the prelude

• William Wordsworth was a famous Romantic poet, meaning they have a focus on nature and the power it holds
• this poem shows his encounter with nature and the power of it
• 'one summer evening (led by her)' this could be a reference to Mother nature and how everything is actually created by nature
• 'a little boat tied to a willow tree' this shows that the 'boat' is controlled by others and is vulnerable, against its will. It is also attached to nature showing nature's authority and control
• 'its usual home' shows the familiarity of nature, the narrator is having to go into nature to take from it
• 'I unloosed her chain' the boat is given human characteristics. The noun 'chain' illustrates that the boat was trapped and imprisoned which juxtaposes to the fact its her 'usual home'
• 'troubled pleasure, nor without the voice' the oxymoron 'troubled pleasure' show his guilt and how he believes his is actually in control. It also shows he knew he had no right to steal the boat
• 'of mountain echoes did my boat move on' this shows that the mountain has control over the boat, foreshadowing what is going to happen. It shows that the mountain has more power than his boat, showing the difference between big and small
• 'leaving behind her still' he views himself as in control of the boat when this is not the case
• 'small circles glittering idly' this shows nature being beautiful and luxurious
• 'proud of his skill, to reach a chosen point' this shows he has an end point and believes that he is in control but is actually being led by nature
• 'a craggy ridge,' this is anticlimactic showing that nature is not designed for human pleasure
• 'the horizon's utmost boundary' this highlights how big the mountain is
• 'she was elfin pinnace' this metaphor shows the spiritual journey of self discovery
• 'my boat' the use of the possessive pronoun 'my' shows how he believes he is really in control and owns it
• 'went heaving through the water like a swan' the simile shows that the boat has almost become apart of nature
• 'i dipped my oars into the silent lake' the sinister tone makes the lake seem like it is waiting to attack, it also shows how mankind is disturbing nature
• 'a huge peak, black and huge.' this triplet shows that the boat is small and minuscul, can't be compared to the mountain. The repetition shows nature's dominance and how big it is
• 'voluntary power instinct' shows how the mountain has much more power than the boat
• 'upreared its head' the personification highlights the mountain as a monster
• 'towered up between me and the stars' this shows it is an obstacle, blocking out fate. this metaphor shows that nature is blocking out hope as the stars represent hope
• 'strode after me' highlights that nature is now in control
• ''silent water stole my way' this shows the complexity of nature and how it can be brutal but can offer solitude. This also mirrors his actions from the start as he 'stole [his] way'
• 'back to the covert of the willow tree' this cyclical structure shows that nature always finds a way and he has returned to where nature is comforting rather than oppressive
• 'serious mood' this shows that the mountain causes him to lose his excitement at the start
• 'worked with a dim and undetermined sense' this shows a contrast to the start, he feels depressed
• 'there hung a darkness' this shows that his thoughts are being invaded
• 'no pleasant images of trees' this highlights that he has been harassed by the memories of the event, he can no longer see nature in the same way, things have lost their form
• 'that do not live like living men' this shows that nature is a powerful conscious being that has the power to massively influence life
• 'a trouble to my dreams' this shows that he has got nightmares and his ability to sleep is gone. It is shown as an oppressive force, nature being inescapable as in his 'dreams' he is unable to get rid of the power nature holds over him.
• Lines 1-20 show the power of man as he thinks he is in control of things but it is actually nature. The power dynamic shifts, a conflict between man and nature and the beginning is about the power and arrogance
• Lines 21-44 shows the mountain as an obstacle to his success, he rows to his ambitions but cannot because of the mountain, it shows that man made power is an illusion and nature will always win. It shows that power changes his fate and the conflict with nature as reality of humanity taking away the beauty of nature
• Poems to compare with

  exposure- both present nature as a monstrous being, antagonising nature

  storm on the island- highlights the utmost power nature has, having a conflicting encounter with it

  kamikaze- recognise the power and influence of nature

  ozymandias- both show that nature is more powerful than mankind, always prevails
• the themes are power of nature, memory and identity
• Wandsworth shows it is a haunting memory
• 'leaving her still' the repetition of calling nature 'her' suggests he views himself as equal to nature
• 'hung a darkness' also shows that there us a darkness that will be permanently there
• 'like a living thing' the use of the simile shows that nature is powerful enough to do what it chooses. This also personifies nature
• reveals that nature is terrifying and always in control