Prelude

• The poem shows the spiritual growth of the poet: how he comes to terms with who he is, and his place in nature and the world. This extract describes how Wordsworth went out in a boat on a lake at night. He was alone and a mountain peak loomed over him. For days afterwards, he was troubled by this event.
• One of the keys concepts is that our identity and character are shaped by distinct “spots of time”. The poet is made to feel guilty for stealing the boat and in that sense shows we can learn morality from nature. Thus, nature is presented as beautiful and inspiring, but also frightening if you do somehting wrong or immoral.
• There is a sense that a higher power / god watches over us. Potentially, the poem has links to the garden of eden. This is because within a setting that is a bit like paradise, the narrator steals what is not his and then is punished for it by exile.
• The prelude is a poem about the journey of life and the journey of the soul. The mountains presence had a great effect upon him and for a few days afterwards, he was troubled by the experience.
• The poem shows the spiritual growth of the poet: how he comes to terms with who he is, and his place in nature and tthe world. One of the key concepts is that our identity and character are shaped by distinct “spots of time.”
• Wordsworth’s use of language creates an atmosphere of mystery and wonder which reflects the speaker’s feelings towards the natural world. It also highlights the idea that there is something greater than mankind watching over them.
• The poem explores the theme of human isolation and loneliness. The speaker feels isolated from other people and society due to his love of nature. However, he finds comfort in being surrounded by the beauty of nature.
• Personification of ’her’ refers to nature - suggestion of a huge motherly influence on him.
• Oxymoron “troubled pleasure” - indicates that he has mixed feelings over what he is doing: ‘troubled’ - knows it’s wrong which makes him feel uncomfortable. ‘pleasure’ - enjoyment / thrill.
• Nature as beautiful - “small circles glittering idly” , “until they melted all into one track / of sparkling light”. Light imagery ecokes a calm and tranquil image. The imagery of the boat ‘elfin pinnace’ as a fairy boat (metaphor) also adds to the magical quality of the start of the poem.
• Nature as frightening and powerful - the mountain is “a huge peak, black and huge”: repetition of ’huge’ reinforces the size of the mountain and how the poet feels powerless in its presence.
• He finds he is haunted by the incident referring to how “there hung a darkness”. The word ‘darkness’ indicates a form of depression. He cannot take customary pleasure in nature.
• Feelings and attitudes

  Safety / adventure and fear

  Isolation and helplessness

  Enlightenment and knowledge
• THEMES

  The power of nature

  Humanity vs nature

  Fear and isolation

  Identity
• COMPARE

  ’Storm on the island’ - power of nature

  ‘Exposure’ - power of nature / nature as frightening

  ‘Emigree’ - identity and place

  ‘Checking out me history’ - identity
• KEY QUOTES

  “troubled pleasure“

  ”glittering” “sparkling”

  ”elfin pinnace”

  ”huge and black” “towered” “strode after me”

  ”there hung a darkness”