The Prelude Flashcards
In summary what is this poem about?
The underestimated power of nature as it is Wordsworth’s first encounter with its daunting power. Autobiographical account of a time in Wordsworth’s youth when he stole a boat and rode across the lake in moonlight
Example of sibilance
Small circles glittering idly in the moon
What does the sibilance represent?
A peaceful, hushed tone which is later contrasted with. His expectations of nature are shallow, surface impressions. He finds solace/solitude within nature, it is a companion of his -ironic, you should know a companion deeply
Identify the Volta in the poem. What happens to the language afterwards?
‘A huge peak, black and huge’. The language becomes more aggressive (uses plosives) to portray nature as threatening
Identify a use of antithesis and enjambment
Moved slowly through my mind // by day, and were a trouble to my dreams
What does the antithesis portray?
The contrast between his impressions of nature before the encounter and after (his surface impression underestimated the power of nature). These words are placed so close together to reveal how much his ideas have changed in such a short amount of time
How does the poem begin?
‘One summer evening (led by her) I found’. Nature later breaks out of these brackets (parenthesis) because it is powerful and cannot be contained. The word ‘found’ foreshadows his later discovery of nature’s power
Identify a use of caesura
‘Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned’
What does the caesura portray?
The end of his journey as he is turning back due to fear, suggests he is frozen and needs to process his thoughts before turning around
What does the enjambment portray?
The movement of the boat - it doesn’t stop until he reaches the huge peak
Identify a use of anaphora
‘I struck and struck again’
What do anaphora and dynamic verbs represent?
Represent conflict. Portrays desperation and hopelessness of man as they will never win against nature
