Extract from, The Prelude

Question 1

A little boat tied to a willow tree

Answer 1

The boat is a metaphor of man’s influence, still anchored by the tree representing nature.

Question 2

Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping in

Answer 2

Loosening the chain and pushing from shore represents the poet as mankind moving to stand on its own two feet.

Question 3

Small circles glittering idly in the moon

Answer 3

• Wordsworth creates an idyllic and peaceful scene with language semantically peaceful.
• Repeated “l” sound creates a calm and relaxing scene. This allows for contrast later.
• He is personifying the boat.

Question 4

Upon the summit of a craggy ridge

Answer 4

• The mood changed with the craggy ridge and horizons boundary represents nature, limiting the progress of the poet. He can’t see further than that point.
• Foreshadows how nature is more dangerous than man.
• Short harsh sounds.
• The point when he starts to realise his insignificance and then moves onto questioning his place in the universe.

Question 5

She was an elfin pinnace; lustily

Answer 5

The term ‘elfin pinnace’ could be translated as ‘fairy boat’, a metaphor for the now heated mood of the poet. Elves were often viewed as sexual and lustful. It could imply that man is intruding upon nature.

Question 6

Went heaving through the water like a swan;

Answer 6

The simile reminds us that anything man tries to produce is merely imitating (copying) nature which does it better. It shows how man does not understand nature.

Question 7

The horizon’s bound, a huge peak, black and huge,

As if with voluntary power instinct,

Answer 7

• The Horizon marks the shift in tone, the language becomes darker and dangerous. The peak, mountain, is personified “with purpose of its own”, nature is shown as aggressive.
• This marks a significant change as the rhythm falters, it only has 11 syllables. The faltering of the continuous movement through the poem could represent the physical faltering of him when he’s rowing.
• nature stops it’s relationship with him as it wasn’t built on truth.

Question 8

Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned,

Answer 8

• Use of ‘trembling’ connotes the fear and vulnerability of the poet, he is shown like a wounded animal, hiding away as he’s come to the realisation he no loner has the power.
• “Strode after me” preposes the idea that the change is following him and that this feeling will remain with him for the rest of his life.

Question 9

And through the meadows homeward went, in grave

Answer 9

Meadows, usually peaceful and joyful and juxtaposed to the ‘grave and serious mood. This shows how nature has disturbed him.

Question 10

There hung a darkness, call it solitude

Or blank desertion. No familiar shapes

Answer 10

-The darkness hanging over him represents his change to a darker mood at the end of the journey heavy “D” sounds. The words all carry a dark and sinister tone, more morbid and melancholy. He is reflecting on the conflict in his mind of the juxtaposed peaceful side of nature and the harsh extremes it also contains “big and mighty forms”.
“No familiar shapes” this implies his perception has changed.

Question 11

What two words describe how the poem changes from pleasant sounding to harsh sounding?

Answer 11

The poem changes from Euphony (pleasant sounding words) to a Cacophony (harsh and rough).

Question 12

Within a rocky cave, its usual home.

Answer 12

This creates a sense of warmth and belonging which allows for the drastic contrast later on in the poem.

Question 13

Pushed from the shore. It was an act of stealth

And troubled pleasure, nor without the voice

Answer 13

• guilty???

- oxymoron- hints at guilt

Question 14

With an unswerving line, I fixed my view

Answer 14

Thinks he knows everything he needs to know.

Question 15

The horizon’s utmost boundary; far above

Answer 15

The cesura interrupts the flow and signifies the point of realisation for the poet. His perspective changes here.

Question 16

Back to the covert of the willow tree;

Answer 16

This creates a cyclical structure as he’s now back to where he he started, this represents how he wants to forget what he’s just learnt and that he wants life to go back to as it was before when he was sure of his place.

Question 17

What is this experience known as?

Answer 17

It is known as an epiphany- a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.

Question 18

talk about the poet and the context of the poem.

Answer 18

William Wordsworth was a romantic poet, we don’t mean he wrote love poems, but he wrote poems about the world we live in which challenged people and the way they thought at the time. During this time ‘epic’ poems of large length were common, as were poems which looked at the world and man’s place within it. This extract is from a much larger poem, it looks at the spiritual and moral development of a man growing up.

Question 19

What are the themes in the poem?

Answer 19

• the power of nature
• memory
• fear
• pride
• individual experience
• the lack of power of man

Question 20

Describe the general mood as the poem develops.

Answer 20

During the poem the setting is of a journey in a boat. The journey represents a more spiritual journey and it becomes more rough and hostile along the way. At first, nature is shown at peace with the poet, later as it gets darker and he tries to reach the horizon it becomes harsh and predatory, putting man back in his place.

Question 21

Describe the structure of the poem.

Answer 21

• This section is 44 lines in blank verse (no real structure). there are ten syllables per line although at one point this is interrupted.
• The work is in iambic pentameter to give it a consistent pace. This best mimics natural speech which is fitting as this is a dramatic monologue. It also mimics the human heartbeat which is fitting as it links to the idea that he is becoming more self aware.
• As the poem progresses the journey the poet is on becomes rougher and words like ‘and’ are repeated to give it a breathless pace and feel.
• the enjambment creates the sense of continuous movement like when he’s rowing through the water.

Question 22

What’s the significance of the mountain?

Answer 22

“a huge peak, black and huge, As if with voluntary power instinct, Upreared its head.”
The mountain is shown in the poem like a great angry entity and represents the full might and power of nature. It seems to take offense at the poet going too far or too ‘lustily’. You could imagine it like a game of ‘chicken’ where the poet is rowing toward the mountain,
the closer he gets the more menacing it appears before he backs away.

Question 23

Key points…

Answer 23

• The poem symbolically uses the journey on the river to mirror the poets own spiritual journey of reflection.
• The poet is structured to show the contrast of the serene and peaceful start where we works with nature, to the dark and disturbing battle with nature shown from when he tries to control his journey through rowing.
• The conflict between man and nature is caused by mans attempt to manipulate nature, nature still contains a power and majesty beyond mankind’s ability to command.

Question 24

How does this poem link to storm on the island?

Answer 24

• the power of nature
• iambic pentameter
• human vs nature
• single stanza
• not as they originally thought

Question 25

Key quotes…

Answer 25

• “huge”
• ” towered up”
• “silent”
• “like a living thing”
• “darkness”

Question 26

Who wrote the poem?

Answer 26

William Wordsworth