Poetry Anthology Flashcards
The Prelude - William Wordsworth
Taken from a 245 page long poem from Wordsworth’s autobiography. He is a Romantic Poet who believed childhood and being a child was a special time. NOSTALGIA
The poem is written in blank verse meaning it has an unrhythmic pattern.
The poem starts off where he is a young CAREFREE boy who is having fun. He is in the outdoors having fun during sunset, which he did often as he lived in a more rural area in the Lake District. (CONTEXT) Wordsworth makes it clear that he thinks children are more SPIRITUALLY in touch with nature -
‘otherworldly’.
As a child he had: awe, wonder, mystery and innocence which adults lost.
‘Twilight blazed’
- the word blazed has connotations of VIBRANCY and fire which mirrors his energy.
There is a shift to DUSK but he cannot take himself away from the fun even though he knows he should be going home. He feels free and energised by being outdoors, but most of all great happiness, - ‘ time of rapture’.
He is out ice-skating, playing with - ‘all of us’,
- this creates a sense of community. Sibilance to reflect the smooth ice and MOVEMENTS over the ice -
‘we hiss’d along the polish’d ice’.
‘The Pack loud and bellowing, and the hunted hare’, - the children are mimicking adultery behaviour which introduces the fear of predators and nature.
A VOLTA changes the tone of the poem, making the sounds and surroundings more intimidating. This change is very SUBTLE however
‘not unnoticed’.
‘the precipices rang aloud’,
- this signifies inniment danger or the coming of end (of childhood).
‘leafless trees’
- END of the seasons or signify the end of childhood. Nature is used in the poem to show the gradual stages of childhood ending.
The wording changes from ‘frosty’ to ‘icy’ which create a more dangerous atmosphere which confuses the reader.
The reader could RESONATE with the poem as they could be moving into adulthood too.
Wordsworth still makes nature seem beautiful even as the world is CHANGING.
‘sparkling clear’.
There is the tension and excitement between the new beginning of a time; adulthood.
CHANGE IS NOT A BAD THING AND DOES NOT REPRESENT LOSS.
