Extract From The Prelude Flashcards
Who is the author of the Prelude?
William Wordsworth
What is the primary theme of the Prelude?
The development of the poet’s mind and the relationship between nature and human experience.
True or False: The Prelude is an autobiographical poem.
True
Fill in the blank: The Prelude was published posthumously in _____ (year).
1850
What literary movement is Wordsworth associated with?
Romanticism
In the Prelude, Wordsworth often reflects on his experiences in _____ (fill in the blank).
nature
What does Wordsworth consider to be a source of inspiration for his poetry?
Nature and personal experiences
Multiple choice: Which of the following best describes the style of the Prelude? A) Narrative B) Descriptive C) Reflective D) All of the above
D) All of the above
What does Wordsworth mean by ‘the child is the father of the man’?
The experiences of childhood shape the individual in adulthood.
True or False: The Prelude contains elements of philosophical reflection.
True
What is the significance of nature in Wordsworth’s Prelude?
Nature serves as a teacher and a source of emotional and spiritual growth.
Short answer: Name one specific location that Wordsworth references in the Prelude.
The Lake District
Fill in the blank: The Prelude is often considered Wordsworth’s _____ (type of work).
masterpiece
What role does memory play in the Prelude?
Memory is a crucial element that connects past experiences to present reflections.
Multiple choice: What emotion is often explored in the Prelude? A) Joy B) Sorrow C) Awe D) All of the above
D) All of the above
“One summer evening I found/ A little boat tied to a willow tree”
What are the structure points
And analysis
Structure: Enjambment and Parenthesis
The line runs over the caesura creating a gentle flow that mirrors the boats moorings loosening. The parenthesis around “led by her” interrupts the syntax, conveying Wordsworth’s half-conscious awareness of natures pull and his own hesitant agency
“Went heaving through the water like a swan”
What are the structure points
And analysis
Structure: Simile and Sibilance
Comparing the black boat to a swan softens its movement and introduces graceful imagery.
The repeated “s” sounds slow the pace, evoking the swans smooth glide across the lake.
Small circles glittering idly in the moon”
What are the structure points
And analysis
Structure: caesura and alliteration
A strong pause before “glittering” makes us linger on the tiny ripples.
The alliterative “glittering..idly..moon” paints a hushed, reflective scene- calm before the drama of the mountains appearance.
“With trembling oars I turned, and through the silent water stole my way”
What are the structure points
And analysis
Structure: Inversion and enjambment
The inverted word order (stole my way) heightens the sense of furtive escape. Enjambment carries the action forward, so you feel the speakers urgent retreat as the lake grows still ominous.
“The horizons utmost boundary; a huge/ Peak, black and huge, as if with voluntary power/ it moved me”
What are the structure points
And analysis
Structure: Volta, repetition and personification
The semicolon at “boundary” signals the sonnet- like turn from peaceful rowing to the mountains appearance. Repeating “huge” underlines the mountains monstrous scale. Personifying the Peak as having “voluntary power” makes it an active, almost willful presence- intensifying Wordsworth’s awe and fear.
Analyse the title
The title “Extract from The Prelude: ‘Stealing the Boat’” does more than label the poem—it frames it as a chosen slice of Wordsworth’s life (Extract), highlights its function as the opening movement in his poetic maturation (Prelude), and underlines the central moral action (Stealing) that propels both the narrative and the boy’s inner awakening.
