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• What is Wordsworth’s intent in presenting nature as both beautiful and terrifying?

  Wordsworth aims to show that nature is sublime—both awe-inspiring and overwhelming. He begins by portraying nature as peaceful and welcoming, but as the mountain appears, it becomes threatening. This shift reflects nature’s uncontrollable power, reminding humans of their insignificance. His intent is to inspire reverence and humility toward the natural world.
• How does Wordsworth use the boat-stealing episode to reflect personal growth?

  The poem reflects a spiritual and moral journey. The boy’s arrogance at the start transforms into fear and respect as nature confronts him. Wordsworth uses this as a metaphor for losing innocence and gaining wisdom, suggesting that understanding comes through emotional and spiritual experiences. His intent is to explore inner development through confrontation with the sublime.
• How does Wordsworth use the poem to express Romantic ideals?

  Wordsworth’s Romantic beliefs are central to the poem—especially the idea that nature is a teacher. He rejects industrialisation and rationalism, celebrating instead the emotional power of the natural world. His intent is to promote imagination, introspection, and a deep spiritual bond with nature as key to human fulfilment.
• What does Wordsworth suggest about guilt and the human conscience?

  The speaker’s long-lasting sense of guilt shows how internal conflict arises from defying nature’s order. Wordsworth uses the “troubled pleasure” and the haunting aftermath to show that nature awakens the conscience, acting as a kind of moral force. His intent is to suggest that nature shapes not only our emotions but also our moral compass.
• How does Wordsworth convey the limits of human power and knowledge?

  By portraying the boy’s confidence shattered by the sight of the mountain, Wordsworth shows that human understanding is small compared to the vast, mysterious forces of nature. The “huge peak” becomes a symbol of the unknown, challenging Enlightenment ideas that all things can be reasoned or explained. Wordsworth’s intent is to criticise human arrogance and emphasise mystery, wonder, and awe as vital human experiences.