The Prelude by William Wordsworth

Question 1

“my boat/Went heaving through the water like a swan”

Answer 1

The narrator compares his boat to a “swan” to emphasise how it moves easily through the water. This simile makes him seem confident and in control

Question 2

Context-

“huge peak”

“grave/And serious mood”

Answer 2

In common with other Romantic poets, Wordsworth viewed nature as a powerful force that could inspire and transform people. This is evident in the extract from his autobiographical poem ‘The Prelude’; the encounter with the “huge peak” leaves him in a “grave/And serious mood”, seemingly forcing him to contemplate his own mortality and place in the Universe