Prelude Flashcards
Context
The cottage windows through the twilight blaz’d,
Safety and belonging is suggested in the depiction of cosy cottages with “through the twilight blaz’d” giving an aura of calm as if the persona is looking at these and seeing home.
The contrast between the “frosty”, cold outside and the warmth from “blaz’d” highlights how nature is harsh, cold, and unforgiving, while the domestic environment is warm, cosy, and hospitable. This contrast implies that nature and domestic life are incompatible, emphasizing their opposing qualities.
The verb “blaz’d” suggests fire and comfort, reinforcing Wordsworth’s warm feelings when looking back on his childhood.
The word “cottage” enhances the rural bucolic setting, evoking a sense of cosiness and protection amid the harsh winter.
Wordsworth delays the verb “blaz’d” to the end of the clause, disrupting the natural word order. This technique amplifies its importance and intensifies its impact on the reader.
I heeded not the summons
The narrator rebels by not going home, showing youthful and enthusiasm and excitement
However, the first person “I heeded not the summons” creates a small element of a rebellious natures, as if the persona does not want the fun to end and is happy and content to ignore the calls to come home, instead continuing to whizz around on the
ice with friends.
Perhaps, this reflection is in part recognition of the safety and security that Wordsworth had in his younger years, when his mother was alive to care for him; she died when he was eight years old and this may be shown in the way the poem is structured with the memory of being called to come in early on in the poem possibly
to show that this was a time before his mother had died
-However, W.W clearly was more fascinated and allured to the natural world -Rebels by not going home -Conveys a youthful enthusiasm, rejected a mundane life restricted indoors
for all of us; to me It was a time of rapture
The noun “rapture” implies an almost religious quality to their enjoyment of childhood, suggesting joyous ecstasy and celebration.
This creates a semantic field of happiness, reinforcing the persona’s love of nature and fond memories of childhood.
The positive tone reflects childhood innocence and the sense of freedom and joy experienced in nature
.
Nature is portrayed as an escape or even as a parental figure that the speaker lacked.
The pronoun “us” conveys a sense of communal joy, emphasizing the shared happiness among the boys in their larger community.
-Heightened appreciation of nature is evident as he describes his own feelings of ‘rapture’ -Evokes a sense of intense joy -Further conveyed through the used of multiple caesuras -Suggests he is breathless and excited
Proud and exulting, like an untir’d horse
The word “Proud” highlights the narrator’s confident and carefree attitude, emphasising his sense of independence.
The simile “untir’d horse” suggests that the boys are untamed, wild at heart, and full of energy, reinforcing their fearless desire to explore the world.
This simile also establishes a connection between the children and the natural world, portraying them as free-spirited and in harmony with their surroundings.
The word “pack” implies unity and a strong bond among the boys, emphasising their collective movement and shared exhilaration.
The intensity of the experience is conveyed through energetic verbs and adverbs, which emphasise the physical exuberance of their game.
Wordsworth uses this simile to highlight his feelings of liberation, maturity, and deep association with nature, echoing his earlier sense of pride in resisting the “summons.”
We hiss’d along the pollish’d ice, in games
Sibilant sounds mimic the swishing of the ice skates, emphasising the boys’ skilful speed and sense of freedom.
The poet uses verbs such as “flew” and “hissed” to convey the movement and sounds of the boys, reinforcing their agility and exhilaration.
The frequent use of sibilance reflects the sound of the skates gliding across the ice, immersing the reader in the scene.
The sibilance also emphasises the innocence of the children, highlighting their carefree enjoyment of nature.
Wordsworth, who loved ice-skating and even taught his children, may use this technique to reflect his deep emotional connection to the activity.
The intensity of the sibilance could symbolise his strong emotions, aligning with the Romantic era’s focus on intense feelings and personal experiences.
A collective sense of fun is shown through the pronouns in “We hiss’d along the polished ice,” while the sibilance reinforces the swift, smooth motion of the skates cutting through the frozen lake.
“The Pack loud bellowing, the hunted hare”
Wordsworth creates a semantic field of hunting, portraying the children’s game as loud and energetic.
Hunting is often chaotic and frantic, which could emphasise the wild and uncontrolled excitement of childhood play.
The comparison of the children to a “pack” of hunting dogs suggests a close connection to nature, highlighting their instinctive energy and group unity.
However, as dogs are often domesticated, this may hint that the children, while immersed in nature, are not entirely part of it.
The extended hunting metaphor includes the sound “bellowing,” which implies a loud and intimidating noise from the pursuers, creating an atmosphere of intensity and thrill.
The mention of a “hunted hare” suggests vulnerability and fear, adding a contrasting perspective that hints at the darker, more primal side of nature.
Alliteration reinforces the comparison between childhood games and hunting, strengthening the idea that the children are both part of and at the mercy of the natural world.
Wordsworth’s portrayal of his friends as a pack suggests a deeper sense of belonging with them, possibly indicating a stronger bond than with his real family.
Meanwhile, the precipices rang aloud, The left less trees, and every ice crag
A volta signals a shift in focus from people to nature, highlighting its separation from human activity.
The sibilance in “precipices,” “leafless,” and “icy” creates a more ominous tone, contrasting with the earlier playful energy.
The word “leafless” symbolises death, reinforcing the harshness of the winter landscape, while “precipices” suggests steep, sharp cliffs, adding a sense of danger.
Unlike the previous joyful sibilance, this instance carries a sinister undertone, as if nature is responding to the children’s laughter with an eerie echo.
The natural world, though frozen and hard, has its own voice, as seen in the verbs “rang” and “tinkled,” which suggest the countryside is alive, almost like music.
As the excerpt nears its end, an impending sense of darkness emerges, reinforcing the vastness and power of nature.
Wordsworth conveys a sense of awe and slight fear, reflecting the Romantic belief that nature transcends human concerns.
The personification of the hills in “the precipices rang aloud” suggests nature’s overwhelming presence, with the plurality of peaks enhancing the feeling of immense power.
The use of sibilance mirrors the way nature echoes the children’s sounds back at them, reinforcing its active and almost sentient role in the scene.
‘Tinkled like iron’
Winter imagery allows the reader to vividly imagine the coldness of the evening, reinforcing the harsh yet beautiful setting.
The simile “tinkled like iron” emphasises the extreme frost, portraying the landscape as deeply frozen and unyielding.
The verb “tinkled” suggests that, despite the cold, nature remains lively, adding an element of enchantment.
Enjambment, simile, and auditory imagery work together to emphasise the sharpness of the sound and the sense of isolation.
The imagery evokes the delicate sound of graceful bells, contrasting with the hard and barren landscape, creating a sense of both beauty and desolation.
The simile implies that the frost’s sound is almost magical, bringing nature to life despite its frozen stillness.
“distant hills…sent an alien sound”
The sounds of nature are portrayed as unfamiliar and strange, creating a shift from comfort to unease.
Nature begins to make Wordsworth and his friends feel uncomfortable, as its presence becomes more imposing.
This focus on nature’s sounds is reinforced through sensory imagery in “distant hills…sent an alien sound,” suggesting that the once-familiar landscape now feels unfamiliar and unsettling.
The word “alien” connotes otherworldliness, implying a strange or eerie sensation that defamiliarises the Lake District, a place Wordsworth once knew well.
The adjective “alien” emphasises how nature’s sounds contrast with the joyful noise of the children, marking a tonal shift.
The natural world is presented as less benevolent, moving from a playful setting to something more powerful and unpredictable.
The auditory language evolves, shifting from the delicate “tinkle” to the more ominous “alien” sound, reinforcing this change in atmosphere.
The mention of “melancholy” symbolises Wordsworth’s growing awareness of nature’s extreme forces, including life and death, reflecting Romantic themes of awe and fear.
Of melancholy, not unnoticed, while the stars
Enjambment on “melancholy” highlights a contrast with the narrator’s earlier joy, introducing a sense of sadness and nostalgia.
This shift in tone reflects Wordsworth’s longing for the innocence of childhood, as he reminisces about simpler, happier times that have now passed.
The tone becomes wistful, as if Wordsworth is yearning to relive those carefree moments of youth.
Caesura slows the pace of the poem, making these lines more reflective and allowing the reader to dwell on the poet’s emotions.
The double negative “not unnoticed” suggests that while humans are aware of nature’s sounds, they do not fully comprehend them.
This hints at the idea that nature is otherworldly and superior, possessing a depth beyond human understanding.
The orange sky of evening died away
The final imagery serves as a reminder that the day, year, and childhood are all coming to an end, symbolising the passage of time and Wordsworth’s transition into adulthood.
The intensity of the orange sky and sparkling stars reflects the energy and vibrancy of youth, which inevitably fades as time progresses.
The “death” of the evening could symbolise the loss of innocence, as Wordsworth becomes more aware of the darker undertones of nature.
This could also allude to the death of Wordsworth’s mother, a key event that shaped his perspective on life and nature.
The setting sun represents the passing of time and Wordsworth’s growth and maturity, reinforcing the poem’s nostalgic tone.
Personification of the fading sun may not only indicate the end of the day but also evoke a feeling of isolation and loneliness, suggesting a deeper emotional weight as the excerpt concludes.
