The Prelude-William Wordsworth Flashcards
What is the poem about?
It begins in summer when the narrator finds a boat tied to a tree,he unties it and goes out onto the lake.At the start he is happy and confident,and he describes a beautiful scene.A mountain appears on the horizon and the narrator is afraid of its size and power.He turns the boat around and goes home,but his view of nature has changed
Who was William Wordsworth?
-he was a romantic poet (nature,mans place in the world)
-he was a poet from Lake District,and the Prelude is an autobiogriphical poem-it explores the key moments in his life
-it was published shortly after his death in 1850
-both his parents died at a young age which heavily influenced his writing
What is the context about the Prelude?
This is an extract from the first 14 books that make up Wordsworth’s,The Prelude.The book is entitled ‘Introduction-Childhood and School-Time’.Wordsworth was a ‘Romantic’ poet.Like other ‘Romantic’ poetry,this extract explores the connection between nature and human emotion,and the way human identity and character is shaped by experience
“One summer evening (led by her)/”A little boat tied to a willow tree”
-it introduces the setting and the protagonist’s action,the “little boat” symbolies the protagonsits journey of self-discovery
-the “willow tree” represents nature’s influence from the first few lines (a recurring theme throughout the poem)
-“her” its unclear who it is,suggests that nature is personified
“It was an act of stealth/And troubled pleasure”
-he has mixed feelings about his actions already,almost like he has a predetermined opinion of nature and something bad may happen
-“act of stealth” suggests he is doing something forbidden,while “troubled pleasure” indicates his excitement and fear (oxymoron-hints at the narrator guilt,first signs of something that isn’t quite right
“When,/The horizons bound,a huge peak,black and huge”
-“When,” is a Volta and it introduces a complete change in tone,it is heavily emphasised due to it being at the start of the line and having caesura after it (representing how nature can change a person perspective so quickly)
-“huge peak” symbolises that something is unreachable.It also represents the grandeur of nature and the sense of human smallness when it is in its presence
-“black and huge”,the description using the post-modifying adjective “black” adds to the ominous tone,it can have connotations with something unknown,foreboding.”huge”also suggests the mountain is both physically and emotionally overwhelming
“no familiar shapes/Remained/But huge mighty forms,that do not live/Like living men”
-“no familiar shapes/Remained”,the absence of things he used to recognise is gone,the “adjective” familiar that the things that once held comfort have disappeared-speakers journey into the unknown
-“that do not live / Like living men”: The speaker emphasizes the contrast between human beings and the natural forms they are encountering. These “mighty forms” are not alive in the same way humans are—perhaps they are inanimate objects like mountains, cliffs, or large natural features. They exist on a different scale or in a different state, suggesting that nature is both timeless and beyond human understanding or control. This can also suggest the idea of the natural world as eternal, whereas humans are temporary and mortal
What is the structure of The Prelude?
-epic structure,The poem has the characteristics of an epic. Traditionally, an epic is a long narrative poem that tells the story of a hero’s journey. In The Prelude, the “hero” is Wordsworth himself, and the journey is one of self-discovery and growth through his relationship with nature
-blank verse,The poem is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. Blank verse is often used in serious and reflective poetry and allows for a natural flow of speech.
This form is effective for the poem’s introspective and philosophical nature, as it helps the poem sound conversational yet elevated, fitting for Wordsworth’s reflections on life and nature
