The Prelude - William Wordsworth

Question 1

‘’Blaz’d’’

Answer 1

‘’Through the twilight blaz’d’’

The delay of the verb deforms the syntax identifying importance. The fire connoted with ‘’blaz’d’’ describes his passion to reject moral rules and run into the freedom. This coincides with his embracement of the French Revolution.

Question 2

‘Hunted hare’

Answer 2

‘’Loud bellowing, and the hunted hare’’

Zoomorphism implies how the children go wild as they play tag. They become one with nature losing their humanity in the zest and passion and the heat of nature. Present participles invigorate description of the passion and heat in their games.

Question 3

‘Precipices’

Answer 3

‘’The precipices rang alound’’

A different quality is introduced to the experience in their games. The metaphor suggests how nature itself appears to respond and participate in their games.

Question 4

‘Tinkled’

Answer 4

‘’Tinkled like iron, while distant hills’’

Suggests how nature amplifies the children reverberating their sounds. There is a zooming out to nature as a whole of which Wordsworth felt had a part to play in his games as an adult. ‘Sublime’ comparing humans insignificance to nature was common in Romanticism.

Question 5

‘’Stars’’

Answer 5

‘’While the stars Eastward, were sparkling clear’’

Stars create an ethereal feel to the ending of this excerpt darkening the exuberance of the mood. Nature is given a mystical image as timeless. ‘While’ allows the meeting of the temporary in the children with the eternal.