The Prelude

• How does 'The Prelude' present the power of nature?

  . More powerful than mankind

  . Thoughts about nature change throughout the poem

  . Evokes fear, panic, distress

  . Nature can seek revenge

  . Nature is superior

  . Humans wrongly believe they can manipulate nature

  . Nature is initially seen as caring

  . Nature has ultimate control

  . Personification of nature
• What type of poet was Wordsworth and how did this contribute to The Prelude?

  Romantic Poet:

  • Romantic poets looked to the beauty of nature and past life in order to protest against the changing face of the world which was happening due to industrialisation.
  • The romantic writers would also follow enlightened values of protesting institutions and sources of power and use their work to comment on society and how it should be reformed.
  • They tended to use everyday language to make poems accessible to all.
• What is 'The Prelude' about?

  The main conflict explored in the poem is man vs nature, investigated through a young man’s attempt to control nature through his stolen rowing boat:

  • Written in iambic pentameter to keep a constant rhythm
  • Based on Wordsworth’s childhood, during an event which happened in the Lake District, which brings a tone of realism to the piece.
  • The setting, on a journey, could metaphorically relate to the spiritual journey the speaker is taking in realising the true extent of nature.
• 'Unswerving line'


  • He views mankind and nature being united and working together, humanity being the dominant power, thus enabling him to manipulate water to his benefit and control his journey
  • This is then contrasted with the speaker 'heaving' through the water, suggesting that nature is resisting and fighting back, showing him who actually has the power
  • Wordsworth uses parallelism in his poem (with 'heaving' and 'unswerving') to contrast how the speaker was before and after the revelation of nature’s power. This highlights how the experience has acted as a catalyst in his development.
• 'A huge peak, black and huge'


  • Nature’s true power leaves him speechless and his descriptions become more simplistic and clumsy.
  • The repetition of “huge” also emphasises the sheer size of the mountain. The repetition sounds like stuttering, which may suggest he's nervous and intimidated in the face of such raw power.
  • The entire extract is a single stanza which emphasises the overwhelming power of nature. This is heightened because there are no breaks or pauses which causes the reader to feel breathless.
• 'Trouble to my dreams'

  • Cyclical structure: the change that took place during the journey was psychological
  • This phrase shows the long term impact nature has on him, this transformative effect could also be considered humbling but haunting.
  • He initially stole the boat because he viewed himself as dominant and had no care for consequences whereas at the end he “stole” away.on his return, “stole” becomes indicative of his humility and his fear in the face of nature’s true power.
• 'Led by her'


  Can be considered an allusion to the idea of Mother Nature:

  • Nature is responsible for the feminine task of creating, sustaining and nurturing life – as a mother does.
  • Personification: contrasts the role of nature to the role of a human –whilst women nurture a single child; nature nurtures an entire planet thus demonstrating its superiority.
  • Equally, the speaker is not in control of his actions and in a way elevates blame from him for any negative actions, further emphasising nature's power
• 'Upreared its head' 'Strode after me'


  • Q1- Mountain seems to be living with intent – wanted to reveal itself. This phrase also suggests the reader can empathise with the speaker’s fear and anxiety, and it juxtaposes to how nature was working with him at first, but now has turned against him
  • Q2- Use of simile here could imply that the speaker is now choosing to personify nature but to above his level; as something other-worldly. The verb “strode” is very bold and implies a lot of strength, demonstrating the power of the mountain.