the prelude

• context: wordsworth was one of the first and most influential of the romantic era. poem is nostalgic in its thoughts about his childhood and the intense feelings of delight when he walked as a child or played in the countryside
• structure: poem begins with the end of the day and the warm light of the setting sun reflecting in the cottage windows. end of poem reflects the end of the day as the sun sets and stars appear
• "in the frosty season" - poem filled with imagery to do with winter and the end of the year as well as the end of the day
• "the orange sky of the evening died away" - reminds us the day is ending and so is the year, so did his childhood when he became an adult. intensity of orange sky and sparkling stars reflects the energy and vibrance of youth, something that declines with the aging process