The prelude

• who wrote the prelude?

  William Wordsworth
• imagery?

  " And in the frosty season when the sun was set "
• what kind of poem was Wordsworth?

  romantic
• what kind of poem is the prelude?

  epic poem
• How is the prelude an epic poem?

  very long piece of poetry , however Wordsworth talks about ordinary events rather than ; lengthy historical events , which are given in an epic quality as it is treated as a spiritual exploration
• religious imagery?

  " a time of rapture " suggest the deep spiritual experience that not only transports someone to heaven but also transforms people
• simile?

  " i wheel'd about .... like an untir'd horse "
• semantic field of hunt?

  " chase " ," horn ", "pack of loud bellowing "
• Both onomatopoeia and simile?

  " every icy crag tinkled like iron "
• senses ?

  " Alien sound "
• structure?

  written in a less formal language capturing an authentic voice suitable for an autobiographical poem .

  frequent use of enjambments conveys fluid movement of children as well as naturalistic voice
• " i heed not the summons "
• what does the prelude talk about?

  Wordsworth's childhood at lake district
• why was Wordsworth unhappy at his grandparents home ?

  he was away from his sister
• the poem charts key moments in Wordsworths life that helped him come to place with who he is , and his place in nature
• what does Wordsworth describe the poem as?

  " a poem on the growth of my own mind " with " contrasting views of man , nature and society "
• what was the prelude a reaction to?

  industrialisation
• Wordsworth often explored the outdoors and believed that nature could almost act as a parent or teacher in the way that it can influence our feelings and behavior
• Wordsworth learned to ice skate on a straight lake which was near his boarding school and he loved ice skating for all of his life
• Romanticism

  An artistic and intellectual movement that happened between the late 18th and mid and 19th centuries, it placed a greater emphasis on emotions, imagination, and appreciation of beauty in nature
• Sibilants

  • Reflect the sound of ice-skating
  • Express Wordsworth's emotions and intensity for ice-skating
• Hunt

  A metaphor for the games the children are playing
• Then

  A word with negative connotations, too loud, too long, and too unpleasant
• Alien sound

  A short, distinctive quotation that reflects the change in tone
• The tone shifts to negative, with words like 'dim', 'alien sound', 'leafless', 'distant Hills', 'tumult', 'melancholy', 'died away'
• Melancholy


  A feeling of deep, thoughtful sadness
• The final image of the 'orange sky of evening died away' could represent various deaths, such as the loss of innocence or the death of the persona's love for nature
• The poem shifts from a glorification of nature's joy to an acknowledgement of the pain it can cause
• what did romantic believe about children?

  that they were special and that they were uncorrupted and enjoyed a precious affinity with nature