The Prelude: Stealing the Boat - W. Wordsworth Flashcards
The speaker gives two contrasting views of nature.
What are they?
The two contrasting views that the speaker gives are that nature is beautiful and magical, and that nature is scary and unsettling.
What is the effect of describing the boat as being in “its usual home” (line 3)?
It suggests that the boat and its hiding place are familiar to the speaker — rather than finding it by chance, he seems to know where it’s normally kept.
Put the following moods in the order the speaker experiences them:
A. fearful
B. reflective
C. self-assured
C, A, B
Why do you think Wordsworth chose to use lots of enjambment towards the end of the extract?
The use of enjambment in lines 33-39 reflects how the speaker’s “brain / Worked” hard to comprehend what had happened that day, as the flowing lines suggest that the speaker is battling against a relentless barrage of thoughts and can’t stop to reflect on it.
How does Wordsworth convey the lasting impacts of the of the experience on the speaker?
- The memory of the event is
a “trouble” to the speaker’s
“dreams”. This language
has connotations of
nightmares, contrasting
with the positive, dreamlike
tone at the start of the
extract. This suggests that
this experience has had a
substantially negative
effect on the speaker’s
mental state. - The speaker describes
how “no pleasant images”
of nature remains, which
shows that his former love
for nature has now been
corrupted.
Describe how the mood changes in the extract ?
At the start of the extract, the mood is carefree and confident, before becoming ominous in line 21. Towards the end, the mood becomes more philosophical.
What is consonance?
Consonance is the repetition of a consonant in nearby words.
Wordsworth uses consonance in lines 8-11 of the extract.
What effect does Consonance have in this part of the extract?
Wordsworth’s use of successive ‘I’ sounds in this part of the extract gives it a smooth sense of flow, conveying the speaker’s sense of calm as the boat glides over the lake.
The phrase “troubled pleasure” in the extract is an example of which poetic device?
A. enjambment
B. sensory language
C. oxymoron
D. repetition
C. If something is troubled, then it wouldn’t usually be pleasurable.
What does the oxymoron in the phrase “troubled pleasure” tell you about the speaker’s feelings?
It tells you that the speaker is enjoying stealing the boat, but feels guilty about it too.
The extract from ‘The Prelude’ is written in blank verse.
What effect does this have?
The use of black vase makes the extract feel free and unconstrained. It also reflects the natural rhythms of speech, which makes the accounts feel more personal.
Find an example of magical language in the extract.
“She was an elfin pinnace” (line 17) - the boat sounds like it’s out of a fairy tale.
What effect is created through the sibilance in lines 8 to 9?
The sibilance in lines 8-9 (“small circles”) mimics the soft sound of the oars in the water, creating a sense of calm and emphasising the ease with which the speaker rows.
How does this effect (sibilance in lines 8-9) differ to the effects created by the sibilance in lines 24 to 27?
The sibilance in lines 24 to 27 creates a much more sinister mood than in lines 8 to 9. The repeated ‘s’ sound in “struck and struck again” evokes the speaker’s frantic rowing to escape the mountain, conveying his sense of panic and fear.
What is the effect of using first person speaker in the extract?
The use of a first-person speaker highlights that the event is an individual experience, helping the reader to sympathise with the speaker. For example, he gives the reader access to the speaker’s thoughts and feelings (“o’ er my thoughts / There hung a darkness”), helping to convey the impact the experience has had on his perception of the world.
