Prelude: Context & Techniques

• What is this poem about?

  • The Prelude is an autobiographical poem written by William Wordsworth.
  • Wordsworth began writing The Prelude in 1798.
  • He never completed it, and it was published after his death
  • Extract from the Prelude is a short section from this epic poem
  • About Wordsworth’s memory of stealing a boat as a child.
• What is 'Extract from the Prelude' about?

  Context

  • Prelude is taken from Book 1 about Wordsworth’s childhood. The other books focus on different periods in his life.
  • Wordsworth experienced lots of difficulties during his life. These included the death of both parents when he was young and the loss of two of his children. These experiences influenced the The Prelude.

  Wordsworth grew up in Cumbria, spending much of his life there. The natural beauty of the Lake District inspired much of his poetry.
• The poem

  • Describes stealing a boat when he was younger.
  • He rows it out into a lake and sees a mountain which troubles him due to its sheer size.
  • At the beginning of the poem, he is a confident young man, comfortable with his place in nature and his surroundings.
  • Describes the beauty and peace of being on the water.
  • There is a shift in mood when he comes upon a huge mountain and feels frightened by its size and the imposing power of nature it represents.
  • In the poem, he cannot stop thinking or dreaming about the mountain in the days that follow.
• • Extract from the Prelude is a Romantic poem as it focuses on nature’s beauty and power.
  • Important feature of Romantic poetry was the sublime (intense feeling of awe that art, nature or beauty)
  • In Extract from the Prelude, Wordsworth’s feelings of powerlessness inspired by the mountain are an example of the sublime.
• Inner conflict

  Wordsworth is not in physical danger but is still affected by the imposing presence of the mountain.

  He describes it as a “grim shape” that “towered up” over him, suggesting the feelings of fear and insignificance he felt in its presence. He repeats “huge” twice in one line to emphasise his shock.

  He also describes how there “hung a darkness” over his thoughts for days afterwards. This could also be a metaphor for the shadow the mountain created on the natural landscape.
• Memory

  The fact that Wordsworth chose to recount this experience of encountering the mountain suggests that the memory is very strong.

  Wordsworth remembers the discomfort he felt more than the beauty of the lake and mountain.

  The fact that the mountain is present in his dreams highlights how strong the memory is, and the power of nature’s effect on hispsyche. Wordsworth does not, or perhaps cannot, explain why the mountain disturbed him so much, but he can remember how it made him feel very clearly. He is reflecting on the power of emotion to evoke memory.
• Language

  Figurative language is language which uses a non-literal meaning, examples include similes and metaphors.

  Figurative language is used throughout Extract from the Prelude to describe the nature surrounding Wordsworth.
• Juxtaposition

  Juxtaposition is when two contrasting things are placed close together.

  The first part of this poem is positive an full of excitement at stealing the boat. For example, “home”, “pleasure”, “glittering” and “sparkling” create a positive semantic field that highlights the beauty of the natural world.

  The second part of the poem is darker and more serious. Wordsworth uses a negative semantic field to show the mountain’s impact. Words such as “grim”, “trembling”, “grave” and “darkness”.

  This juxtaposition highlights the insignificance of humans in comparison to nature
• Volta

  A volta is a dramatic change in thought or emotion. In Extract from the Prelude, this happens at the halfway point when the positive semantic field turns negative.

  Wordsworth initially describes the beauty of the lake and his enjoyment as he rows across it. However, when he sees the “huge”, “black” mountain, the tone shifts and he starts describing his discomfort.
• Form

  In poetry, form refers to the type of poem that the poet has chosen to write.

  Epic poem

  The Prelude in its full form is an epic poem. This is a long narrative poem which tells a story, usually about an adventure. Epic poems, particularly in Romantic era, were often based on historical events or mythology.

  Blank verse

  Extract from the Prelude is written in blank verse. This means that it does not rhyme but does use a set number of syllables per line. This creates a more free, narrative effect – like Wordsworth is telling a story, unrestricted by a rhyme scheme.