Extract from the Prelude Flashcards
Give EXTRACT FROM THE PRELUDE quotations
“small circles glittering idly in the moon”
“sparkling light”
“she was an elfin pinnace”
“a huge peak, black and huge”
“ as with powerful instinct, up reared its head”
“with trembling oars he turned”
Explain the form and structure of THE EXTRACT FROM THE PRELUDE
William Wordsworth writes the poem as one long verse and uses enjambment so the reader experiences breathlessness in order to imitate the overflow of the narrator’s feelings.
To reveal the large impact nature had on Wordsworth he writes the seemingly ordinary story in the form of an epic poem through incorporating iambic pentameter and mythical references like “elfin pinnace”.
“Small circles glittering idly in the moon” and “sparkling light”
In these quotations, the poet forms a celestial and dream-like quality to the movement of the boat through nature, established by his use of romantic nature imagery of “glittering” and the positive emotive adjective “sparkling”. This magical and calm tone will create an even sharper change in tone later on.
“elfin pinnace”
This further displays the narrator’s arrogance and pride as he amplifies the moment and his boat, comparing it to something of mythical qualities.
“huge peak, black and huge”
The poet repeats the “huge” in this quotation in order to show how the narrator’s vocabulary and his ability to articulate has left him in the revelation of nature’s power and his weakness. The repetition could also imitate a stuttering, reflecting his anxiety.
Pronoun change?
Originally, Wordsworth uses vast personification however when the realisation sets their is sudden pronoun change from “she” to “it”. This signifies the shock he is experiencing and his lack of ability to define things.
“as if with voluntary power instinct, up reared its head”
Wordsworth is amplifying the power and the agency that the mountain holds through the personification. The use of the violent verb “up-reared” implies that the mountain is attacking and therefore is pictured as monstrous. and menacing.
“with trembling oars he turned”
Wordsworth demonstrates the fear of nature that he experienced through the adjective “trembling” which highlights the frantic panic of himself as he makes an escape. Furthermore, as a Romantic poet Wordsworth could be expressing through this fear that nature is beautiful and power and thus should be respected by mankind.
