The prelude- William Wordsworth

• context

  • Wordsworth was a romantic poet
  • Similar to other romantics he idolises nature and was anti-establishment
  • The prelude was the first of a 3 part autobiographical epic poem “the recluse” but he died before completion
  • Both his parents died during adolescence - relatives treated him poorly having a detrimental impact on his mental health
  • The Lake District was Wordsworth’s escape
• romanticising childhood topic sentence

  Wordsworth idealises the world and nature through a lens exclusive to the fogged perspective of childhood
• Romanticising of childhood- ”troubled pleasure”


  • childhood permits unorthodox blending of complex emotions And isn’t all perfect
  • Sets an undertone for the epic poem that combines awe and fear to convey the power of nature
  • Highlights the childhood and romantic lens approach
• Romanticising childhood - “black and huge”

  • Initially uses mythical imagery “elfin pinnace” to convey a fairytale like experience
  • As poem progresses the feelings of magical awe evolve into overwhelming fear as he personifies and demonises the “black and huge mountain”
  • The nature is omnipotent
  • The simplicity of lexis’ contrast the initial eloquent language reminding us of his youth and innocence reverting him to a vulnerable child stricken by fear
  • The ability to experience such awe is unique to the hypersensitivity of children
• Mankind vs nature topic sentence

  Wordsworth characterises nature as a conscious entity in order to quantify its power and magnificence compared to man
• mankind vs nature - “led by her”


  • initially a maternal figure
  • In poetry femininity is associated with gentleness and beauty
  • He is lulled into a sense of security by the compassionate entity of nature
  • Likely and illusion to the concept of Mother Nature
  • Benevolence outpoured by nature wasn’t present in his troubled childhood
• Mankind vs nature - “grime shape”

  • as poem progresses nature transforms into a “grim shape” which “strode after him”
  • The vague noun “shape” shows inability to fathom nature
  • Omniscient being which supersedes description
  • Similar to inability to comprehend and characterise god
  • Is an integration of mankind’s hubris
  • Nature is the omnipotent being, not us
  • Shows links to competing with poem “paradise lost” which is another epic poem which expresses mankind underestimating nature and overestimating its own significance
• Form - epic poem


  • long narrative which shows extraordinary features of a heroic protagonist
  • “Hero“ is up for debate it is arguable Wordsworth but could be nature
  • critics say natures brilliance is a mundane everyday occurrence and is underwhelming compared to other epics, like the odyssey
  • could reflect Wordsworths spiritual journey and awakening to nature
• Single stanza - form

  • emphasises overwhelming entity of nature as no breaks reflect a sense of feeling breathless
  • Reader feeling overwhelmed by intensity of the poem reflects Wordsworth being overwhelmed by the “black peak, huge and black”
  • possible allusion to “paradise lost” another epic poem written in lengthy stanzas and iambic pentameter
  • Paradise lost refers to a biblical fall of man
• Structure - parallelism 


  • shows contrast in the speaker after his spiritual change
  • as he rowed he glided on “an unswerving line” and the strokes “melted into one” suggesting a control over nature
  • the sense of ease dissipates And he is “heaving through the water”
  • upon realising the greatness of nature it become strenuous and exhausting
• Structure - cyclical 


  • Wordsworth employs a cyclical structure in his poem to emphasise that the change that took place during the journey was internal and psychological rather than external and physical
  • his journey begins and finishes in the same place
  • There are subtle changes using a linguistic echo
  • "an act of stealth" then when he returned home he "stole my way back to the covert of the willow tree"