The Prelude: Stealing the Boat Flashcards
The Prelude quotes
“led by her” personification allusion to the idea of ‘Mother Nature’ (creating, sustaining, nurturing life just as a mother does)
“troubled pleasure”, oxymoronic phrase - the man knew he had no right to steal the boat (arrogance of man)
“Upreared its head”, personifies nature to be a live beast, heightening the threat
“I struck and struck again” contrasts to the “small circles” of the oars previously - calm rowing turns frantic as man tried to escape
“like a living thing, strode after me” - simile, personification
“There hung a darkness”, shadow of the cliff OR the lingering impact of event on the man
“huge peak, black & huge” repetition of “huge” emphasises the overwhelming nature of the cliff. Repetition of “huge” may also exemplify the man panicking as he is losing control of his words. Connotations of black = dangerous, dark, should be avoided
Structure of the Prelude
Single stanza (blank verse) emphasises overwhelming power of nature. No breaks or pauses in the poem causes the reader to feel breathless, much like the man in the poem. Readers can empathise with the speaker’s sense of awe of the “huge peak” as they too are faced with a huge piece of text.
Enjambment, implies that the man cannot stop to reflect on whats happening. The overflowing lines refers to hunanity’s lack of control over nature
Poem is a Dramatic monologue - the man is speaking to himself, recollecting a personal event
Lack of rhyme, meaning no humour, suggests the seriousness of the situation & the effect it had on him
Context of Prelude
Wordsworth was a romantic poet - he often talks about the ‘beauty’ of nature in his poems. In this case, he touches on the ‘power’ of nature
