The Prelude Flashcards
“A huge peak …
Black and huge “
“It was an act of stealth …
and troubled pleasure” .
“My boat went heaving through …
the water like a swan “ .
“Were a trouble to my …
Dreams “ .
“No pleasant images of trees, of sea or sky …
No colours of green fields”
“Like one who rows, proud of his skill …
To reach a certain point with an unswerving line “ .
Who wrote extract from the prelude ?
William wordsworth
What kind of poet was William Wordsworth ?
Romantic
What is the prelude about ?
It is an autobiographical poem which explores key moments and experiences in his life , like a lot of his poetry its about humanities relationship with nature .
Explain what the prelude is about ?
The speaker in the poem remembers a night when he , as young boy, steals a boat and rows out to the middle of a lake. At first this was exciting, but then the boy becomes scared of a huge mountain and rows back to shire .
What does ‘ led by her ‘ suggest ?
Its ambiguous , nature is almost portrayed as a lover/mother nature
What does ‘ a little boat tied to willow tree ‘ create?
Creates a peaceful pastoral image , positive start to the poem .
What does the caesura from lines 3 to 6 show ?
Perhaps hinting at the confident movements or a sense of guilt because he took out the boat .
What does ‘ it was an act of stealth’ suggest ?
Suggests that there is something wrong about this
What technique is shown in ‘ troubled pleasure ‘ and what does this suggest ?
The technique is oxymoron and it suggests that the thing he has done is weighing on him
What technique is used in the words ‘ glittering ‘ , ‘ moon ‘ and ‘ sparkling light ‘ ?
Semantic field of light and beauty highlighting the beauty of nature
What do the words ‘ leaving ‘ , ‘ still ‘ , ‘ either side ‘ , ‘ small ‘ and ‘ melted all ‘ show ?
Assonance , the ‘i’ and ‘ a’ sounds helps the poem flow reflecting the boat across the lake
What are two quotes to highlight the arrogant nature of the speaker ?
‘Proud of his skill’ and ‘ with an unswerving line ‘
What does the quote ‘ She was an elfin pinnace ‘ suggest ?
Personification and metaphor suggests the unusual and magical nature
Why has Wordsworth used the word ‘lustily’ ?
He wants to make it seem like the relationship between the lake and the speaker is sexual and maybe he is taking advantage of the lake .
On what line is the caesura that creates a shift in tone ?
Line 21
What does the Volta on line 21 onwards describe ?
The mountain and the power of nature
What does the similie ‘ water like a swan suggest ?
Shows the skill that he has to travel through the lake , overconfidence ?
Before line 21 , it seems like the character is confident about his power over nature and the lake . Is this true ?
Yes
What techniques are used in this phrase ‘ a huge peak, black and huge ‘ ? What do they suggest ?
Repetition of huge highlights the sheer size of the mountain .
This line has 11 syllables whereas most of the poem has 10 , which could suggest the characters shocked emotions or lack of control
What literary technique is ‘upreared its head ‘ ? What does it suggest ?
Personification and it suggests that the mountain is a predator / monster and he is like the vulnerable hero
‘I struck and struck again ‘, what is the literary technique here and what does this show ?
The repetition of the single syllable panicked verb highlights his desperation
‘Strode after me ‘ what literary technique is this and what does it suggest ?
Personification and suggests that the mountain is a predator and the speaker is prey
‘Trembling oars ‘ is what ? And suggests what ?
Irony and suggests that the speaker is scared compared to the start where he was confident
‘But huge and mighty forms, that do not live like living men ‘ suggests what ?
That nature is living and is very different to humanity / could take control over us
What does ‘ trouble to my dreams ‘ suggest at the end of the poem ?
Suggests that it will stay with him forever and that it is a complete contrast to the start where he was overconfident
What are four things from structure to do with this poem ?
- First person narrative
- Single huge stanza
- Enjambment
- Volta
What does the first person narrative show ?
Its a personal tone and shows that there is emotion to the story
What does the single huge stanza reflect ?
Reflects the power of nature and our inability to control it
What does the enjambment throughout the poem highlight ?
Could show the freedom the speaker has at the start , but as the poem goes on it could show the readers lack of control over his emotions
Where is the Volta in the poem and what comes after this ?
Line 21 and after this the poem changes tone and focuses on the huge mountain and the effects it has on the speaker. Shows control of nature .
What are the feelings and attitudes toward the poem ?
Confidence , arrogance , fear and reflection
Poems to compare to for the power of nature ?
Ozymandias
Exposure
Storm on the island
Poem to compare to for the power of man ?
My last duchess
What is the prelude about ?
Explores key moments of Wordsworth’s life and like a lot his poetry , it shows the power of nature over humanity and how we cannot control it .
What kind of poet was wordsworth ?
Romantic poet
