The Prelude

• What is The Prelude about?

  • extract of an autobiographical epic poem made up of 14 books, from the first book, “Introduction and school-time”
  • poem explores a childhood memory of Wordsworth’s trip to the Lake District in which he stole a boat
  • He sees a nearby mountain & believes it to be growing, he perceives it as increasingly threatening & it begins to instill fear in him
  • Consequently, Wordsworth’s view & perspective of nature was changed
• What is the contextual significance of Wordsworth’s poetry?

  • Romantic poet (capital R)
  • He wrote in criticism of industrialism (anti-establishment also) during the time of the Industrial Revolution
  • Celebrated nature’s beauty
• What is the contextual significance of Wordsworth’s childhood?

  • Had a troubled childhood -> problematic relationship w/ his father
  • both parents died during teenage years -> raised by several different relatives, who treated him poorly -> detrimental impact on his mental health
  • Growing up in the Lake District, the lake’s natural landscape become a place where he could escape
• What quote reflects the romanticisation of childhood?

  “little boat” as an “elfin pinnace” to “glittering idly in the moon”
• What does “little boat” as an “elfin pinnace” to “glittering idly in the moon” reflect about the romanticisation of childhood?

  • Wordworth recalls the events of the poem through a mythical lens, describing the “little boat” as an “elfin pinnace” to convey the experience as fairytale-like
  • The rhetoric of magic extends to his perspective of the natural environment describing water ripples as “glittering idly in the moon” which is reminiscent of an angel’s halo
  • He celebrates the childhood ability to believe and immerse yourself within the magical realm
• What quote reflects mankind vs nature?

  “led by her”
• How does “led by her” reflect mankind vs nature?

  • mankind underestimates nature’s power: personification of nature paints it as a maternal figure, claims he was “led by her”
  • In poetry, femininity -> associated with gentleness & beauty, he is lulled into a sense of security that nature is a compassionate entity
  • allusion to the concept of “Mother Nature”, which is a role that humans defined for nature- perhaps by contradicting this view he is exploring that humanity is susceptible to being blinded by hubris, and some of the subconscious views of society are in fact misconceptions
• What is the structural significance of parallelism?

  • Parallelism is used to contrast the speaker after he has undergone the spiritual change throughout the poem
• How is parallelism used to describe the water?

  • Initially, as he rowed he glided through the water in an “unswerving line” as his oar strokes “melted all into one track”, which alludes to a level of control over nature & his environment
  • This sense of ease however dissipates and on his return journey, he is “heaving through the water”, upon realising the greatness of nature, conducting his environment becomes a strenuous & exhausting feat
• What are the two pieces of form in the poem?

  • Epic poem
  • Blank verse
• What contrasts the “epic poem”?

  • Criticisms of Wordsworth’s poem suggest that the contents are comparatively mundane and less gallant than what would be expected of an epic, yet this is telling about how profound Wordsworth believed his interactions with nature to be
• Why is the poem in blank verse?

  • It is written in blank verse (iambic pentameter without rhyme), which means that each line is 10 syllables which alternate between an unstressed & stressed syllable e.g. da- DUM
  • This is a useful tool with a poem so long as it establishes & maintains an artistic quality to keep the reader engaged
  • It also suggests the suggestion that The Prelude was inspired by & intended to compete with “Paradise Lost” as this blank verse form was also used by Milton