The Prelude

• 'grey sky'


  Juxtaposition of previous beauty described

  Foreshadowing of events through pathetic fallacy?
• 'elfin pinnace'


  Describes the simple boat as something better (links to epic poetry)

  'elfin' meaning small and magical

  Speaker conquering nature?
• 'lustily, I dipped my oars into the silent lake'


  Symbolic of man's interference with nature

  No enjoyment without destruction
• 'little boat tied to a willow tree' 


  Shows man's reliance on nature
• 'huge peak, black and huge'


  Nature proving to be overpowering and powerful

  Repetition of 'huge' proves this
• 'craggy ridge'


  Overpowering dominance of nature

  'craggy' means rough and uneven

  Uneven power imbalance of man and nature?
• 'measured motion like a living thing'


  Personification of nature as it appears to be after him
• 'upreared its head'


  Personification making the boat seem to be animalistic

  Nature defending itself?
• 'glittering idly'


  Effortless beauty of nature.. 'idly'

  Celestial imagery when paired with 'sparkling light'

  Nature is better than humans
• 'No familiar shapes remained'


  View of nature has been permanently tainted by his experience