The prelude Flashcards
Who wrote the Prelude?
William Wordsworth
Is Wordsworth a Romantic poet?
Yes
What is a Romantic poet?
Poets that focus on nature and human emotion
What does Wordsworth personify nature as?
“Her”
As nature is personified with feminine qualities, what does it suggest?
The speaker adores nature. The personification of nature as a “her” sounds beautiful.
What does the oxymoron “troubled pleasure” suggest?
The narrator feels guilty about stealing the boat.
“It was an…”
“It was an act of stealth”
As the speaker is led by nature into the horror, what does it suggest?
Nature is evil
What do we experience when the volta occurs (line 21)?
The horrors of nature
“I struck and…”
“I struck and struck again, and growing in stature”
What does “I struck and struck again, and growing in stature” suggest?
The mountain is getting bigger, making it seem like a nightmare
“A huge peak…”
“A huge peak, black and huge”
When describing the mountain, discuss why Wordsworth repeats the adjective “huge”?
- He is so shocked and overwhelmed that even someone with the immense vocabulary size cannot properly describe the mountain, so he has to result to repeating his words.
- It could also emphasize the nervousness of Wordsworth, as he is repeating himself suggesting he feels vulnerable
What does “for many days” suggest?
The impact nature had on Wordsworth was everlasting.
Following the volta, how does the language seem?
Darker and more threatening
