The Prelude (extract) Flashcards
Summarise what happens in this poem
The speaker begins by recalling how he came upon a boat tied to a tree along the water. He untied it, got in, and pushed it off into the lake. He knew that he shouldn’t steal the boat. Alongside the water, he noted natural wonders like mountains and the water itself. He focused on one specific mountain and rowed in its direction. It got bigger until it rose above him and blocked out the stars. Suddenly, he felt fear at the sight of it and the feeling that it was coming after him. He was occupied for days after by that mood and the thought that there was more to the world than he understood.
How does this relate to Wordsworth?
This is a first person narrative and the speaker represents Wordsworth as a child, he had a difficult childhood as he had a troubled relationship with his father and other relatives. After both parents passed he lives with relatives; which he spent a lot of time avoiding his mother’s family, who treated him so badly he considered suicide. He developed a deep affection for the Lake District as he spent so much time outside to escape his problems.
What type of poem could it be perceived as?
As an Epic Poem these are lengthy, narrative poems that often focused around a heroic protagonist and the legendary events they were involved in. However, it can also be argued that the “hero” is not Wordsworth,
but nature personified, as it stops the speaker from continuing the journey.
How is it structured?
The entire extract is a single stanza which emphasises the overwhelming power of nature. This is heightened because there are no breaks or pauses which causes the reader to feel breathless.If the reader feels overwhelmed by the intensity of the poem, this could be to reflect how Wordsworth was overwhelmed by the immensity of the mountain and nature. The readers can empathise with the speaker’s sense of awe towards the “huge peak” as they are also faced with a huge piece of
text that offers no breaks or pauses
how does Wordsworth use Parallelism
in his poem to contrast how the speaker was before and after the revelation of nature’s power. This highlights how the experience has acted as a catalyst in his development:
-“melted all into one track” but then “heaving
through the water”
how is repetition used?
The repetition of “huge” also emphasises the sheer size of the mountain. Perhaps Wordsworth
couldn’t think of a comparison to how big the mountain is as it is incomparable = stuttering
how is personification used?
He opens the poem with reference to being
“(led by her)” which shapes how the reader views the whole poem. His reference to nature as
“her” or “she” is an allusion to the idea of Mother Nature, a common theme across mythology.
➔ Nature can be seen as female in that it is responsible for the feminine task of creating,
sustaining and nurturing life – just as a mother does.
➔ By using personification, Wordsworth is able to contrast the role of nature to the role of a
human – whilst women nurture a single child; nature nurtures an entire planet thus
demonstrating its superior power.
