Language, form and structure

• Wordsworth uses the form of an epic poem, which traditionally are about heroes. However, his poem is about the life of an ordinary man, reflecting the Romantic belief that we are all important
• At the beginning, there are references to “light” and “sparkling”, but after his encounter with the mountain, the language becomes darker. In this way the poem could be a metaphor for growing up and becoming more realistic and less idealised about the world
• The poem is in free verse