The Prelude Flashcards
Summary of poem the prelude
Nature is inspiring and beautiful. But it is also immense and powerful and has the ability to destroy us. We should respect the power of nature
Who wrote the prelude and when
William Wordsworth in 1798
Key quotes of the prelude
‘One summer evening (led my her ) ‘
‘Glittering idly ‘
‘Dipped my oars into the silent lake’ compared to ‘with trembling oars’
‘There hung a darkness’
‘Reach a chosen point ‘
Analyse ‘glittering idly’
-Idyllic peaceful images
-beauty of nature
-nature is caring and tranquil with its power
-euphory
Analyse ‘one summer evening (led by her )
-her can be considered to be Mother Nature as a female
-it is responsible for creating sustaining and nurturing life like a real mother
- this is contrasted by the role of a human whilst woman nurture a single child natural nurtures the planet therefore showing its superiority
Analyse ‘there hung a darkness ‘
-metaphore
-mood morbid and melancholy he’s reflecting on the conflict in his mind on the peaceful and harshness of nature
-realised his own ignorance and now has limited understanding of the power of nature
Analyse quote ‘reach a chosen point’
-thinks he controls where he is going despite being led by nature
-deceived into sense of control,
-suggests that it is only when mankind tried to work against nature it become arduous
Context of the prelude
-writers at the time looked at the beauty of nature and past life un order to or est against the changing face of the world which was industrialisation
-based on wordsworths childhood which brings a tone of realism to the piece
-romantic poet which meant he was in favour of resisting growing industrialism by remembering a simpler, natural past
Structure and form of the prelude
-written in iambic pentameter which helps keep a constant rhythm which contrasts with the events of the boy
-single stanza which emphasises the overwhelming power of nature, causes reader to fell breathless which shows the vastness of nature
