
“Like a swan,”
Natural simile shows he’s confident and in control
“When,”
Turning point (Volta) introduces a change in tone. The word is emphasised by being the start of line and by the caesura
“Upreared its head,”
Mountain personified. Ugly image in contrast to beautiful images earlier
“The grim shape towered up between me and the stars,”
Ugly image
Uses a repetition of sibilant sounds “stars,” “still,”
Creates a sinister mood
“Purpose of its own,” “Measured motion,” “Strode after me,”
Mountain is calm and in control. Contrasts to the readers fear
“Stole,” “Covert,”
He’s afraid and guilty and wants to hide away as he feels he’s intruded
“For many days,”
Impact was long lasting
