Prelude Flashcards
I unl–s-n-d h-r
I unloosed her chain
Small…
Small circles glittering idly in the moon
cr-ggy…
craggy ridge
l-st-ly / I d-pp-d my…
lustily / I dipped my oars into the silent lake.
heaving…
heaving through the water like a swan
a h-ge p–k…
a huge peak, black and huge
- As if w-th …
- m–s-r-d m-t–n
- w-th p-rp-s-
- As if with voluntary power instinct
- Measured motion
- With purpose of its own.
gr-w-ng…
growing still in stature the grim shape
Towered…
Towered up between me and the stars
W-th tr-mbl-ng…
With trembling oars I turned
Th-re h-ng a d-rkn-ss… Or bl-nk d-s-rt–n
There hung a darkness…Or a blank desertion.
(He was alone except from the) huge mighty…
huge mighty forms, that do not live / Like living men.
MER+C
I unloosened her chain
Personification
He thinks he chivaltic and gentlemanly and rescuing a damsel in distress
Masculine
Small circles glittering idly in the moon
Particple Adj - glittering
Sence of presciousness and beauty of nature
Idly - Creates sence of serenity and calm but also efforrtlessness and nature is beatuiful without trying
Epiphanic
lustily/ I dipped my ores
Enj - Physicallises the “(dipping)” motion and potrays himself as strong, virlie, potent, young, masculine.
Physicallises the muscular rowing
Somewhat psedosexual nature of the adverb “lustily” further augments the sence of masculinity
heaving through the water like a swan
Simile - like a swan
elegance, purity, beauty, gracefull, with ease
C - Nature good industry bad
YBNB
present continous verb “heaving” initially suggests that Wordswoth was actually stuggling as he had to “(heave) through the water” and may suggest that his display of strength is somewhat affected and he was just fuelling his ego.
MER+C
huge peak, black and huge”
Comforting beaty shift to a darker concept of the sublime
Ploce potrays the moment of cosmic horror and there is something ieffable about the mountain
c - concept of the sublime
As if with voluntary power instinct
with purpose of its own
measured motion
zoomophises the mountain
predatory imagary
presents mountain as bestial
Measured motion - nasal alliteration
grim shape / Towered up between me and the stars
Enjambment
Physicalises the size and stature of the mountain
Intimidation
The stars conveys a sence of solitude further heightening the sence of horror
with trembling oars I turned,
Present cont
Before the ores that he “lustily” dipped into the lake symbolise his virlity and potency
But the trembling oars now represent his insignificance nad highlights the fact that he cannot compete woth the “mighty forms”
MER+C
But huge and mighty forms, that do not live / Like living men
Cononance - like living men
Personification
Enjambment
Polyptoton. - live, living
-Cosmic horror and an epiphanic realisation that nature is far more powerful than man as man is temporary.
- Sence of othernass
lovely beatiful nature –> Nature and concept of sublime is balanced –> utter insignificance. We are insignificant and cannot compete
Context
Romantic Poet
* Nature good industrial revolution bad
* Rejection of effects of the industrial revolution
* Supported french revolution and supported the attempt to overthrow instituitions
* Challenged peoples perceptions and viewpoints at the time
Concept of the sublime
* Something can be beautiful yet still cold and distant
* Terrible beauty
* Feeling a part of nature but also only a temporary part
* Cold chilling truth behind the attractive faccade of nature
* Its beaty is the terrible beauty of the sublime rather than the beauty of nature
* Mankind always thinks its in control whilst in reality it is always subject to nature
Personal life
* Both parent died and during his adolesecence he had considered suicide.
* But he developed a deep affection for the Lake District as he spent a lot of his time there to escape his problems
*
Structure
- Autobigraphical poem cheifly based on a few of his childood memories growing up in the Lake district.
- Its a part of an epic - egocentic and vainglorious
- In blank verse - blank of rhyme but not blank of meter
- Iambic pentameter
