The Prelude by Wordsworth

Question 1

led by who?

Answer 1

‘led by her’
-allusion to mother nature and it can be seen as female as its responsible for the feminine task of creating, sustaining and nurturing life just as a mother does so by using personification wordsworth is contrasting the role of a human to the role of nature as humans nurture a child but nature nurtures the whole planet which demonstrates its superior power and emphasises its beauty
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Question 2

its usual what

Answer 2

‘its usual home’
-very descriptive of how he steals the boat which he may be trying to Romanize in order to defend his actions

Question 3

glittering where

Answer 3

‘glittering idly in the moon’
‘sparkling light’
-light imagery shows natures positive side ,innocence and beauty which creates happiness
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Question 4

horizons

Answer 4

‘horizons bound, a huge peak, black and huge’
-nature makes him feel small and insignificant
-turning point
-repetition of huge shows the writer is at loss of words which emphasises the power of nature

Question 5

what does the mouintian do

Answer 5

‘like a living thing, strode after me’
-use of simile shows the speaker is now choosing to personify nature but to above his level as something other-worldly
-the verb is very bold and implies lots of strength demonstrating the power of the mountain

Question 6

where does the speaker want to go back

Answer 6

‘back to the covert of the willow tree’
-he desires to go somewhere he finds more familiar which shows the extent to how much this incident has frightened him

Question 7

how many days

Answer 7

‘for many days’
-suggests whatever he saw and the encounter has now irreversibly changed him and his mind which reflects the immense power nature can have on both a society and individual

Question 8

There hung a….

Answer 8

‘There hung a darkness, call it solitude’
-he has realised his own ignorance and ,seemingly, he is in the dark and has limited understanding of the extent and power of nature
-solitude shows he is alone and realised his insignificance in the face of nature

Question 9

But huge and

Answer 9

‘But huge and mighty forms that do not live like living men’
-The speaker thinks he is in control – reaching his “chosen point” performing an “act of stealth” , but really he is just following nature – controlled by greater force. Applying this to society, Wordsworth may be suggesting how mankind always thinks it is in control but it is always subject to nature

Question 10

last line

Answer 10

‘trouble to my dreams’
-constantly affected by the experience
-Nature transcends mankind and it is not bound by time or restrictions of life. Therefore, nature takes many forms to demonstrate its power and this phrase shows the long term impact nature has on him, this transformative effect could also be considered humbling but haunting