The Prelude

Cards (10)

  • '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